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20000 NW Walker Rd
Beaverton, OR 97006
503-748-1121
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F-1 Current Students
Maintaining F-1 Status
It
is extremely important that you maintain F-1 status, since certain violations
of status may be grounds for deportation under U.S. Immigration Law.
This means that you must meet certain requirements of the Department
of Homeland Security (DHS). Please note that it is your responsibility to
make sure that your I-20 is valid during your course of study here.
Your I-94 card (the small white card, which you will receive on the
airplane to the United States,) will be stamped D/S- Duration of Status
by the immigration officer at the port of entry, but your status is
controlled by the date in item number 5 of your I-20.
What you need to do to maintain F-1 status:
- Have a passport that is kept valid at all times, unless exempt from
the passport requirement
- Attend the school you were authorized to attend
- Maintain a full-course of study each term (vacation period excluded). You are only allowed to count one course or 3 credits of distance learning (i.e. on-line courses) towards your full-time course of study requirment
- Apply for an extension PRIOR TO the expiration date on your I-20.
The expiration date on your I-20 is shown in item number 5
- Obtain a new I-20 from the Office of International Services if you change departments or change from one-degree level
to another.
- Limit authorized on-campus employment to 20 hours a week while in
school
- Refrain from off-campus employment without authorization
- Report a change of residence to the Office of International Services within 10 days of the change
- Remain in the U.S. for no longer than 60 days after completing a
full course of study, unless prior to that time you have followed
procedures for applying for optional practical training, moving educational
levels, school transfer or a change of immigration status.
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Changing departments or continuing
from one educational level to another
Your are admitted to the
United States to work towards the attainment of a specific educational
or professional objective. The subject matter and level of education
you are seeking is indicated in items 4 and 5 of your I-20. If you change
departments or educational levels you must obtain a new I-20 from the
Office of International Services.
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Extending your I-20
If you will not complete
your program by the program completion date indicated at item 5 on your
current I-20 you must comply with DHS procedures for an extension.
Applications for an extension must be made to the Office of International
Services PRIOR to the expiration date
on your I-20. Your are eligible for a program extension if:
- You have continually maintained status
- The delay in completion is "caused by compelling academic or
medical reasons, such as changes of major or research topics, unexpected
research problems, or documented illnesses."
- Your ARE NOT eligible for an extension because of "delays caused
by academic probation or suspension."
If you fail to complete your program within the time prescribed in
item 5 of your I-20 and cannot meet the eligibility criteria for program
extension you are considered to be out of status and must apply for
reinstatement to student status with DHS.
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School Transfers
If you are maintaining
your F-1 status you may transfer from one SEVIS approved school to another
by following the transfer procedures below. If you have not maintained
your F-1 status you are NOT eligible for a school transfer and must
apply for reinstatement. If you are a new student entering on Oregon
Health & Science University's I-20 you must enroll in classes and
attend school at OHSU before you are allowed to transfer to a new school.
Transfer Procedures:
- Inform the Office of International Services of your
intention to transfer and obtain verification that you have been maintaining
status and are eligible for a transfer. (this is usually done by using
a "transfer form" from the school you are planning on transferring
to.)
- Obtain a new I-20 from the school you are transferring to and complete
the student certification section in item 11 on both the I-20 school
copy and student copy
- Enroll in the new school in the first term after leaving OHSU or
the first term after vacation. You must be able to begin classes within
5 months of transferring out of the current school or within 5 months
of the program completion date on your I-20, whichever is earlier. If you are currently
on OPT you must be able to begin study within 5 months of transferring
out of the school that recommended OPT or the date the OPT authorization
ends, whichever is earlier. Students on OPT following completion of studies are eligible for transfer through the end of the 60-day grace period after completion of OPT.
- Submit your new I-20, I-94 etc. to the the office that works with
F-1 students at your new school within 15 days of of the program start
date listed on the I-20.
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Employment
On-Campus Employment- An F-1 student
who is currently maintaining F-1 status may engage in part-time on-campus
employment while attending school. An F-1 student may engage in full-time
on-campus employment during official school breaks and during the
student's annual vacation quarter. An F-1 student IS NOT permitted
to engage in on-campus employment after completing his/her course
of study unless she/he has another form of work authorization. (Part-time
employment is defined as 20 hours-or fewer-per week while school is
in session. Full-time employment is defined as more then 20 hours
per week.)
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Optional Practical Training (OPT)- is available
for up to 12 months to F-1 students after the completion of 9 consecutive
months of full time study, with the approval of the Office of International
Services and with authorization from the Department of Homeland Security.
You must apply for OPT before you complete your course of study.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Completion of 3 quarters of full-time
study as an F-1 student or in a different nonimmigrant category
that allows studies such as H-4, etc. However, you must be in
F-1 status at the time you apply for OPT
- Employment taken under OPT must be directly related to your course
of study
- A student is ineligible for OPT if he/she has used full-time curricular
practical training for one year or more. The use of part-time curricular
practical training does not affect the eligibility for OPT.
A student is allowed a total of 12 months of OPT and becomes eligible
for another 12 months of practical training when he or she changes
to a higher educational level. For example, a student is eligible for 12 months of OPT after a master's degree and another 12 months of OPT after a Ph.D. degree.
Categories of Optional Practical Training:
- Pre-completion Optional Practical Training- OPT is permissible
full-time (more than 20 hours a week) during a student's annual
vacation quarter and part-time (less than 20 hours a week) while
school is in session.
Post-Completion Optional Practical Training- is available
full-time after the completion of a student's course of study and
is also available to Ph.D. and Thesis master's students after completion
of all the course requirements for the degree excluding the thesis
or dissertation.
Application Procedures: In order to apply for OPT you must
pick up an application packet from the Office of International Services. After you have completed the application packet contact
the Office of International Services for an appointment
to complete the application procedures.
Important Information about Optional Practical Training
- Your authorization to engage in OPT employment is automatically
terminated when you transfer to another school.
- Apply early. DHS can take more than 90 days to process your OPT
application. An F-1 student is only allowed to remain in the United
States for a maximum of 14 months after the completion of his/her
course of study.
- If DHS takes more than 90 days to process your application you
may apply for a interim Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
at the local DHS office. Please contact the Office of International
Services for information on how to do this.
- Do not begin employment until you have received your EAD or until
the beginning date on your EAD if you receive your card early.
- Do not move while your OPT application is being processed with
DHS. They WILL NOT forward your EAD even if you have a forwarding
request with the post office.
- Do not travel outside of the United States while your application
is being processed.
- If you need to travel outside the United States after you have
graduated you are required to take your I-20 signed on the back
within the last 6 months, your EAD, and proof that you have a job
in the US when you seek to reenter. If you travel outside the United
States before you have found a job under OPT you may be denied reentry.
- Make sure you keep your receipt. DHS will send you a receipt
once they receive your application. The receipt contains a LIN number
that you can use to track your application. You can track the status
of your case on-line at https://egov.immigration.gov/cris/jsps/index.jsp
- For more information regarding procedures/regulations to follow during your optional practical training period please read this hand-out.
*Make sure you are going to graduate before you apply for post-completion
OPT. It is virtually impossible to cancel your OPT application once
you have submitted it to DHS. DHS will not allow you to cancel your
OPT once an EAD has been printed for you if the start date of the OPT has already passed.
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Curricular Practical Training (CPT)- is employment
in an internship position which is an integral part of your study.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Completion of 3 quarters of full-time
study as an F-1 student or in a different nonimmigrant category
that allows studies such as H-4, J-2 etc. However, you must be in
F-1 status at the time you apply for CPT.
- CPT is only available before you complete your program of study
- The employment must be an internship position which is an integral
part of your course of study.
- You must have an offer of employment from an employer offering
work that qualifies as CPT. CPT can only be authorized for a specific
employer.
- Approval from your academic advisor who is required to supervise
your CPT.
Application Procedures:
- Have you advisor complete the Curricular Practical Training Approval
Form. Download here in
PDF format or pick up a form in the Office of International Services
- Obtain a letter from the company offering you the internship.
The letter must include the following information: job title, dates
of employment, number of hours of work per week, compensation, place
of employment and a brief description of the work.
- Make an appointment with the Office of International Services and bring your I-20, I-94, passport, CPT approval form
and employment letter.
- Register for internship credit (CSE604, EE604, EBS604, etc.)
Important Information About CPT:
- You will not be eligible for optional practical training if you
accumulate 12 months or more of full-time CPT. Participation in
part-time CPT does not effect your eligibility for optional practical
training.
- You are only authorized to work for the employer, the period of
time, and the number of hours per week typed on the back of your
I-20 by the Office of International Services. Any deviation
in employment from what is typed on your I-20 will be considered
unauthorized employment and a status violation.
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Travel- U.S. law requires that you carry
your immigration paperwork on you at all times. It is highly recommended
that you carry the following documents with you when you travel domestically
or internationally:
- Your I-20 currently signed on the back by the Office of International
Services
- Your passport
- A valid visa (if reentering from abroad, unless traveling to Canada
or Mexico for less than 30 days)
- Your From I-94(if reentering the United States from a trip abroad
you will receive a new I-94, unless you are reentering from Canada
or Mexico after a trip of less than 30 days)
*Trips to Canada and Mexico -You may be able to reenter the United States
without a valid visa after a trip of less than 30 days to Canada or
Mexico. In order to take advantage of this provision you must be maintaining
valid F-1 status, have a valid passport (unless exempt from passport
requirements), have a current I-20 endorsed for travel by the Office
of International Services, and have a valid I-94.
*Please be aware that if you travel to Canada or Mexico to apply
for a new visa you will not be able to reenter the U.S. under the revalidation
provisions stated above if your visa application is denied for any reason.
*Citizens or nationals of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, North Korea and Cuba are also not eligible for the revalidation provisions and must have a valid visa to reenter the U.S. after a trip to Canada or Mexico.
*Anyone who has been an overstay under INA 222(g) is also not eligible for the revalidation provisions and must obtain a new visa in his/her home country to reenter the U.S.
New Airport Transit Visa Requirements for Countries in the European
Union
France, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and
Sweden are now requiring that nationals from several countries including
India obtain "airport transit visas" for connecting flights.
If you are from one of the designated countries you are required to
obtain the "airport transit visa" even if you will not be
leaving the airport. There are exceptions for nationals from these countries
who are U.S. Permanent Residents. You can obtain more information about
the airport transit visa requirements on the French embassy's web-site
at http://www.consulfrance-washington.org/article.php3?id_article=383
Please check with the embassies of the countries you will be landing
in before you leave the U.S. to determine whether or not you will need
an airport transit visa. The following web-site has a list of web-site
links for embassies around the world. http://www.embassyworld.com/
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Dependents-If you wish to have dependents
join you in the United States you must obtain I-20s for them so your
family members can apply for visas and enter the United Sates. A dependent
of an F-1 student will need the following documents to apply for a F-2
visa:
- Form I-20 as described above
- Copies of your immigration documents- current I-20, visa, and both sides of your I-94
- A letter from the Office of International Services verifying your status
- Evidence of financial ability to meet expenses
- Marriage certificate or birth certificate
- Evidence of intent to depart the United States after the F-1
completes his/her studies
- A valid passport
- Form DS-156 (Nonimmigrant Visa Application)-This form is
available on the Department of State's web-site at http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/forms/forms_1342.html
- Form DS-157 (Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application) if applicable-
This form is also available on the Department of State's web-site
listed above.
- Form DS-158 (Contact Information and Work History for Nonimmigrant
Visa Applicant)- This form is also available on the Department
of State's web-site listed above.
- Photograph
- Machine Readable Visa (MRV) surcharge fee
- Visa Reciprocity Fee (if applicable)- A listing of visa reciprocity
fees is available on the Department of State's web-site at
http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/fees/fees_1341.html
The web-site http://usembassy.state.gov/
will provide you with information on applying for a visa at U.S. consulates
around the world. You will want to be familiar with the rules and procedures
of issuing visas before you apply for yours. Since visa procedures vary
depending on what consulate you go to it is recommended that you check
the above web-site for the procedures at the U.S. consulate you plan
on applying for your visa at.
Dependents in F-2 status ARE NOT allowed to work in the United States.
In addition, As of January 1, 2003 a nonimmigrant spouse in F-2 status
may not engage in full time study and an F-2 child may only engage in
full time study if the study is in an elementary or secondary school
(kindergarten through twelfth grade.) The F-2 spouse and child may only
engage in study that is avocational or recreational in nature. An F-2
desiring to engage in full time study, other than study in an elementary
or secondary school must apply for and obtain a change of nonimmigrant
classification to F-1, J-1, or M-1 status. Enrolling in school before
the change of status is approved is a violation of nonimmigrant status.
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F-1 Current Student Forms-You can obtain
the forms mentioned below from the Office of International Services or you can download them in PDF format by clicking on the
desired form below. Download
Adobe Acrobat Reader for Free
Optional
Practical Training Checklist
Optional Practical Training Hand-out
Curricular
Practical Training Approval Form
Curricular Practical Training Checklist
Request for a Reduced Course Load
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