Current F-1 Students

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 US as a student and have benefits and restrictions specified in the immigration regulations for the F-1 visa category. You gain status either by entering the US with F-1 documents (described below) or, for people already in the US in a different status, by applying to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for a change of status. 

Know Your Rights: In F-1 status, you are here as a legal non-immigrant, but it’s still good to know what to do if approached by an immigration official or law enforcement. 

Maintaining Status While in the US

• Maintain Full-Time Enrollment: Stay enrolled as a full-time student each quarter (12 credits/quarter for undergraduates and 8 credits/quarter for graduate students) unless you request and receive written authorization from ISSS for a reduced course load (RCL).
• Keep Your I-20 Valid: Ensure that your Form I-20 does not expire. Check your Program End Date and request an extension of your I-20  if you have not completed degree requirements and applied to graduate before the program end date.
• Follow Work Regulations: International students must follow strict rules related to employment. Working without authorization is always a violation of your status.
• Report Contact Changes: Update ISSS with any new physical address, personal email, or US phone number within 10 days of making the change.
  • Update your local address through your Web4U account and ISSS will update the address in your SEVIS record.  If you are on OPT, email your ISSS advisor with your new local address. Please note that your local US address must be your physical address, not a PO Box. 

Important Documents

Federal law requires that you carry "registration" documentation at all times to prove your legal status and identity. This includes a basic identity document such as a passport, plus your current I-20 or DS-2019 and I-94 (issued electronically or on paper). For day-to-day purposes, we suggest you keep official documents in a secure location and carry copies. However, if you are traveling, you should carry official documents with you.  

• Passport: Ensure your passport does not expire while you are studying in the US
• Visa: If you are within the US, it is okay for the visa in your passport to be expired. If you leave the US and need to re-enter, you need to have an unexpired visa. (Canadian citizens do not generally have visas.)
• I-20 Immigration Document: You should carry the most recent copy of your immigration document that you have, with your own signature and date on page 1 written in pen.
• Keep every I-20 for your permanent record, even after you graduate. Do not discard the old ones, even from previous schools. ISSS 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.
• Employment Authorization Document (EAD): If you have been authorized to work, you should carry your EAD with you. 

SEVIS 

The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is a US government database that allows schools and federal immigration agencies to exchange data on the status of international students. Information is transmitted electronically through SEVIS throughout an F-1 student's academic career in the US.

An electronic record is created in SEVIS for you after you are admitted and confirm enrollment at WWU. This allows WWU ISSS to issue an I-20, which you need to gain F-1 status. When you apply for a student visa and arrive at a US port of entry, the consular officer or immigration official may consult SEVIS in addition to your supporting documents to verify eligibility for F-1 status. International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) will continue to provide electronic reports throughout your academic career, noting information such as registration, address changes, academic program changes, degree completion, and immigration status violations.

It is important to understand the F-1 student immigration regulations in order to maintain status while you are in the US. For more information, please contact ISSS. 

Full-time Registration Requirements and Exceptions

In general, F-1 students must be registered full-time. This is defined as 12 or more credits each quarter for undergraduate students and 8 or more credits each quarter for graduate students.

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

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

There are some exceptions to the full-time requirement which allow you to have a reduced course load (RCL) for medical or academic reasons. Talk with an ISSS advisor to understand these exceptions.

Dependents (Spouse and Children) 

Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 may be eligible for F-2 dependent status. Contact ISSS for procedures to invite a dependent to join you in the US. Immigration regulations do not permit F-2 dependents to be employed in the US. The regulations also restrict full-time study for F-2 dependents, with two exceptions:

• An F-2 spouse and/or 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 kindergarten (age 5) through high school (age 18).

An F-2 spouse or F-2 child desiring to engage in full-time study (other than as noted above) must apply to USCIS to obtain a change of status to F-1. 

Please see our Spouses and Children page for resources for dependents.

Graduation or Completion of Your Program 

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

• Travel within the US.
  • Once you leave the US (including trips to Canada and Mexico) after completing your studies you are not eligible to re-enter with your current I-20.
• Request a new I-20 if you will continue at WWU in a new degree program.
• Transfer your SEVIS record to a new school after receiving an official admission letter.
• Apply to change status to another visa category. ISSS advisors cannot assist with change of status applications. If you need additional assistance, we recommend you contact an immigration attorney.

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 ISSS advisor in this situation.

Losing and Regaining F-1 Status

If you violate immigration regulations and lose your status, you may be able to regain valid F-1 status either through a reinstatement application to USCIS or through travel and reentry with a new I-20/new SEVIS record.  The appropriate option will depend on your individual circumstances. Consult your ISSS advisor for more information. A scheduled appointment with your ISSS advisor is recommended as drop-in advising will not allow sufficient time to discuss this topic. 

If you lose status, ISSS may suggest that you contact an immigration lawyer who is an expert in helping other students with similar cases to yours.