糖心Vlog Visa & Immigration 鈥� Get Student Visa Guidance

糖心Vlog Visa & Immigration Support

Navigating Immigration & Visa Policies for 糖心Vlog Students

VISA Process & Entry in the US

Once you receive your admission letter and I-20, you can proceed with scheduling your visa appointment. Do not schedule your visa appointment until you have received the I-20, as you may need to reschedule or cancel if it does not arrive in time.

Before attending your visa appointment, ensure all required documents are prepared. For questions related to the student visa application, contact the United States Embassy or Consulate near you.

Canadian students: are not required to obtain a visa but need to receive a stamp on the passport to verify F-1 status at the United States Port of Entry. Contact your local United States Embassy or Consulate for details.

Processing a F-1 Student Visa

The United States embassies or consulates will not issue a visa more than 120 days before the start of your program (see Program Start Date on I-20). Consulates will allow you to apply prior to this, but may not issue your visa until the 120 day time frame occurs. You should make an appointment to obtain the visa as soon as you are eligible.

There are two fees involved with obtaining a visa. One is the application fee for the F-1 visa and the other is the I-901 SEVIS Fee. Please keep in mind these are separate fees and you will need to pay both to apply for the visa. You will need a valid passport, admission letter, proof of funds, I-20 and the receipt for the I-901 (SEVIS Fee).

This may be the most important while you are in the United States: Please read it carefully. It is your responsibility to know and obey F-1 regulations or face possible removal from the U.S.

Full Time Student

To maintain your status, each spring and fall semester, undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students must complete 12 hours and graduate students 9 hours at the graduate level. Note: Some degree programs may require more hours for academic reasons. Check with your department. Towards your full-time requirement, you may not take more than the equivalent of one class (three credit hours)per semester online. You are required to complete 12 hours for 2 summer session(s) or 6 hours if only for the second summer if the program start date on your I-20 is for the summer semester. You must receive the authorization before you drop or take below full-time hours. Please make an appointment to see an International Student Advisor BEFORE taking below full-time hours even if you are failing the class. A grade of 鈥淲鈥� does not count toward your full-time requirement.

Authorization for Employment & Training

Never work off-campus unless you have current authorization from an ISA or the DHS. You must either have authorization on page 2 of your I-20 or an employment authorization card (EAD) from the DHS. All off-campus employment has a beginning and ending date. Renewals must be done before resuming work. Even 1 day of work without authorization is a serious violation of U.S. law.

On-campus work does not require authorization, but you must maintain your full-time student status to be eligible. On-campus work is limited to no more than 20 hours per week during the fall and spring and may be full-time during the summer. Most on-campus student jobs, by university policy, are still limited to 20 hours a week even during the summer. You may not engage in on-campus employment after your completion of study.

This may be the A change in status may be affected in one of two ways:

An application for Change in Status submitted to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Processing time varies; it could take DHS 2 to 9 months to process the application
Reentry into the U.S. with the new visa type. The individual would be required to have a valid entry visa stamp and a visa document appropriate to the visa type s/he intends to establish with reentry.

This may be the To change in status by