Maintaining F-1 Status
You should do the following to maintain
your status:
- Keep a valid, unexpired passport;
- Attend the school you are authorized to attend on your current
I-20;
- Apply in advance for an extension of stay if you will remain in
the United States past the completion date given on your I-20;
- Follow the transfer procedures authorized by the USCIS to attend a
new school or begin a new academic program;
- Follow USCIS procedures to advance from one degree to another at
the same university;
- Limit on-campus employment to 20 hours per week when school is in
session;
- Refrain from working off-campus without USCIS authorization;
- Maintain a full course of study.
Full time is considered 12 credit hours for undergraduates, 9
credit hours for graduates, or 6 credit hours for students on an
assistantship.
You can fall out of status by enrolling in a full course of
study and then dropping some or all of the classes during the
semester so that you drop below the USCIS definition of full-time.
The USCIS has stated that “no more than the equivalent of one
class or three credits per semester may be counted toward the full
course of study requirement if the class is taken on-line or through
distance education.”
You are not required to enroll during summer vacation, although you
may choose to do so.
- Make normal progress towards completion of a degree;
- Notify the USCIS and your Designated Student Officer within 10
days if you change your address (using
Form AR-11);
- Depart the United States within sixty days following completion of
a course of study or a period of authorized practical training; and,
- Maintain a permanent address abroad.
It is very important
that F-1 students continue to maintain their status while on a student
visa. A student may fail maintain status by dropping from
full-time to part-time enrollment without prior approval from the DSO,
attending a school other than the one authorized, failing to apply for a
transfer or extension, working without authorization, and failing to
report a change of address.
Students who fail to maintain status lose the privileges of their
student visa and may be deported. Students may be denied reentry to the
United States or requests to change status, prevented from pursuing a
graduate program, refused Practical Training or employment, and may be
denied future visa applications.
If a student falls out
of status, the student may apply to the USCIS for reinstatement if the
violation resulted from exceptional circumstances beyond the student’s
control. There is no appeal if the USCIS does not reinstate the student.
National Interest Waivers