SEVIS and F-1 Status Guidelines
What is SEVIS?
SEVIS (Student & Exchange Visitor Information System) is the U.S. government database system for maintaining information on international students and exchange visitors during their stay in the U.S. Information must be updated by the principal designated school official (PDSO), (at Caldwell this is the International Student Advisor) within certain time periods in order to comply with federal regulations. Caldwell’s F-1 students are expected to inform the PDSO of changes in their personal or program information as soon as changes occur. Your I-20 must reflect accurate and up-to-date information at all times. Feel free to contact , the International Student Advisor.
Maintaining Legal F-1 Status
When you enter the U.S. as an F-1 student, you are under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security and the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS). It is extremely important that you as international students maintain your F-1 status, as it may not be possible to fix the situation once you are out of status. Students who have fallen out of status are not allowed to work on campus and are not eligible for other F-1 benefits.
Please bear in mind that there is an important difference between an F-1 visa and F-1 status. An F-1 visa is the visa sticker page in your passport placed there by a U.S. Consular Officer. This is for entry purposes only. F-1 status is granted once you enter the U.S. and is denoted by the “D-S” written on your white I-94 card (Duration of Status). Even if your visa in your passport is valid, you can still lose your legal F-1 status if you do not comply with the immigration laws regulating your stay in the U.S. It is very important that all non-immigrants remain in close contact with the International Student Advisor in order to ensure they are maintaining their status.
- Maintain a valid passport at all times (unless exempt from passport requirements).
- Complete an official transfer whenever you change educational institutions. An immigration transfer must be completed within 45 days of the beginning of classes during your first quarter/semester at the new school (NOTE: An immigration transfer is a completely separate process from transferring academic credit from one school to another. An immigration transfer is not complete until the International Student Office from the school to which you are transferring, endorses your I-20 authorizing the transfer).
- Complete a full course of study during normal enrollment periods (Fall and Spring semesters).
- Apply for an extension of your program of study if you cannot complete your degree by the ending date listed in Section 5 of your I-20. You can apply for an extension up to 60 days in advance. Please note that if you do not extend in a timely manner, you will be "out-of-status"/"illegal" in the United States.
- Obtain a new I-20 Form whenever you make a change in degree levels. This includes changing from bachelor's degree to master's degree, from master's degree to a doctorate degree, from Optional Practical Training to a new degree, from one major to another major within the same degree level (e.g., Master of Science in Engineering to Master of Science in Computer Science), etc.
- Do NOT work off-campus UNLESS you have first received authorization from a International Student Advisor and/or USCIS. On-campus work does not require authorization, but is limited to part-time (20 hours or less per week) during normal enrollment periods. On-campus employment may be full-time (more than 20 hours per week) during the summer and official school breaks.
- Before traveling outside the U.S. with the intention of re-entering, you must have the International Student Advisor sign the back of your current I-20 authorizing you to re-enter the United States.
This list is not exhaustive. Please see the International Student Advisor with any questions.
New SEVIS Fee
International students applying for an F-1 visa with a SEVIS form I-20 issued on or after September 1, 2004 will be required to pay a $100 fee.
The SEVIS fee must be paid at least 3 business days prior to a visa interview or the filing of the change of status application in the U.S. For more detailed information, please visit the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website.