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Maintaining Legal Status

It is important that you maintain lawful F-1 status while in the U.S. It is important to remember that you are ultimately responsible for maintaining your F-1 student status, though the ISSS office is here to help. There are some simple steps you can take to ensure that your stay in the U.S. remains valid:
  1. Check in with ISS office within 30 days of start date on I-20.
  2. Report Address Changes to ISSS within 10 days of your move.
  3. Keep your passport valid. Passports can be renewed by your consulate in New York or Boston. For information about the nearest consulate check http://embassy.org. Your passport should be valid for a minimum of six months into the future.
  4. Maintain a Full Course Load. Undergraduates must be registered for a minimum of 12 credits. Gradutes generally must be enrolled in 8 credits, but this can vary from department to department so make sure to consult with both your department administrator and ISSS if you have questions about course loads.
    • ?There are some exceptions to the full time study rule. However, you must obtain special permission from ISSS prior to reducing your course load.
  5. Apply for I-20 extension prior to end date in section 5 of your I-20. Learn more about Program Extenstion.
  6. Notify ISSS when changing education levels at TDU within 60 days of program end date. Begin a change of education level application, which requires you to secure approval from your new admitting department, upload a copy of your admission letter, and submit evidence of funding to support tuition and living expenses for first academic year of the new program to ISSS.
  7. Notify ISSS when transferring to another F-1 program within 60 days of your TDU program end date. Learn more about Program transfer & change of level.
  8. Off campus employment requires special permission. See under Employment in the US or contact ISSS to learn more about the employment.
  9. Timely Departure or Change Status — F-1 students have a 60 day grace period for departure following the end date of their program as noted on the I-20 or approved OPT period. If changing to a different immigration status, such as H-1B, file for the change of status to immigration prior to the end of your program or OPT end date. If you are authorized to withdraw or take a leave of absence from your program, notify ISSS prior to the effective date of the withdrawal or leave.

Some helpful tips for maintaining legal status:

  1. Be aware of the expiration date of your status. This is not your visa expiration date; it is the ending date in section 3 of your I-20 form.
  2. Do not accept unauthorized employment. The only activity you are permitted is the one described in section 4 of the I-20 form.
  3. If offered a comparable position at another college or university, discuss your plans with an ISSS advisor to make sure that the required transfer procedure can be accomplished.
  4. Keep your passport valid. Information about the nearest consulate can be found here.