Immigration Advising

Immigration Regulations for International Students

Helpful Definitions--

International Student: An international student is defined as a non-immigrant who entered the United States with an F-1 visa entered in the passport by a U.S. embassy overseas, and with a valid passport, F-1 visa, and properly endorsed (DSO signature) on the SEVIS Form I-20 from the school of enrollment.

F-1 Visa: The F-1 or student visa, is the category of visa given to non-immigrants who have applied for entry to the United States for the purpose of studying and pursuing an academic degree or program. An F-1 visa is obtained at an American embassy or U.S. Consulate abroad. Students who travel home for breaks or annual vacations must be certain they have a valid F-1 visa in their passports. It is permissible and understandable that the student's F-1 visa may expire while the student is studying in the U.S. However, if the visa is expired, the next time the student travels outside the U.S., he or she must go to the nearest U.S. embassy or Consulate, usually in the home country, to request a new student visa. A current visa must be in the passport to re-enter the U.S. to complete the studies. 

Students who have applied to become a student while in the United States on a different type of visa (B-1, B-2, J-1, J-2, etc.) must take special care. An approval notice for an U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Change of Visa application still does not provide the F-1 student visa in the passport. Only the U.S. Embassy or Consulate outside the United States is authorized and able to stamp the passport with the F-1 visa stamp. 

Form I-20: The SEVIS Form I-20 is the student's Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant Student Status which enables an applicant to request a student visa, and then legally enter the United States to enroll in a U.S. college or university. The school which issued the Form I-20 utilized by the student to obtain the student visa at the Embassy or Consulate is the school the student must attend for at least one semester upon entry to the United States. The student is required to maintain a proper and current Form I-20 at all times. Details about school transfer, employment, family members and other aspects of the student status, must be recorded on the Form I-20 by the Designated School Official. The Form I-20 is an official form of the U.S.  Citizenship and Immigration Services.

I-94 Card and Admission Number: The I-94 is stapled in the passport of every non-immigrant foreign resident entering the United States. The I-94 card will have a notation from the Immigration Service which shows the date of entry in the U.S., the type of visa (usually F-1) , and the date the foreign resident must leave the U.S. In the case of F-1 visa students, the I-94 card will usually show the phrase F-1 D/S. D/S means "duration of status" which means the F-1 student is allowed to stay in the U.S. for the entire duration of the dates shown on the student's Form I-20, as long as the student is following all INS rules and regulations. The Admission number is an individual number given to each student and is written on the page three Student Copy of the Form I-20 by the USCIS officer. This number will usually match the number on the I-94 card. 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or (USCIS): USCIS is an acronym which refers to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a government agency of the Department of Homeland Security of the United States. In addition to the American embassy or consulate in the home country, the USCIS is concerned with all immigrant and non-immigrant foreign residents temporarily residing in the United States from the time of the initial port of entry in the United States. It is important that all F-1 students maintain regular contact with the USCIS Designated School Official regarding any and all student visa regulations to maintain student status while in the U.S.

Designated School Official, "DSO": The designated school official is the responsible school administrator(s) at the college or university who is authorized by the Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service, to monitor, facilitate, enforce and communicate Immigration and Naturalization Service  regulations for non-immigrant students who enter the institution. It pertains primarily to individuals who enroll at the institution in the F-1 visa category.

Failure to Maintain Status, "Out-of-Status:" Failure to enroll in 12 credit hours or more, working illegally, neglecting to process USCIS forms, or other circumstances will cause a student to become "out of status", which means technically that the student is in an illegal status. If an F-1 student has not maintained status, it may be possible to repair the violation and request a "reinstatement to status" through a special application to the local USCIS office. Under some circumstances, a reinstatement application is not allowed, and the student will be required to depart the U.S. to re-apply for admission. Consult with the DSO. 

Social Security Number: Only F-1 students who have or have been offered on-campus employment may apply for a social security number as permitted by Homeland Security regulations. Please speak with a Designated School Official in the International Student Affairs Office.