Enrollment: F-1Students Only
SEVIS Guidelines for F-1 Students and Their Dependents
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Reporting Mandates
Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)
Enrollment: F-1 Students
- Students must “register for and complete” a full course
of study at the University of Minnesota each semester during the
academic year. ISSS strongly recommends that students not accumulate
a large number of Incompletes.
- Students not enrolled for a full course of study should submit
an “Reduced Course Load for F-1 Students” form to ISSS
before the semester begins to avoid being reported as not enrolled
or enrolled part-time.
- Students who intend to withdraw or cancel from a course causing
them to fall below the full-course requirement should consult
with an ISSS adviser before taking any action.
- Failure to enroll Full-time or withdrawing from a class without prior approval from ISSS constitutes as a loss of legal status.
- Graduate students enrolled for the FTE course 8333 (master’s)
or 8444 (Ph.D.) will be reported as maintaining a full course
of study. These students do not need to file a “Reduced Course Load” form.
- Students who anticipate being suspended from their college
should discuss their visa options with an ISSS adviser while still
on probationary status.
- Students who are admitted to BEGIN a program of study Summer
Session must enroll as a full-time student in the summer to comply
with DHS requirements. No Reduced Course Load form can be filed in this
case!
- Enrollment for less than a full course due to an academic reason
(i.e., unfamiliarity with US teaching methods, initial difficulties
with the English language or with reading requirements, or improper
course level placement) is limited to one time per program level
(i.e, one Reduced Course Load in Bachelor’s level; one exception at
the Master’s level; one exception at the Doctoral level.)
Prior approval from an ISSS adviser is required.
- One Distance Learning (on-line) course per term is allowed
and can be counted towards the full course requirement. The course
must be completed within the semester of enrollment.
- Part-time enrollment or zero-credit enrollment due to a medical
reason is acceptable for a period not to exceed 12 months in the
aggregate per program. Prior approval from ISSS is required each
term through submission of an Reduced Course Load form and physician’s
letter.
F-1 Grace Period
- A 60-day grace period is available to students who have completed
a program of study or completed authorized Optional Practical
Training.
- A 15-day grace period is available to F-1 students who need
to cancel/withdraw from classes due to illness, a family emergency
or financial difficulties. However, prior approval by an ISSS
adviser is required before the cancel/withdrawal takes place. Failure
to obtain prior approval results in no grace period and the loss
of legal status.
Maintaining Accurate Visa Documents
- F-1 Students must notify ISSS if they change their major or degree program level. Come to ISSS as soon as possible. This change will require a new I-20.
Use of Legal Name
- Any name changes of F-1 students and their dependents must
be reported to the University within 10 days. A name change is
reported to SEVIS.
- Failure to report any name change within 10 days will result
in loss of legal status.
- The name on all of your documents and
in the University database must be consistent. Use the same first,
middle (if applicable), and last name in your passport, national
identification document, I-94, I-20, Social Security card, University
identification card, Minnesota Driver’s License or State
ID, bank account, checks, and any other documents you may acquire
in the U.S.
Transfer of Schools
- F-1 students who intend to transfer to a new school in the U.S.
should notify ISSS of their plan to transfer before leaving the University of Minnesota.
- SEVIS will only allow one I-20 to be current in the system. Students
who are admitted by numerous schools must decide which school they
will attend and request an ISSS adviser to provide an electronic
transfer release to that specified school. This will result in that
school’s ability to generate a SEVIS I-20 and the student will
be required to report to the Foreign Student Adviser at the new
school.
Permanent Departure from the U.S.
F-1 students who intend to depart the U.S. due to completion of
a program of study or termination of their program of study should
notify ISSS within 30 days. This will allow the University to report
termination with a valid reason versus a report as not enrolled.
Address
- A change of address and telephone number for F-1 students and
their dependents must be reported to the University and the DHS
within 10 days. Dependents should use the DHS AR-11 to report address changes to DHS.
- Students should update their “current mailing address” and telephone number using One Stop in the University database. This will be electronically reported to SEVIS.
- Do not use a foreign or University departmental address. SEVIS will also not accept a P.O. Box.
- If a student or dependent is not physically residing at the “current mailing address”, it is important that s/he contact an ISSS adviser and provide information on his/her physical location.
- Students authorized Practical Training must keep ISSS information of their "current mailing address".
F-1 Employment
- F-1 students who receive an Employment Authorization Document
(EAD) from DHS for Optional Practical Training (OPT) should provide
ISSS with a photocopy of the EAD. This will allow the University
to report that OPT has been granted.
- Employment authorizations will be recorded in SEVIS.
- An F-1 student is eligible to apply for a 12-month period of
Optional Practical Training and is eligible for another 12 months
of practical training when s/he completes a higher educational
level (i.e., an F-1 can receive 12 months of OPT after completion
of a B.A./B.S. and another 12 months after completion of an M.A./M.S.).
No additional OPT period can be recommended or authorized if completing
two degrees at the same level (i.e., an M.A./M.S. followed by
another M.A./M.S.).
- Authorized F-1 Optional Practical Training will automatically
terminate if a student begins a new program of study or transfers
to another school.
- An F-1 student must request Optional Practical Training prior
to the completion of degree/program requirements. Optional Practical
Training cannot be requested during a student’s grace period.
- F-1 students must be enrolled full time for one academic year
before becoming eligible for Optional Practical Training.
- F-1 students who have authorized Optional Practical Training
and who terminate their employment with the intent of not resuming
employment elsewhere in the U.S., must notify ISSS of their employment
termination.
Changing Your Visa Status
F-1 students or their dependents who change their visa status
to another nonimmigrant visa type or who file to adjust their status
to permanent residence must notify ISSS of the change by faxing
the information to the attention of the F Document Specialist in
ISSS or bringing to ISSS the approved documents in person.
F-2 Dependents
- Any name changes of dependents must be reported to the University
and DHS within 10 days.
- Students will need to provide ISSS with dependent information
for each F-2 family member present in the U.S. ISSS will need
a copy of the dependent I-20, entry visa stamp, I-94 and current address.
- Travel and reentry of dependents will require separate SEVIS-generated
I-20 forms for each person who travels even if travelling with
the principal visa holder.
- It is unclear how the status of dependent visa holders is affected
if the dependent remaDHS in the U.S. when the principal visa holder
is temporarily absent from the U.S.
- F-2 dependent children can attend elementary, middle or high
school on a full-time basis.
- F-1 visa holders are prohibited to attend public elementary
schools. Attendance at public secondary schools for F-1 visa holders
is limited to a maximum of 12 months and requires reimbursement
of the full, unsubsidized per capita cost of education.
- Enrollment for F-2 spouses is limited to one ESL class, short-term
study to pursue a hobby or a course that is occasional, casual,
or recreational in nature. Enrollment in a program of study at
an institution of higher learning is not permitted unless it falls
under the description given.
- F-2’s admitted to begin a program of study
will not be eligible to begin a program of study
unless they have been approved F-1 status by the beginning date
of the semester.
Loss of Legal Status – F-1 Visa
- DHS places the responsibility of maintaining legal status with
the student and will consider a student to be in violation of
his/her legal status if s/he follows inappropriate advice given
by faculty or academic advisers.
- DHS has stressed the importance of obtaining prior approval
from ISSS for a reduced course load of study. Students who do
not enroll for a full course or who cancel/withdraw during the
semester and who fail to have an approved Reduced Course Load form on file
with ISSS will be reported through SEVIS as less than full time.
This will result in the loss of legal status. Once the electronic
report has been submitted to DHS, it will not be possible to submit
a Reduced Course Load for F-1 Students form.
- A student who intends to file a Reinstatement request with
DHS must do so within 5 months of losing his/her legal status.
- A Reintatement application can be submitted to DHS if:
- The violation resulted from circumstances beyond the student’s
control (i.e closure of the institution, a natural disaster or
oversight or neglect on the part of the DSO "Official in ISSS")
- The violation relates to a reduction in the student’s course
load that would have been within a DSO’s power to authorize
had it been submitted prior to the electronic reporting.
- Students who have violated their status and are not eligible
to apply for reinstatement will be required to depart the U.S.
and make a new reentry to regain legal status.
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