HelloStamped
Official8 CFR 214.2(f) · Last verified
Maintaining F-1 status: the things that actually end it
F-1 status depends on a small number of concrete obligations. Most problems come from a lapse in one of them rather than from anything dramatic.
SEVIS is the record that matters
Your Student and Exchange Visitor Information System record is what the government sees. If your DSO terminates it, or if it is not updated when your circumstances change, the record says something different from your actual situation, and the record wins. Check with your DSO whenever anything changes rather than assuming it was updated.
Source: 8 CFR 214.2(f) · in effect from 2003-01-01
Authorized reduced course load
There are narrow circumstances in which a DSO can authorize fewer credits than a full course of study, including specified academic difficulties in the first term, a documented medical condition, and the final term when fewer courses are needed to complete the programme. This must be authorized in advance, in SEVIS, by your DSO.
Source: 8 CFR 214.2(f) · in effect from 2003-01-01
What you must keep doing
Pursue a full course of study at the school listed on your Form I-20. Keep your I-20 valid and signed. Keep your passport valid. Report a change of address to your designated school official within 10 days. Do not work without authorization. Do not drop below a full course of study without prior authorization from your DSO.
Source: 8 CFR 214.2(f) · in effect from 2003-01-01
Official
Frequently asked questions
- Can I drop a class if it takes me below full-time?
- Not without prior authorization from your DSO recorded in SEVIS. A reduced course load is only lawful in specified circumstances and only if it is authorized before you drop below full-time.
- How long do I have to report a change of address?
- Ten days. Tell your designated school official so your SEVIS record is updated.