Non-immigrant F-1 Student Policy

In addition to the policies stated herein, the F-1 student must comply with the terms and conditions of his/her F-1 visa.  The student who fails to meet any of the regulatory requirements will be out of status and terminated in SEVIS.

General Policy (F-1 Students)

• Enroll by the 2^nd day of every session as a full-time student (18 hours or more of instructions per week).
• Inform the school within 10 days, for the following changes: home address, contact information, sources of financial support, immigration status, and dependent status.
• Do not engage in unauthorized employment.
• Be sure to have a valid Form I-20.  Always report your intent to extend your program by completing the Request for Extension Form, at least 30 days prior to the expiration date indicated on your Form I-20 and submitting it to your DSO.
• Provide the documents requested by the school for filing so that the school may remain in compliance with any regulatory agencies.

Exiting the School Policy (F-1 Students)

To avoid being terminated from SEVIS for failure to enroll, a student who is planning to leave the school must complete the Notice of Intention to Exit Form by the 2^nd day of the following session. That would be the session immediately following their last registered session. If the reason for leaving the school is to transfer to another SEVP approved school, in addition to completing the form, the student must attach an acceptance letter (not a letter of intent to transfer) from the SEVP approved school. A letter or a form that expresses only intent to transfer to the SEVP approved school is not sufficient. The school is required by SEVP to close out a student’s record in SEVIS for those students who are no longer attending. Please note that the school can not take a final action for those students whose study is still in progress. The school must review the student’s cumulative GPA and attendance to see if the student is in status or not. If the student is on probation, not meeting the minimum academic progress and attendance requirement, the student will be terminated in SEVIS accordingly.

Leave of Absence Policy (F-1 Students)

A student may request a leave of absence or take less than the required course load (less than 18 hours of instruction per week) for a session by completing the Vacation/Drop below Full Course Load Request Form. Such request will be considered by the administration office if this form is submitted no sooner than 30 days prior to the start date of the session seeking to be excused. The official decision as to whether or not the request is approved will be determined within 7 days from the date of submission. Students must be aware that a leave of absence cannot be abused to extend transfer period between schools or stay in the United States. The school reserves the right to decline the student’s request for a vacation for any reason. For details, please review the Vacation/Drop below Full Course Load Request Form The request for vacation will be approved only for continuing students (pre-registered/pre-paid for at least a session) under the conditions listed below.

Travel Outside the U.S. - A student is eligible for up to four (4) sessions as a vacation outside of the U.S. within one year if the student’s absence from the U.S. is greater than 30% of the period for the session(s) indicated. The absence period will be determined by the plane ticket’s departure and arrival dates, which will later be verified by the student’s Form I-94. The rules and regulation for traveling outside of the United States and reentering the country without jeopardizing your status are:

The student needs a Form I-20 with current information that is signed by the DSO on pages one and three allowing travel outside of the United States. The student's visa and passport must be valid at the time the student reenters the United States (this means that the expiration date on the student's visa has not passed at the time of re-entry). The student cannot re-enter the country during the grace period granted after completing a program of study. The student needs to return and resume his/her studies within four (4) sessions.

Medical Excuse - The student who needs to take a reduced course load or no course load at all for medical reasons must provide the school with an official letter from a licensed physician. This letter must indicate the reason why the student should not be taking a full course load. A leave of absence due to medical reason(s) cannot exceed a total of four (4) sessions for the entire time that the student is enrolled at the school.

Personal Vacation - A student who has completed a minimum of 900 clock hours is eligible for up to sixty (60) days, two (2) sessions, as a vacation. Such hours completed must be from consecutive registered sessions without a break, and the number of hours registered for each session must be 18 hours or greater. The session(s) that the student is requesting to be excused from must immediately follow the consecutive sessions completed.