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Your admission to the U.S. on an F-1 visa is for "duration of status" (D/S). This is the time during which you are studying full-time with a valid I-20 (or working in authorized practical training following completion of your studies), plus a 60 day grace period to prepare for your departure from the U.S. Duration of status permits you to transfer to different programs and to continue your studies as long as you are pursuing an educational goal. There is no final date or specific expiration of your stay in F-1 status as long as you continue to maintain your status.
You must enroll as a full-time student. College students must pass a minimum of 12 credits per quarter, and ESL students must be in class 20 hours per week. You may only study part-time if you have the permission of your international student advisor, for a special reason like a medical emergency.
NOTE: This rule applies to F-1 students who plan to remain in the U.S. during their vacation. If you are going home to your country for a vacation, you can do that at any time. You are allowed to have one quarter off per year, as long as you have maintained your status for 3 consecutive quarters before your vacation and you plan to return to school after the vacation.
EXCEPTION: students in college level classes can automatically take their first summer quarter off (even if they have not yet completed 3 consecutive quarters). ESL students are not eligible for this option.
TIP: Ask your international student advisor to check and see if you are eligible for a vacation.
If you leave the U.S., when you re-enter you must present a current and properly endorsed (signed on the back) I-20, a valid F-1 visa, your passport and a financial statement. If returning from Canada, Mexico, or adjacent islands (except Cuba) after a visit of less than 30 days, the 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.
TIP: Talk to your international student advisor before you take a trip to make sure you have all the documents you need. Your I-20 must be signed on the back!
Your I-20 should state what subject you are studying. If you are on an I-20 for the English Language Program, and you wish to enroll in college-level classes, you will need a new I-20.
If you are coming to NSCC from any other school in the U.S., you must go through the transfer process. Bring your NSCC I-20, the I-20s from all previous schools, and your passport to the International Student Programs office within 15 days of beginning classes at NSCC. We will process your transfer and I.N.S. will be notified of your transfer.
TIP: If your transfer is not officially processed in this office, you will be out of status!
A violation of any of the I.N.S. regulations outlined above (for example, failure to maintain a full- time course load) could place you out of status. You may apply for reinstatement to student status with help from your international student advisor. Reinstatement decisions are made by an immigration official who reviews your case and determines if you are eligible to continue studying in the U.S. Talk to your international student advisor for help with this process.
F-1 students are allowed to work part-time on the campus of the school they are attending (and whose I-20 they have). You may work up to 20 hours per week while attending full-time classes. You can work full-time during summer vacations and between quarters, provided you continue at that school the following quarter.
NOTE: You must be in status to work on-campus. If you are in the process of a reinstatement, you must wait until it has been approved before you can start working.
There are two ways to get permission for off-campus work: practical training and severe economic hardship. Both of these must be authorized by your student advisor.
TIP: IT IS ILLEGAL TO WORK OFF-CAMPUS WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION! If you work illegally and it is discovered, you will not be reinstated and you will lose all benefits of the F-1 student visa. There are two kinds of practical training which allow you to get on the job experience in your field of study. For both of these you must have been in F-1 status for at least 9 months before you apply.
CURRICULAR PRACTICAL TRAINING allows you to get college credit for work in your field, and is generally used on a part-time basis while you are enrolled in full time classes. Authorization does not take long once you have your job offer. OPTIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING is usually used after completion of studies, and is usually full-time. It can be authorized for a maximum of 12 months at the full-time rate, although it can be broken up into portions (6 months after the Associate's degree, 6 months after the Bachelor's degree, for example). It takes two or three months to receive the authorization from I. N. S.
Off-campus employment authorization based on UNFORSEEN SEVERE ECONOMIC HARDSHIP can be awarded to students in special circumstances. The student has to have been in F-1 status for at least 9 months, and must prove that there has been a change in his or her economic situation which results in a need for employment additional to or instead of on-campus employment. Authorization from the I.N.S. takes about two months.
IMPORTANT: Talk to your international student advisor about any questions you have regarding employment opportunities.
1. 1. Study Full-Time: This means you must enroll in and successfully complete a minimum of 12 credit hours each quarter (20 hours for NSIE students). You may only take a quarter vacation off from classes after studying full-time the three previous consecutive quarters.
2. 2. Keep Your I-20 Current: Your I-20 must be correct at all times. It must show where, what, and when you are studying. Make sure that you have a correctly processed I-20 for the school you are attending, for the program of study you are in, and for the current dates. If your I-20 is going to expire, we can evaluate your program of study and perhaps issue you a new one; you must bring your I-20 to the International Student Programs (ISP) office within 30 days of expiration.
3. 3. Don't Work Illegally: F-1 students are eligible to work on-campus up to 20 hours per week while studying full-time. Off-campus employment is restricted, and must be authorized by your international student advisor.
People who are on other types of visas may be eligible to study. Please check with the ISP office to find out whether you can enroll in classes. Generally it is important to enter the U.S. on the type of visa which fits your primary intention. If you want to study, you must enter on a student visa. If you want to travel, you must use a visitor's visa. It is very difficult to change to an F-1 student visa status after you arrive in the U. S., although it is relatively easy to change to a visitor's visa from a student visa.
People on visitor's visas are allowed to study as long as it is secondary to their purpose for being in the U. S. If you entered the country as a visitor, and your primary purpose is business or pleasure, then you may study incidentally to that purpose. We recommend only part-time study for people on visitor's visas.
NOTE: It is quite difficult to change visa status from B-1 or B-2 here in the U.S. Do NOT plan to enter the U.S. on a visitor's visa and then change to F-1.
This visa status is much more limited than the F-1 student visa, and is intended for people who are in a non-transferable vocational program. At NSCC we only issue the documentation for M visas for students in Culinary Arts or Watch and Clock repair. Some of the restrictions of the M visa include not being eligible for on-campus employment and not being allowed to transfer programs or schools.
TIP: Most students should try to study in the U. S. on an F-1 visa. It is much more flexible.
People on J-1 visas have a specific program they are participating in. According to that program, they may or may not be eligible to study at NSCC. Check with the ISP office for more information.
Family members of the principal visa holder are eligible to study part-time or full-time.
Your friends may not be the best source of information about your visa status. If you have questions, please talk with your international student advisor.
Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to get information from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (BCIS) office. At NSCC we try to give you as much information as possible at orientation, and we will be happy to answer personal questions at any time. Please come to the ISP office during regular office hours to learn what you need to know to maintain your visa status.
TIP: Your friends might be very good at giving you advice about your love-life, but please don't believe everything they tell you about your visa status. There are many rumors floating around, and each situation is different. Immigration regulations are complex, and what may be true for one person might not be the same for another. Please talk to your international student advisor about immigration regulations!
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