F-1 Student Visa Holder Resources

• Keep your immigration documents in a safe and secure place.
• Keep your passport and other immigration documents up-to-date at all times.
• Inform OIE immediately if you lose any of your documents.
• Bring any new immigration documents to OIE so that a copy can be made for your file.
• Be knowledgeable of, and abide by, all immigration regulations relating to your status, including deadlines.

• Your passport must be valid at all times.
• If your passport will expire while you are in the USA, contact your country’s nearest embassy for information on how to renew your passport.
• If you are traveling outside of the USA, your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of reentry.  (There are some exceptions to this, so if you are unsure, check with OIE.)

• You must keep your I-20 up-to-date at all times.
• You must request an updated I-20 from OIE within 10 days of the change if:
  • You declare or change your major, and/or add a second major or minor
  • There is a change in your funding or name.
  • If you will not complete your program in the time given on your I-20, you must request an extension at least 30 days before your I-20 expires*. (*Extensions are only considered when approved by OIE.)

Your I-94 is your record of entry and departure from the USA.  All students entering the USA through an airport will not receive a paper I-94.  Instead, you will receive an entry stamp in your passport that should be notated with “F-1 D/S.”  After entering the USA, you should visit www.cbp.gov/i94 to print a copy of your electronic I-94.  If you enter the USA at a land crossing, you might receive a paper I-94 that will be stapled in your passport.

You were given the annotation D/S on your entry stamp and electronic I-94.  This means that you are permitted to remain in the USA even if your visa has expired as long as you are maintaining valid F-1 status and are either:

• Engaged in a full-course of study
• Engaged in authorized practical training (employment authorization)
• In your “grace period” (see below)

You are required to enroll full-time in the fall and spring semesters.  Full-time enrollment is considered to be:

• Undergraduate students: 12 credits
• Graduate students without assistantship: 12 credits
• Graduate students with assistantship/fellowship: 9 credits
• Graduate students who require additional English language instruction: 9 graduate-level credits + 3 credits undergrad ESL
• Graduate students who require additional English language instruction and have an assistantship/fellowship: 6 graduate-level credits + 3 credits undergrad ESL
• Graduate students who have met all academic requirements: 1 research credit & file a Certificate of Full-Time Status every semester you meet the eligibility requirements

You must continue to make normal progress towards your degree during your program. Enrollment is not required during the summer or winter breaks which are considered vacation periods. For the summer, graduate students will be considered full time if registered for at least one credit of thesis/dissertation research, professional experience, or independent study and their major professor verifies in writing that they are working full time on the completion of degree requirements.

Online/Distance Courses: No more than the equivalent of 1 on-line/distance education class or 3 credits per session may count towards the “full course of study” requirement each semester. For example, if you are required to take 12 credits in a semester to maintain full-time status, only 3 of the required 12 credits can be from an online course. You may however exceed the 12 credit requirement by taking additional online courses as long as you are taking at least 9 credits in class (not online).

Reduced Course Load (RCL)

There are only a few reasons why F-1 students would be permitted to drop below full-time enrollment without falling out of status. 

• Academic or English Language Difficulties (1 semester only – usually only first semester)
• Medical Condition (Up to 12 months)
• Last semester of study

A RCL will only be approved in accordance with OIE policy and in coordination with your Academic Adviser and Dean of the Graduate School.  All RCL requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. For more information please email OIE at oie@esf.edu.

Before traveling outside of the USA, verify the following:

• Your passport is valid for at least 6 months from the date of your reentry
• Your visa is still valid (not applicable for Canadian citizens)
• If your visa has expired, you will need to renew your visa for reentry to the USA unless you qualify for “Automatic Visa Revalidation.”
• Page 2 of your I-20 has been signed within one year of the date of your reentry by a DSO in the OIE.  This is called a “travel signature.”  Travel signatures are valid for one year only.
• If you need to renew your visa before your reentry to the USA, you will need a brand new travel signature even if the previous signature is still valid.

Upon reentry to the USA, you must bring your new I-94 to the OIE to be verified and copied for your file. If you got a new visa or passport, you must bring these as well. More info here.

Renewing your F-1 Visa (Not Applicable for Canadian Citizens)

If you are traveling outside of the USA and are not traveling to Canada, Mexico, or the “adjacent islands” or do not qualify for Automatic Visa Revalidation, you will  need to renew your F-1 visa for reentry to the USA.  Please note that it is highly recommended that you only apply for a visa in your home country or country of legal permanent residence.  It is not recommended to try to renew your visa in Canada.

In order to renew your visa, be sure to:

• Make sure that your I-20 is up-to-date and gives accurate information about your current program and funding.
• Get a new travel signature on your I-20 regardless if the previous signature is still valid.
• Bring proof of your current studies and progress towards your degree (transcripts, class schedule, letter from academic adviser, etc.)
• Bring proof of financial support (financial aid letter, bank statement, etc.)
• Follow the procedures of the US Embassy/Consulate in regard to your nonimmigrant visa application very carefully to avoid delays/denials.
  Upon reentry to the USA, it is extremely important that you report to OIE so that your new visa and I-94 can be verified and copied for your file.

Automatic Visa Revalidation

If your visa is expired and you are traveling to Canada, Mexico, or the “adjacent islands,” and will be outside of the USA for less than 30 days, you can reenter the USA using your expired F-1 visa unless:

• You applied for a new visa and it has not been issued
• You applied for a new visa and were denied
• You have a terminated SEVIS record indicating that you are out of status
• You have been out the United States for more than 30 days
• You are a citizen of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria

If you plan to travel using Automatic Visa Revalidation, it is recommended that you meet with OIE before departing the USA.

F-1 international students in good status are permitted to work on campus up to 20 hours per week.  No additional authorization from OIE is needed to work on-campus. On-campus is defined as both SUNY-ESF and Syracuse University. Employment may be increased to full-time (40+ hours) per week during the College winter, spring, and summer breaks when class is not in session (individual vacation days such as Martin Luther King Day and Thanksgiving break do not qualify). More info here.

F-1 international students are not permitted under any circumstance to work off-campus without prior authorization. Working off-campus without authorization is a major violation of your immigration status. There are three options for off-campus employment authorization: Economic Hardship Employment, Curricular Practical Training, and Optional Practical Training.

You are required to complete the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 8843 every year, regardless of if you have worked in the USA.  If you have worked or have a taxable financial aid award, you will also need to file the 1040NR or 1040NR-EZ.  If you are employed on-campus, you will receive a tax packet from Accounting with instructions on how to complete your taxes.  If you worked off campus (CPT or OPT), you should receive a wage statement (W-2) from your employer and will need to use that to file your own taxes.  The deadline to file all tax forms each year is April 15. More info here.

F-1 students have 60 days from the date of their program completion or final day of authorized practical training to prepare to depart the USA. During your grace period you can:

To request that a dependent spouse or child be added to your SEVIS record and a dependent I-20/DS-2019 be issued for the visa application process:

• Complete the Dependent I-20 (or Dependent DS-2019) Request Form including and a Financial Worksheet
• Submit the following paperwork to the Office of International Education:
  • Completed Dependent Request Form
  • Proof of financial support for one year or until the end of your program, whichever is shorter. Acceptable proof includes:
    • Current personal/family bank statement or available balance page of your online account information;
    • Assistantship letter, scholarship letter, or fellowship letter; and/or
    • Notarized letter from a sponsor (relative or third party) and sponsor’s financial bank statement
  • Proof of your relationship to the dependent spouse and/or child under 21 years of age (e.g., marriage license, birth certificate). This will have to be presented at the consulate and deemed acceptable in order for the visa to be issued.
  • Photocopy of your dependent(s) passport
  • Your passport, visa, I-94, and I-20s/DS-2019s
  • Proof of health insurance and medical evacuation and repatriation coverage (e.g., photocopy of insurance card or policy details)
  • Note: Upon arrival, you must also obtain health insurance coverage for your dependent(s) for the duration of your student program.
  • Enrollment Certification showing full-time status for every semester enrolled at ESF (available at the Registrar’s Office)
    If you have been maintaining valid status and all of the requested supplemental documentation including adequate proof of financial support is provided, an F-2 dependent I-20 or J-2 dependent DS-2019 will be issued.

An F-2/J-2 dependent’s status is linked to the student’s legal status and thus will have the same program end date. F-2/J-2 dependents may travel outside the U.S. while the F-1/J-2 remains in the U.S. F-2/J-2 dependents may also remain in the U.S. while the F-1/J-1 travels outside the U.S. (as long as F-1/J-1 primary’s absence is less than 5 months and everyone is maintaining valid status). F-2/J-2 dependent children may enroll in school grades K-12 on a full-time basis; however F-2 dependents cannot enroll in full-time course of study or a degree program beyond elementary and secondary education (K-12). Their enrollment must strictly engage in a course of study that does not amount to what regulations define as full-time for an F-1 student. F-2 dependents cannot obtain employment authorization in the United States. J-2 dependents are eligible to apply to USCIS for employment authorization so long as the employment is not for the purpose of supporting the J-1. The J-2 may begin employment only after receiving the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from USCIS.

Once a dependent obtains F-2/J-2 status, the Office of International Education will only terminate that status if credible evidence of one of the following is submitted:

• Legal divorce (if the dependent is the student’s spouse)
• 21st birthday (if the dependent is the student’s child)
• Death
• The dependent him- or herself requests termination of his or her record and provides evidence of departure from the U.S. (e.g., home country entry stamp).
• F-2 Students Studying at ESF

F-2 students are eligible to partake in courses/classes at ESF so long as it is less than full-time. ESF defines this for an F-2 student to be no more than 11 credits at either the undergradaute or graduate level. Given that F-2 students cannot obtain employment authorization in the U.S., F-2 students may also not work on campus or help any GA/TA/RA positions. If an F-2 student is applying for a change of status from F-2 to F-1, the student must assume their F-2 status regulations until they have both: been granted F-1 status and have reached the start of a new semester.

Dependent Resources

Family/Spouse Health Insurance  
Syracuse City Schools (elementary, middle school, high school)
Syracuse Private Schools (pre-school, elementary, middle school, high school)
Child Care in Syracuse

Please use the I-20 Update/ Request Form to request a new I-20 for the following reasons:

to replace your lost document;
to update your financial information (e.g., change in source of funding, applying for a new visa);
for inclusion in your application to change to F-1 student status;
to change your level of study (e.g., (MS to PhD); or
to add or change a program of study (e.g., adding a major/minor or changing majors/minors).
If you would like to add a dependent spouse and/or child to your F-1 SEVIS record in order to obtain a dependent I-20 for the F-2 visa application process, please follow the process indicated on the Bringing a Dependent web page.

If you are in F-1 status, your I-20 indicates the program completion date of your SEVIS record under the title: Program End Date. If you will not complete your academic program by that program end date, you must apply for an extension of your I-20 end date before your document expires. 

You may lose your lawful F-1 status and all associated benefits if you:

(1) Fail to apply for an extension before your I-20 expires even if you have a valid reason for extension.

OR

(2) You apply for an extension but do not meet the requirements for an extension.

Immigration regulations limit the circumstances for which international students may be granted a program extension. Federal Immigration regulations provide that you may be eligible for an extension if:

You have continually maintained full-time F-1 status
AND

You have compelling academic or medical reasons which resulted in a delay in your program completion.
Examples of acceptable reasons for program extension are:

Changes in major / research topic;
Unexpected research difficulties;
Lost credits upon transfer
Documented illness
Examples of unacceptable reasons for program extension are:

Repeat of course(s) due to unsatisfactory grade;
Additional time to complete “incomplete” course(s);
Failure to work closely or consult with academic advisor;
Delay of coursework to participate in work experience (CPT) not required for your degree;
Participation in CPT when all coursework is complete; or
Delay caused by academic probation or suspension.

Please plan ahead and allow at least two weeks for your request to be processed.

• Complete the I-20 Extension Request Form.
• Complete the F-1 Financial Worksheet.
• Attach photocopies of the following documents for you (and your dependents):
  • Proof of financial support equivalent to estimated expenses for the extension period as calculated on the Financial Worksheet
    • Acceptable financial documentation includes: current personal bank statement or available balance page of your online account information; assistantship letter; tuition scholarship letter; stipend letter; fellowship letter; and a notarized letter from a sponsor (relative or third-party) indicating their funding commitment to your education along with sponsor’s current bank statement.
  • Enrollment Certification (from the Office of the Registrar's Office) to verify full-time enrollment throughout your program.
  • Passport biography page and expiration date page, visa, and I-94 card
  • All prior I-20s (page 1 only if no CPT or OPT authorizations; page 1 and 3 if CPT or OPT has ever been authorized)
  • Proof of valid health insurance including Medical Evacuation and Repatriation coverage
  • Have your Academic Advisors complete Part II of the I-20 Extension Request Form and sign.
  • Submit I-20 Extension Request Form with F-1 Financial Worksheet and required photocopies to the Office of Instruction and Graduate Studies (227 Bray Hall) to obtain the Dean's signature.

Upon review, the Dean will forward your completed request to the Office of International Education. You will be notified via email whether your extension request was approved or denied. If your request was approved, an extended I-20 will be issued and available for pick-up at the Office of International Education.