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Period of Authorized Stay
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.
Full Time Requirement You must enroll as a full-time student. College students must take a minimum of 12 credits per quarter, and ESL students must be in class 20 hours per week.
Annual Vacation 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. If you are going home to your country for a vacation, you can do that at any time.
TIP: Ask the international student advisor to check to see if you are eligible for a vacation.
Leaving and Re-entering the U.S. 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 I-94 card in addition to the other documents listed above.
TIP: If you are an international student or using Optional Practical Training(OPT), talk to the international student advisor before you take a trip or leave the country to make sure you have all the documents you need. Your I-20 form must be signed on the 3rd page!
Change of Program or Program Extension
Your I-20 should state what subject you are studying. If you are on an I-20 for the Intensive English Program (IEP), and you wish to enroll in college-level classes, you will need a new I-20.
School Transfer
Transferring to South Seattle:
If you are coming to SSCC from any other school in the U.S., you must go through the transfer process.
Fill out the transfer-in Form, bring the I-20s from all previous schools, and your passport to our International Programs Office within 10 days of beginning classes at SSCC or send copies to our office to begin the process. We will process your transfer and ICE will be notified of your transfer.
Transferring from South Seattle: If you are transferring from South Seattle to another school in the U.S., you must let South Seattle know so that we release your I-20 to the school you intend to transfer to. If your transfer is not officially processed in this office, you will be "out of status!"
Simply fill out the Transfer-out Form. We will update your SEVIS records and release it to the school in which you intend to transfer.
Reinstatement
A violation of any of the Immigration 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.
On-campus Work 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.
Off-campus Work
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 may lose all benefits of the F-1 student visa.
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