F1 Status Basics
F1 (student) status is given at the Port of Entry (POE) by an immigration official. F1 status is given to those entering the United States who present a valid SEVIS I-20 and F1 visa. Students must also be able to demonstrate a non-immigrant intent and that they plan to engage in full-time study.
F1 status will also be given an expiration date at the POE. Most often, F1 status is given an expiration of “D/S,” which stands for Duration of Status. This designation means that so long as a student remains in status, they may remain in the country.
The immigration status and expiration of that status are assigned by the immigration official at the POE and noted on the I-94 and I-20.
In order to remain in status, students must principally do the following:
- Pursue a “full course of study.” This means that F1 students CANNOT drop below full time (15 units) at any time. PERMISSION TO DROP BELOW FULL TIME CAN ONLY BE GRANTED BY A DESIGNATED SCHOOL OFFICIAL (DSO) IN THE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SERVICES (ISS) OFFICE. F1 students may only receive permission to drop below full time ONCE.
- Do not engage in unauthorized employment. F1 student may only work on campus and are limited to 20 hours per week during the academic year. PERMISSION TO WORK OFF CAMPUS MUST BE COMPLETED THROUGH ISS PRIOR TO WHEN THE WORK BEGINS.
F1 Students must also:
- Get a signature on page 3 of the I-20 from ISS before traveling outside of the United States (signature is officially “good” for one year, but no older than 6 months is recommended.)
- Make normal progress towards completion the course of study, by completing studies before the expiration of the program completion date on I-20
- Properly follow extension of stay procedures if program will not be completed by program completion date on I-20.
- Report to the DSO for Initial Registration in SEVIS
- Abide by grace period rules
F1 students should also maintain all immigration paperwork and documents:
- Passport should always have at least 6 months of validity remaining
- I-20 (3 pages) should be kept with passport and properly endorsed at the post of entry with “F1 D/S”
- I-94 should be stapled into passport and properly endorsed at the Port of entry with “F1 D/S”
Questions about F1 status may be addressed to the International Student Services Office.
