Which of the following are true of enrolling in a course after the registration period has ended?

It is your responsibility to understand and comply with the terms of your immigration status during your stay in the United States. A violation of the immigration regulations (for example, failure to maintain a full-time credit load or unauthorized employment) could jeopardize your F-1 status and legal stay in the U.S. Review this information carefully and contact ISS if you have questions.

Documents | Events That Require You to Update Your I-20 | Full-time Registration Requirements and Exceptions | Making Normal Progress | Employment | Returning to the U.S. After a Temporary Absence | Dependents | Change of Address | Graduation or Completion of Your Exchange Program | Loss of F-1 Status and Unlawful Presence

What is F-1 “Status”?

“Status” is your nonresident category officially granted by an immigration official. To be in F-1 “status” means that you are legally in the U.S. and have benefits and restrictions specified in the immigration regulations for the F-1 visa category. You gain status either by entering the U.S. with F-1 documents (described below) or, for people already in the U.S. in a different status, by applying to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for a change of status.

Period of authorized stay

Your admission to the U.S. is for “duration of status,” meaning the length of your F-1 status. F-1 status covers the period when:

• You are a full-time registered student making normal progress toward your degree,
• Plus an optional period of practical training following completion of studies (if you apply for OPT)
• Plus a 60-day “grace period” to prepare to depart the U.S. or change to another status; the grace period starts when you complete your degree or your OPT period.

Your length of authorized stay within the U.S. is not related to your F-1 visa expiration date. Your length of authorized stay depends on your following the F-1 rules.

The F-1 visa is specifically for entry into the U.S. After you are in the U.S., the F-1 visa might expire before your status expires, or your status might end before your visa expires.

Documents

Federal law requires you to carry “registration documents” at all times, including your I-20 and passport with I-94 card attached or F-1 admission stamp (depending on what you received upon your last entry to the U.S.). Below is an overview of the documents related to your F-1 status. For day-to-day purposes, we suggest that these documents be kept in a secure location such as a bank safe deposit box, and you should carry photocopies. However, if you are traveling outside the Seattle area you should carry the original documents with you. If you are traveling by air, train, bus or ship, you may be required to produce these documents before boarding. Keep photocopies of all your documents in a separate location in the event your documents are lost or stolen.

Passport

Your passport must be valid at all times. Keep your passport and other important documents in a safe place, such as a bank safe-deposit box. Report a lost or stolen passport to the police because your government may require a police report before issuing a new passport. To renew or replace your passport, contact your country’s consulate in the U.S.

Visa

The visa is the stamp that the U.S. consular officer placed on a page in your passport. The visa permitted you to apply for admission into the U.S. as an F-1 student, and need not remain valid while you are in the U.S. (Canadian citizens are not required to have a visa.) Visas can only be obtained outside of the U.S. at a U.S. consulate.

If your visa expires while you are in the U.S., the next time you travel abroad you must obtain a new F-1 visa before returning to the U.S. Exceptions to this rule exist for short trips to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean islands. For more information, visit our “Travel and Visas” section.

I-20 Certificate of Eligibility

Issued by UW, this document allows you to apply for an F-1 visa if you are outside the U.S, apply for F-1 status within the U.S., enter and reenter the U.S. in F-1 status, and prove your eligibility for various F-1 benefits. The I-20 indicates the institution in which you are permitted to study, your program of study, and the dates of eligibility. The I-20 must remain valid at all times. Request an I-20 extension prior to its expiration date. Allowing the I-20 to expire before you complete your academic program is a violation of F-1 status.

The I-20 is a printout from your Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record. SEVIS is an online database that allows schools and federal immigration agencies to exchange data on the status of international students. Information is transmitted electronically throughout an F-1 or J-1 student’s academic career in the U.S. Each student has a unique SEVIS ID number, which is printed on your I-20 in the top right corner.

I-94 Arrival & Departure Record

When you enter the U.S. you are issued either an admission stamp in your passport or Form I-94, a small white card usually stapled to the passport opposite the visa stamp. In summer of 2013, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) transitioned to electronic arrival/departure records for air and sea ports of entry. For most travelers arriving by air or sea, a paper I-94 card will not be issued. Instead, the CBP official will issue an admission stamp in the passport. Travelers at land borders will continue to receive paper I-94 cards.

You might receive either a paper I-94 card or an F-1 admission stamp in your passport (no card), depending on  where you arrive. The admission stamp or I-94 card records the date and place you entered the U.S., your immigration status (for example, F-1 or F-2), and authorized period of stay (indicated by “D/S”, meaning “duration of status”). Be sure to check the stamp to make sure it is correct. If you receive a paper I-94 card, keep it stapled in your passport. A $330 fee is required to replace a lost, stolen or damaged paper I-94 card. Consult your ISS adviser if you lose your I-94 card.

You might need a printout of your electronic I-94 information to apply for various benefits such as a Washington State ID card or a Social Security Number. You can obtain a printout of your I-94 record on the I-94 Website.

Events That Require You to Update Your I-20

Many kinds of updates must be reported to the Department of Homeland Security through SEVIS and must be changed on your I-20. Notify ISS of the following changes and request an updated I-20. Keep every I-20 for your permanent record, even after you graduate. Do not discard the old ones, even from previous schools. ISS files are archived and destroyed after several years, so it is your responsibility to keep your I-20s in case you need them to apply for future immigration benefits.

Program Extension

If you are unable to complete your course of study before the completion date noted in item 5 on your I-20, you must request an extended I-20 before your current I-20 expires. For more information and instructions, review Program Extension information.

Changing Schools

You must register full-time at the UW, since the UW issued your I-20 and oversees your SEVIS record. If you decide to transfer to another school, contact ISS prior to completing your final quarter at UW. For information about transferring your SEVIS record to the new school, visit School Transfer.

Change of Level

If you will complete your current program of study and plan to continue at the University of Washington in another program (for example, change from a Master’s degree program to a PhD program), your I-20 must be updated. For more information, review Change of Level information.

Change of Major

If you are accepted into a major or if you change your major (for example, pre-major to History or History to Biology), you must request a new I-20. For more information, please read New Major I-20 Request.

Change of Funding

If there is a substantial change in the source or amount of your funding, report this change to ISS and a new I-20 will be issued to you. For example, if you receive a Research or Teaching Assistantship through your department, but your I-20 indicates that you use personal funds to pay for expenses, you should request a new I-20.  For more information, review Change of Funding information.

Name Change

The name on your I-20 should match the name on your passport. If you change any part of your legal name—first/given name, middle name, or last/family name—on your passport, this change should be reflected on your I-20. Conversely, if you want a different name on your I-20, ISS will wait for you to change your passport first, before updating the I-20. Note that SEVIS is a separate database from the UW database. For instructions on changing your name in the UW database, visit: Name Change Policy.

Full-time Registration Requirements and Exceptions

In general, F-1 students must be registered full-time. This is defined as at least:

• 12 credits each quarter for undergraduate students
• 10 credits each quarter for graduate students

Only one online class may count towards the minimum credit amount each quarter.

Review the Full-Time Enrollment and Exceptions for more “full-time” definitions.

Do not register for fewer than the required number of credits or withdraw from a course without first receiving permission from ISS. Part-time studies could jeopardize your stay in the U.S. and make you ineligible for F-1 benefits.

Exceptions to the Full-Time Requirement

Review the Full-Time Enrollment and Exceptions information.

Making Normal Progress

To maintain status, an F-1 student is also required to “make normal progress”.  Making normal progress includes, but is not limited to, enrolling in the proper courses required for degree completion, maintaining satisfactory academic progress, and continually meeting all institutional enrollment requirements.

Employment

“Employment” is any work performed or services provided (including self-employment) in exchange for money or other benefit or compensation (for example, free room and board in exchange for babysitting). Unauthorized employment is taken very seriously by U.S. immigration officials; familiarize yourself with your F-1 employment eligibility options and always contact ISS before accepting any work that you are not sure is authorized.

Travel: Returning to the U.S. After a Temporary Absence

At the port-of-entry you must present:

• An unexpired I-20 endorsed for travel within the last year by an ISS adviser. The travel signature is located on page 2 of the form.
• Valid F-1 visa.
• Passport.
• Evidence of finances.
• Copy of your transcript and current course schedule.
• If returning from Canada, Mexico or adjacent islands (except Cuba) after a visit of less than 30 days solely in those countries, your visa need not be valid; however, you will be required to show your previously issued I-94 in addition to the other documents listed above.
• Students outside the U.S. for more than one quarter and those on Optional Practical Training may have additional requirements.
• Go to Travel & Visas for more information.

Dependents (Spouse and Children)

Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 may be eligible for F-2 dependent status. Contact ISS for procedures to invite a dependent to join you in the U.S. Immigration regulations do not permit F-2 dependents to be employed in the U.S. F-2 dependents can study part-time in an academic or vocational curriculum at an SEVP-certified school. F-2 dependents can also study in avocational or recreational programs–hobbies. F-2 dependents may enroll full-time in kindergarten through 12th grade.

An F-2 dependent who wants to pursue full-time study must obtain F-1 status to begin the full-time program.

Change of Address

Any change of address must be reported to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) within 10 days. Update your local address through your MyUW account, and DHS will automatically be notified of the change.  If you are on OPT, submit your address change using our online OPT Reporting form. Please note that your local US address must be your physical address, not a P.O. Box. To update your permanent foreign address, which must be a non-U.S. address, please submit a Permanent Address Update.

Graduation or Completion of Your Exchange Program

The end of your academic program affects your F-1 status. After you graduate or complete your exchange you have a 60-day grace period. Within this 60-day period you have the following options:

Review the ISS Final Quarter Checklist for more information, including eligibility for work authorization, travel, commencement, inviting family members to visit the U.S., and other related issues.

If you do not complete your educational objective (for example, if you withdraw from your program), you are not eligible for the 60-day grace period. Contact your ISS adviser in this situation.

• If your I-20 was issued by the University of Washington, you may work on-campus up to 20 hours per week (part-time) while school is in session, and more than 20 hours per week (full-time) during a vacation quarter and between quarters, provided you continue as a student the following quarter.
• Employment off-campus must be authorized in advance and in accordance with specific procedures outlined in the federal regulations. For more information review Employment Options.
• “Volunteering” at job that is traditionally paid may be considered a violation of status. Don’t work “for free” without first consulting your ISS adviser.
• Visit F-1 Employment Options for more information about the types of authorizations available.
• An unexpired UW I-20 endorsed for travel within the last year by an ISS adviser. The “travel signature” is located on the third page of the form. To get a travel signature you must be registered full-time and in valid F-1 status.
• Valid F-1 visa
• Valid passport
• Evidence of financial support (bank statement, departmental funding letter, etc.)
• Copy of your transcript and current course schedule
• If returning from Canada, Mexico or adjacent islands (except Cuba) after a visit of less than 30 days solely in those countries, your visa need not be valid; however, you will be required to show your previously issued I-94 in addition to the other documents listed above.
• Students outside the U.S. for more than one quarter and those on “practical training” may have additional requirements.
• Go to Travel & Visas for more information.
• An F-2 spouse and child may enroll in courses that are avocational or recreational in nature. Enrollment in a degree program would not be considered as avocational or recreational.
• An F-2 child may engage in full-time study if the study is in an elementary or secondary school (kindergarten through twelfth grade).
• Depart the U.S. Once you leave the U.S. (including trips to Canada and Mexico) after completing your studies you are not eligible to re-enter with your current I-20. The grace period is meant for travel within the states and preparation to depart the U.S.
• Request a new I-20 if you will continue at the UW in a new degree program. If you are an undergraduate and will begin graduate studies, your new I-20 will be issued by Graduate Enrollment Management Services.
• If you are moving from a Master’s to a PhD program, request a Change of Level I-20 from ISS.
• Transfer your SEVIS record to a new school.
• Apply to change status to another visa category. ISS advisers cannot assist with change of status applications. If you need additional assistance, we recommend you contact an immigration attorney.

Loss of F-1 Status

If you violate the immigration regulations you will lose your F-1 status.

However, students may be able to regain valid F-1 status either through a reinstatement application to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or through travel and reentry with a new I-20/new SEVIS record. The appropriate option will depend on your individual circumstances; review the reinstatement and reentry procedures and consult your ISS adviser as soon as possible for more information. A scheduled appointment with your ISS adviser is required because drop-in advising will not allow sufficient time to discuss this topic. In addition, we strongly recommend that students in this situation consult with an experienced immigration attorney.

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