Resources for International Visitors with Stanford Appointments

The Bechtel International Center provides information about and assistance with obtaining and maintaining legal status in the U.S. to international students, scholars, and Stanford departments; including information on navigating international life and new scholar arrival. Review Bechtel Connect, the portal for immigration resources. 

Stanford University centers, departments, and local offices below may be useful to navigating the campus community. 

Stanford

• Bechtel International Center 
• Cardinal at Work
• Department of Public Safety (DPS)
• Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S)
• Faculty Staff Help Center
• Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
• Office for Religious & Spiritual Life
• Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE)
• Stanford Libraries
• Stanford Recreation & Wellness
• Stanford Transportation
• University IT 

Bechtel International Center Affiliate

• The Community Committee for International Students

Non-Stanford

• City of Palo Alto
• Santa Clara County

Explore the R&DE Community Housing Resources. Please review the description for each R&DE housing resource, which notes what university affiliates/visitors may be eligible for, in addition to commonly used third-party resources available to everyone. Visiting Academics are eligible to apply to Stanford West Apartments, but there is a very competitive waiting list, so visitors are encouraged to look into other options as well.

Below are local banks located on campus (they also have ATMs on campus). There are also a number of other banks in the broader Palo Alto community that you can consider exploring.

• Bank of America, Stanford Location
• Stanford Federal Credit Union
• Wells Fargo, Stanford Location

The Bechtel International Center offers programs for international spouses and families.

The WorkLife Office provides support and resources to navigate the ever-changing and competing demands of career, family and life. As a university affiliate, visitors with Stanford appointments are eligible for services and can contact their office to learn more.

The Community Committee for International Students offers the Community Advisors program, which is a friendly and personal way for internationals to get oriented in the area. They also provide resources for spouses including the Professional Liaison program and the Spouse Education Fund.

2-1-1 Bay Area is the comprehensive information and referral service for San Francisco, San Mateo, Napa, Marin, Santa Clara, and Solano counties. They connect over 37,000 Bay Area callers and texters each year with information about health and human services available to them. You can call 211 for free, non-emergency information on available community services including assistance with basic needs, child & elder care, employment, health services, immigration, counseling & opportunities to volunteer or donate.

Cardinal at Work lists Child & Family Resources, including local public schools and school-age aftercare programs, on- and off-site childcare, summer activities, and more. Visit the program websites directly for their registration and enrollment process.

You can also join the Stanford ParentNet mailing list. This email list serves the parent community at Stanford and is a great resource for finding childcare, nannies, preschools, and other family-related issues.

The City of Palo Alto offers a list of childcare resources.

Additional child care centers can be found on the YWCA Silicon Valley website. 

The Bechtel International Center Programming Team organizes over 100 events each year for international students, scholars and families. Events range from coffee socials to trips around the Bay Area.

There are many Stanford events open to the public all around the world, so you can stay connected during and after your visit.

Stanford Recreation & Wellness provides a number of facilities and programs including the gymnasium, fitness center, and pool and aquatic center. Learn about membership access.

Stanford Residential & Dining Enterprises shares a list of on-campus dining and retail options. Additionally, the closest off-campus options in Palo Alto are Stanford Shopping Center and Town and Country Village. The City of Palo Alto, just a few minutes away from campus, also has a vibrant community and offers many things to do.

Stanford Transportation provides a number of resources to get around campus such as the searchable campus map, purchasing virtual car permits, or traveling with the free Marguerite campus shuttle or by bicycle (information includes bike safety tips, how to register your bike, bike laws, and more). 

Commuters can visit the Transit page to learn more about local transportation options such as train, bus, and light rail.

The Community Committee for International Students offers free English classes open to Stanford international students, post-doctoral scholars, and their family members with intermediate to advanced English proficiency. The classes are taught by experienced volunteers. The English in Action Program matches English-speaking community volunteers with Stanford international graduate students, visiting scholars, post-doctorates, or spouses.

Palo Alto Adult School offers English Enrichment classes for non-native speakers who have tested above their state-supported program or who wish to focus on one specific area of English. It is not necessary to take the placement test before enrolling in these classes. They also offer free English as a Second Language classes.

The Stanford department hosting you must complete sponsorship processes in order to generate your SUNet ID and/or an email account. If sponsored, you will receive an email to set up your SUNet ID and password.

There are limitations for visiting scholars whose residence at Stanford is less than three months. See Administrative Guide Memo: 2.4.3 Stanford Identification Cards for policies governing Stanford ID card eligibility. 

If eligible, visit the Stanford ID Card Office to create a new or replacement ID card. 

Review the Campus Card Services for Courtesy and Recreation ID Cards. 

Courtesy cards are issued to certain University affiliates. See Administrative Guide Memo: 2.4.3 Stanford Identification Cards for policies governing courtesy card eligibility. Recreation ID cards (also known as Cardinal Rec cards) are available for dependent children of Stanford faculty, staff, students, and Visiting Scholars, who are younger than 26 years old. These cards provide access only to athletic facilities.

In the process of sponsoring your SUNet ID, your hosting department has the option to also sponsor your access to electronic Library resources. The Stanford Libraries provides information on what other library resources visitors are eligible for, including for short-term scholars.

Review the guidelines and policies for Faculty and Other Academic Appointments. As a member of the Stanford University community, each of us is responsible for adhering to university policies including applicable policies in Stanford’s Administrative Guide, the Faculty Handbook (for visiting faculty), and the Research Policy Handbook. 

Each of us is responsible for maintaining the highest ethical standards and performing activities with the utmost integrity and fairness. The Stanford Code of Conduct is our guide for ethical, professional, and legal standards of behavior. You can also refer to this PDF infographic of the Code of Conduct in brief.

Emergency Resources

The Faculty Staff Help Center provides a list of emergency resources. 

Stanford’s Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) department provides Emergency Response Guidelines for various types of emergencies. You can also contact the Stanford Department of Public Safety (DPS) with any safety concerns.

The university will send an AlertSU notice to Stanford members should an emergency arise. Visit AlertSU FAQ for information on the system and how you can find the current status of emergency situations, if occurring. 

You can also sign up for AlertSCC, Santa Clara County’s official emergency alert and warning system. AlertSCC is free for everyone and easy to set up. Alerts are sent directly to your mobile device, landline, and/or email.

Health & Well-Being Support

Visiting scholars can contact the Faculty Staff Help Center for one free session. Typically, during this session they will also provide an outside referral if needed. 

The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department provides Help and Healing Resources. 

The YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley also provides therapy services, crisis support, and more. YWCA @ Stanford is a program of YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley on Stanford’s campus. YWCA @ Stanford is an independent community-based nonprofit that provides confidential support to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking, stalking, and sexual harassment in the Stanford community.

Below is a sample list of local hospitals, clinics, and urgent care centers. Please make sure to contact your health insurance provider to confirm if they will cover or reimburse the cost of any medical care or services. Otherwise, you may be responsible for the cost of care or services. Your health insurance provider might also be able to refer you to other medical care options.

Non-English speakers, or speakers whose primary language is not English, can request assistance in their primary language from most hospitals and from 9-1-1. Please note that there is a delay while an interpreter, if available, is summoned.

• Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford
• Instant Urgent Care
• Stanford Health Care
• Sutter Health
  • Mills-Peninsula Medical Center
  • Palo Alto Medical Foundation
• Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
  • Valley Health Center Sunnyvale