Immigration
Benefits and Responsibilities
of Students in F-1 and J-1 Status
This information summarizes some of the more important
benefits and responsibilities you have as an F-1 or J-1 student
in relation to the regulations of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
It identifies some of the situations when you should seek assistance
from the International Student and Scholar Services office (ISSS)
in relation to your status. However, it does not provide you with
information on any of the procedures related to the benefits or
responsibilities of F-1 or J-1 status holders. The staff of ISSS
will be pleased to offer you additional information, as well as
advice and assistance, on all federal regulations and procedures
related to your lawful status.
SEVIS
SEVIS, which stands for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information
System, is what is commonly referred to in the press as the "foreign
student tracking database." Based on legislation from 1996
(IIRAIRA, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility
Act of 1996), SEVIS is the system that USCIS and the U.S. Department
of State (DOS) uses to track international students and scholars in
F, J, and M (vocational programs) immigration status and their
dependents.
It tracks individuals from the time of the production of the initial
visa document (the I-20 for Fs and Ms, the DS-2019 for Js) to the
student's program completion, departure from the U.S., or a period
of employment or attempted employment after the completion of study.
Some examples of what information is reported are enrollment, changes
in personal, education, or financial information, employment authorization,
and violations of student status.
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Required Immigration Documents
The documents listed in this section must be valid at all times
while in the U.S. If they expire or lapse, it could result in a
violation of your status and lead to serious immigration sanctions.
You should keep these documents in a safe place. You should also
make photocopies of all these documents and keep the photocopies
in a safe place that is different from the place where you keep
the actual documents. ISSS also recommends you to bring copies
of any new immigration documents to our office for your student
file.
If any of these documents are damaged, lost, or stolen, or if the
information provided on the documents changes, it is your responsibility
to have them replaced as quickly as possible. You should visit
the International Student and Scholar Services office (ISSS) if
you have any questions about your documents or if you need to have
them replaced.
Additionally, soon after you have arrived to the U.S., you should
be sure to register with the consulate or embassy of your home
country in the United States so that they have your contact
information in case of an emergency.
It is recommended to have possession of these
documents in:
- Denver Metro Area (copies are acceptable)
- Outside Denver (originals)
- At airports and other government buildings (originals)
 Passport. This document must be valid for at least the
next 6 months at all times. Contact your
embassy or consulate in the U.S. for renewal procedures.
Certificate
of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student (F-1) Status (Form I-20) or Certificate
of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status
(Form DS-2019). All information on this document must
be true and correct at all times. If any
information changes, such as major or program, it is your responsibility
to request a new document as quickly as possible. New financial
documents must be submitted to obtain a new SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019.
Arrival/Departure
Record (Form I-94). Without your I-94 document, you are ineligible to
apply for any of the benefits of the F-1 or
J-1 status.
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Visa vs. Immigration Status
A visa is a physical stamp or laminated sticker inside your passport
or travel documents. Your immigration status is a complex set of
rules that govern the rights and responsibilities of an individual
who has been admitted into the United States under a particular
category. For example, an F-1 student visa will usually allow an
individual to be admitted into the U.S. in F-1 student status.
Once you have been admitted into the U.S., the
physical visa is of no intrinsic value until you leave and want
to reenter the United States. However, your immigration status
remains critically important. For this reason, while your actual
visa - the stamp or sticker in your passport - can be expired or
lapsed, your immigration status must never lapse.
Length of Time You May Remain in the United States
You may study in your present program until you complete all requirements
for it, you terminate your program, or until the expiration of
your Form I-20 or DS-2019, whichever occurs first.
If you need more time to complete your studies than that which
is indicated on your Form I-20 or DS-2019, it is your responsibility
to contact the International Student and Scholar Services Office
(ISSS) at least 30 days before the expiration date and request
an extension.
If you decide to terminate your program before completion and you
obtain prior approval of an advisor at ISSS (or program sponsor
for J-1 students) to do so, you are given 15 days to depart from
the U.S. You should also be sure to notify your major department
if you are a graduate student, or complete the stop-out/withdrawal
process with the Center for Academic Advising if you are an undergraduate
student. Once you complete your program (or approved period of
employment), you are given 60 days (F-1) or 30
days (J-1) to depart from the U.S.
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Change of Address
Students must report any change of address (US and home country
addresses) by updating their address in MyWeb within 10 days of
the change. (Please refer to our website: http://www.du.edu/intl/isss/address.htm for
instructions on how to change your address in MyWeb.) The change will be automatically reported to SEVIS. This reporting
is a required part of maintaining F-1 or J-1 status.
When you are on vacation at another address and
would like mail to be forwarded there, use “Temporary Address” rather
than changing the “Mailing Address” for short-term
periods.
Registration, Attendance, and Course
Load Requirements
Registration
and Attendance.
You must register for classes and attend school until the end of
each fall, winter, and spring quarter or semester. You do not have
to enroll for interim terms or during the summer unless you have
been admitted to begin attendance during one of these terms. Registration for each term MUST be completed with the first four weeks of the
term in order to be reported for SEVIS registration.
Course
Load.
You must register for a "full course load," as defined
by the immigration service, for fall, winter, and spring quarters
or semesters. Full course load means 12 credits for undergraduate
students, and 8 credits for graduate students.
Reducing your course load is
allowed only if you have obtained written approval IN ADVANCE from
an advisor in the International Student and Scholar Services Office(ISSS),
whether you are dropping a class at the beginning, middle, or end
of a term. Reducing your course load may be approved in very limited
situations such as:
(1) Initial difficulties with the English language,
reading requirements, or unfamiliarity with American teaching methods
(available only during the first term of your program in the U.S.),
or improper course level placement. (Allowed only one term per
degree program.)
(2) Written recommendation from a medical doctor,
clinical psychologist, or doctor of osteopathy that you temporarily
reduce or interrupt your studies due to compelling illness or other
medical condition. (Allowed for only a total of 12 months per degree
program.)
(3) Completion of all degree requirements by the end of
that school term, as attested in writing by your academic
advisor or department chair. (Allowed for only one term per degree
program.)
Graduate
Students Who Have Completed All Required Course Work.
If a thesis or dissertation is required for your program, and if
you have completed all required course work, you may enroll in
what is called "Continuous Enrollment," which maintains
your full-time status as a registered student while you are completing
degree requirements. Through "Continuous Enrollment,"
you must continue to register each academic year until the end
of your program. To register for "Continuous Enrollment,"
obtain permission from your department and then request "Continuous
Enrollment" from the Registrar's Office.
Academic
Integrity.
As students on the DU campus come from 90 different countries and
hence education systems, understanding academic integrity issues
as they pertain to higher education in the U.S., and particularly
the University of Denver, is very important. All or portions of
previously learned conduct and honor codes may not be transferable
to the University of Denver.
http://www.du.edu/intl/isss/academic_integrity.html
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Holidays and Vacation
You
may remain in the U.S. and will be considered to be maintaining
status during holidays and vacation periods observed by the University
provided (a) you are eligible and intend to register and attend
the next school term and (b) you have otherwise maintained lawful
F-1 or J-1 status. Summer term is generally considered a vacation period provided
above (a) and (b) are true, and you have been a full-time student
consecutively during fall, winter and spring quarters or fall and
spring semesters.
On-Line/Distance Education Courses
No more than one class, or
three credits per quarter, of on-line/distance education classes
may be counted toward the full course of study and graduation requirement.
Course Work at or Transfer to a Different
School
If you wish to take one or more courses at a different
school temporarily (concurrent enrollment), you must receive written
authorization from the International Student and Scholar Services
Office (ISSS) in advance.
If you wish to cease your studies at the University
of Denver and transfer to another institution, you must consult
with the DU International Student and Scholar Services Office (ISSS)
and follow immigration transfer procedures before you attend a
different school. Please notify ISSS immediately of any plans to
transfer, so that your SEVIS record may be transferred to the new
school in a timely manner. Transfer procedures should generally
be started within 30 days of your last day
of enrollment at DU. You should also be sure to notify your major
department if you are a graduate student, or complete the stop-out/withdrawal
process with the Center for Academic Advising if you are an undergraduate
student.
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Completion of Study of Your DU Program
Upon completion of your studies, you may be eligible
to:
Begin
a new program at the University of Denver or at a different school.
Work
up to 12 months in "optional practical training"
employment (F-1) or up to 18 months in "academic
training" employment (J-1).
Take
up to 60 days (F-1) or 30 days (J-1) to depart from the U.S.
Change
your visa status.
You should consult with the staff of the International
Student and Scholar Services Office (ISSS) regarding your plans at
least one term before you complete your studies. It is
extremely important for you to apply for graduation in time, usually
two terms before you intend to graduate. Failure to complete your
degree requirements (i.e. receiving an "F"-fail or
"I"-incomplete for required classes) may have serious
consequences, particularly if you have been authorized for a reduced
course load for a final term or have applied for employment authorization
after completion of studies.
Graduate
Students Who Have Completed All Required Course Work.
If a thesis or dissertation is required for your program, and if
you have completed all required course work, the date of completion
of study for students is the day your thesis or dissertation is
approved, NOT when you actually graduate or attend the graduation
ceremony. Please plan ahead, especially if you would like to apply
for work authorization.
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Employment (See
Employment  )
Travel (See
Travel )
Dependents and Other Family Members
If you are married, have children, or plan to get married during
a trip away from the U.S., you may be eligible to have your spouse
(husband or wife) and/or any children temporarily visit you, or
join you for the duration of your studies. Other members of your
family (parents, sibling, etc.) may be able to visit you during
your studies too. The International Student and Scholar Services
office (ISSS) will be pleased to facilitate, when possible, with
visa issuance for your family.
Spouses and children of F-1 and J-1 students can be eligible for
I-20s which allow them to obtain F-2 or J-2 visas respectively
and travel independently using their own documents.
Dependents of F-1 students on F-2 visa status are not eligible
to work, nor eligible for study in a degree program at the post-secondary
level, but are allowed to study part-time in an avocational or
recreational course, or full-time in a K-12 program as children.
Change of Status from F or J
If you or your dependents change status from F or
J to another visa category, please notify ISSS as soon as the new
status is approved by USCIS. Submit a copy of the proof of your new
status along with your student ID number and name, so that ISSS
can change your status in the university system as well as in SEVIS.
If you leave the U.S. after a change of status, you will need a
new visa in order to re-enter the U.S. in the new status.
Failure to Comply with Responsibilities
The immigration laws of the U.S. provide for severe
penalties if you fail to comply with your immigration responsibilities.
You should work closely with the staff in the International Student
and Scholar Services office (ISSS) to make certain that you comply
with all F-1 or J-1 regulations, and contact an ISSS advisor immediately
if you think you might have violated your status. ISSS cannot “fix” any
immigration problems for you, and can only help you to work with
the immigration service.
If you fail to do so, you can be deported from the U.S. and
barred from returning for an extended period of time, thereby jeopardizing
your academic career. Convictions for shoplifting, domestic
violence, DUI (driving under the influence), and possession of
illegal substances (drugs) can also lead to deportation and inadmissibility.
If you are out of status for more than 5 months, you will most
likely need to leave the U.S. and re-enter to regain proper status.
University of Denver and ISSS advisors as individuals
carry LIABILITY under penalty of perjury if we misrepresent student
status or do not report student information to the immigration
service in a timely manner.
Further Information
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