Active Students

International Student and Scholar Services are here to help you maintain your immigration status; however, it is ultimately up to you to make sure you are meeting all of your immigration requirements.

If you have questions about your status, please attend Remote Open Advising via Zoom to speak with an immigration advisor.

For those who have fallen out of status and had their record terminated as a result, immediate departure from the U.S. or reinstatement are generally the options available to gain a status in the U.S. again. These can be very complex, and suitable options depend on each student’s situation, so please meet with an advisor about your challenges.

Your immigration requirements include:

  • Enroll full time for Fall and Spring semesters (and Summer for those whose first or final semester is Summer)
  • Updating your contact information via RamWeb including phone number, email, and address changes
  • Following the rules for student employment
  • Keeping your I-20 or DS-2019 updated
  • Making normal progress toward your degree completion
  • Ensuring your passport is valid
  • Having a valid travel signature when traveling internationally
  • Following the rules of grace periods after program completion
  • Filing U.S. taxes

Common violations of F-1 status

  • 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
  • Dropping below full-time without permission from ISSS first
  • Failure to notify ISSS of an address change
  • Failure to follow F-1 employment restrictions

If you think you may be out of status, please visit ISSS immediately and meet with an International Student Advisor during Open Advising hours. The longer you wait to address the problem, the more difficult it can become to fix it.