Documents

Passport

Your passport gives you permission to travel abroad and is issued by your home government. It must be valid as long as you are in the U.S. We recommend you renew it at least six months before it expires. Don't let your passport expire while you are in the U.S.

I-94 Card

Your I-94 card is issued to you by the CBP (Customs and Border Patrol) as you arrive in the U.S., and will be taken from you as you leave. It states the date on which you entered the U.S., and states your visa status. The number on the card is your immigration admission number, and will be used in any correspondence with the immigration. It should also be entered on your I-20.

F and J Visas:

The letters D/S (duration of status) on the I-94 mean that you are permitted to remain in the U.S. for as long as you remain in good standing as an international student. Your I-94 card will be taken from you when you leave the U.S. You will receive another if you reenter the U.S. Keep it safely with your passport at all times.

B1 and B2 Visas:

The I-94 will have a date on it showing how long you can remain in the U.S. You must either leave the U.S. by this date, or have a non-frivolous application for extension or change at USCIS before this date.

I - 20 Form

The I-20 document is used to apply for your F-1 or F-2 visa at the U.S. Embassy or consulate in your home country.

You must attend the school whose I-20 you used to enter the U.S.

On your initial entry to the U.S. the school listed on your visa stamp, and the school on the I-20, must match.

The I-20 permits you to remain in the U.S., as long as you are carrying out the program described, and are maintaining your status. Your I-20 must always be an accurate statement of your program. If any of the facts recorded on it change, you should request an updated document from International Advising.

The date at which you are expected to complete your academic program, is printed in Box 5 on your I-20. This date is only an estimate. Permission to remain actually ends on the date your academic program ends, or the expiration date of the I-20, whichever comes first.

After completing your program, you have 60 days to leave the U.S. If you end your studies before completion of the program, and have permission from International Advising, you have 15 days to leave the U.S. If you do not consult International Advising to get permission, immigration determines that you are out of status, and have no grace period to stay in the U.S.

If you do not complete your academic program before the end date on the I-20, you must ask International Advising to prepare a new I-20 for an extension of your program. This must be done before your I-20 expires.

 

Maintaining F1 Status

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) considers you to be in valid F-1 status if you fulfill all of the conditions of your F-1 visa. The conditions are:

• Attend the school whose I-20 you used to enter the U.S.

• Maintain good academic standing

• Maintain sufficient financial resources to avoid becoming a "public charge"

• Enroll each semester as a full-time student

• Work no more than 20 hours per week on-campus while classes are in session

• Work off-campus only with specific written authorization from International Advising or USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services)

• Complete the F-1 transfer procedure to change schools within the U.S.

• Extend your stay in your degree program before the completion date on your I-20

• Complete the change of level procedure when changing from one educational degree level to another (within 15 days of changing educational degree level)

Consequences of being "Out of Status"

If you are out of status, you lose the following privileges and benefits:

• Eligibility for employment, on- and off-campus work

• Automatic visa revalidation for trips to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean islands except Cuba (not available to citizens of some countries)

• Extension of program through the notification procedure

• Transfer to or from another university in the U.S. through the SEVIS procedure

• Change from one educational level to another through the SEVIS procedure

• Practical training

• Visa stamp may be considered cancelled

Getting Back In Status

To get back in status you must do one of two things: apply to USCIS for reinstatement within the U.S. ($200 fee), or leave the U.S. and be readmitted with a new I-20. Students who have worked since becoming out of status in the U.S. are not eligible for re-instatement in the United States. For more details, please consult the handout on reinstatement or see an International Advising advisor.