Mission Residency Requirements

• You must be a United States citizen, permanent resident, asylee/refugee, or have a visa status that is eligible to establish residency.
  • That includes the following visa categories: A 1-3, E 1-3, G 1-5, H-1B, H-1C, H4 (if dependent of H-1B or H-1C), I, K 1-4, L-1A, L-1B, L-2, NATO 1-7, N-8, N-9, O-1, O-3 (if dependent of O-1), R 1-2, T 1-5, U 1-5, and V 1-3. List of eligible nonimmigrant visa categories.
• You must have lived in California under a residency eligible immigration status for at least one year and one day prior to the start of the term for which you seek residency.

Education Code section 68075.6 grants an immediate nonresident tuition fee exemption to eligible Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders and refugee students who settled in California upon entering the United States. This exemption is granted for one year from the date the student settled in California upon entering the United States.

This exemption applies to the following:

• Iraqi citizens or nationals (and their spouses and children) who were employed by or on behalf of the United States Government in Iraq (Pub.L. No. 110-181, 1244.)
• Afghan and Iraqi translators (and their spouses and children) who worked directly with the United States Armed Forces (Pub.L. No. 109-163, 1059.)
• Afghanistan nationals who were employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government or in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan (Pub.L. No. 111-8, 602.)
• Refugee students admitted to the United States under Section 1157 of Title 8 of the United States Code.

In accordance with Assembly Bill 540 and AB 2000, any student, other than a non-immigrant, who meets all of the following requirements, shall be exempt from paying nonresident tuition at the California Community Colleges.

To request this exemption, a student must complete the form online and submit it to [email protected] or in person in the Office of Admissions and Records SEC 118.

Educational Requirements: students must meet one from each column when completing the AB540 form

• A student who is without lawful immigration status must file an affidavit with the college or university stating that he or she has filed an application to legalize his or her immigration status or will file an application as soon as he or she is eligible to do so.
• Students who are nonimmigrant [for example, those who hold F (student) visas, B (visitor) visas, etc.] are not eligible for this exemption.  Student information obtained in this process is strictly confidential unless disclosure is required under law.
• Nonresident students meeting the criteria will be exempted from the payment of nonresident tuition, but they will not be classified as California residents. They continue to be nonresidents. 
• Students meeting the criteria will be classified as AB540. AB540 students will be considered for state aid through the California Dream Act application but may not for federal financial aid.

Students meeting the criteria will be classified as AB540. AB540 students will be considered for state aid through the California Dream Act application but may not for federal financial aid. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid for details.