Active Students
It’s your responsibility to maintain your status in the U.S. We’re here to help.
Get advised if you have questions.
Avoid holds on your student account. A hold prevents your ability to register each semester.
If you don’t register each semester by start of term, you could lose your status.
Consequences of losing status
- Termination of SEVIS record
- Loss of employment authorization
- Potential issues with U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Potential issues with U.S. Consulates/Embassies
Paths back to valid status are limited and costly. Reinstatement is one path, as is travel and re-entry on a new I-20/DS-2019. Both require consultation with ISSS, and neither is guaranteed to be successful for everyone.
Common violations of F-1 status
- Dropping below full-time without permission from ISSS first
- Excessive online course enrollment
- Failure to extend I-20 before the program expiration date
- Failure to follow F-1 transfer-in or transfer-out rules
- Failure to follow F-1 change of level rules
- Failure to enroll in a full course of study
- Failure to update RamWeb with contact and address changes within 10 days of the change
- Failure to follow F-1 employment restrictions
If you think you may be out of status, get advised immediately. The longer you wait to address the problem, the more difficult it can become to fix it.
Your immigration requirements
- Enroll properly
- Update your address within 10 days of a change
- Follow employment rules
- Valid I-20 or DS-2019 until degree completion
- Valid passport
- Valid travel signature when traveling internationally
- Follow the rules of grace periods after program completion
- File U.S. taxes
About the Visa Stamp in your Passport
The visa stamp in your passport is used for international travel and re-entry only.
The visa expiry date has nothing to do with how long you may remain in the U.S.
Note: some people only get single-entry visas. In other words, the moment they enter the U.S., that visa expires. It doesn’t mean they have to turn around and leave upon entry. That would make no sense! Get advised if you have questions on this.
About ISSS’ Registration Holds
Our office may place a hold on a student’s account for the following reasons:
- Immigration Orientation
- Immigration Document Review (IDR)
- Termination of SEVIS Record
A Hold for Immigration Orientation
To get this hold lifted, you must submit the Orientation completion certificate eForm.
- Go back into the Canvas Course
- If you haven’t joined the course yet, find the Canvas link on the orientation schedule page or look back at your emails for ‘immigration orientation’. Then proceed through the whole course for just your status (either F-1 or J-1, not both).
- Scroll down to the next to last section of your F-1 or J-1 module. You’re looking for the ‘Certify Orientation Completion’ section.
- Follow the link on that page to access and submit your certificate of completion eform.
- Upon completion, you’ll get a confirmation email. The confirmation email’s subject line will be, ‘APPROVED: Your Completion of Online Immigration Orientation.’
- Within a business day of that, our team will lift the hold.
A Hold for Immigration Document Review (IDR)
To get this hold lifted, you must complete all sections of IDR. This must be done very shortly after you arrive in the U.S. or Fort Collins.
Failure to complete IDR in the correct timeframe will result in a loss of status in the U.S.
A Hold for Termination of SEVIS Record
To get this hold lifted, you must meet with an international student advisor. We place this hold to make sure you understand the impacts of SEVIS record termination. Feel free to remind the ISSS advisor you meet with that you need this hold lifted.