Unique to you as an F-1 student is the need to meet certain obligations in order to maintain legal immigration status.  The Designated School Official (DSO), Mrs. Susan Sparkman, will be pleased to help you understand what you need to know so that you do not jeopardize your current visit or any other future plans that you may have for returning to the United States.  However, it is important for you to know that you, the F-1 student, are solely responsible for following U.S. immigration laws.  Failure to maintain your non-immigrant status can result in serious problems with immigration and could lead to deportation from the U.S. 

To maintain lawful status, you must:

• Be in good academic standing and make progress towards an academic program.
  
  
• Keep your passport valid at all times. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months into the future on the day you return to the U.S. from a trip abroad.
  
  
• Extent your I-20 prior to its expiration date if unable to complete your academic program by the original expiration date.
  
  
• In the event of a change of academic program or level of current funding, update your I-20 in a timely fashion in accordance with immigration regulations.
  
  
• Maintain full-time enrollment during the academic year:
• Undergraduate minimum 12 hours
• Graduate typically minimum 9

  (No more than 1 course/3 hours through on-line/distance learning may be counted toward full course of study).
  
  Note:  The final semester of study, you must be enrolled but are allowed to carry fewer hours than the minimum to complete your degree.

• Receive authorization from Mrs. Susan Sparkman, the DSO, to engage in Curricular Practical Training (CPT), which is off-campus employment in an internship, practicum, cooperative education job, or any other work experience that is either required for your degree (as defined in the course catalog) or for which academic credit is awarded.
  
  
• Limit on-campus employment to 20 hours per week during the academic year, although full-time employment on-campus is allowed during school vacations provided you intend to enroll full-time during the academic term following the vacation period.
  
  
• Always refrain from off-campus employment if you have not received prior approval from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) and the DSO.
  
  
• Apply to the CIS for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD Card) to work off-campus for up to 20 hours a week, which you may do only after your first year of study and only if you suffer unforeseen economic hardship, proof of which must be submitted to the CIS.
  
  
• Apply to the CIS in your final semester before graduation for an EAD card for Optional Practical Training, which is work off-campus for up to 12 months in a field that is related to your major.

Maintaining Your Immigration Status While A Student Or Exchange Visitor