The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires international students of F-1 visas to abide by specific rules and regulations during their period of study in the United States. The following is a summary of the rules which you need to be familiar with.
- Keep your passport valid at all times. Passports can be renewed at your country's consulate or embassy in the USA.
- Inform the Intercultural Office within 10 days of any change in your name, address, major, or major financial changes.
- Maintain full-time enrollment (a minimum of 12 credit hours) during the academic semester with academic progress towards graduation.
- Do no accept off-campus employment without official permission from the USCIS. (See Employment).
- Do not travel outside the United States without proper documents. Your I-20 needs to be endorsed by the Director of the Intercultural Office within 12 months of returning to the USA. This includes travel to Canada and Mexico.
- File any necessary applications for extension of stay before your current I-20 expires. The date of anticipated graduation on your I-20 determines this date. If you cannot complete graduation requirements (for valid reasons) by the date noted on your I-20, you may apply for extension of stay.
- The maximum period of stay in the United States for a student is the completion of one or more educational programs, plus one year post-completion practical training (also known as Optional Practical Training- OPT).
- Obey the laws of the United States of America. This includes filing Federal Income Taxes (SeeForms) each year.
- Inform the Intercultural Office of intention to transfer or withdraw.
The USCIS website can be found at this link: http://www.uscis.gov/