1. Orientation 2011 An overview of F-1 & J-1 immigration documents,
maintaining status, on- and off- campus work,
and other international student issues

2. International Student & Scholar Services
Staff
Elizabeth Gill, Assistant Director
Dina Cenicola, Coordinator
Sushita Eswaran, Student Worker
Hongxue “Bruce” Cui, Student Worker
Location & Office Hours
Howe Center, 5th Floor
Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM

3. MOST IMPORTANT INFO TODAY:
Check In!!!
MOST IMPORTANT INFO TODAY:
You must check in with our offices during our check-in session today or for anyone who misses our check-in (tell your friends!), in our offices on the 5th floor of the Howe Center no later than January 1, 2011!

4. Immigration Who’s Who
All immigration benefits (such as the granting of work authorization) in the U.S. are provided by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
Immigration enforcement is done by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Administers the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), an online database that stores all information on individuals with F-1, J-1, or M-1 status
Stevens is required to report in SEVIS on all students and scholars
Port of Entry officers and visa officers at U.S. consulates and embassies have access to some of SEVIS
USCIS and ICE are part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

5. Maintaining Immigration Documents
Visa
Key to enter the U.S. to study
Multiple entries (M) or limited entries (1 or 2)
Can leave and reenter up to the expiration date
Ok if it expires while you are in the U.S.; not necessary unless traveling outside U.S. and returning
Visa renewal should be done in home country
If you changed your status to F-1 while in the U.S., you must apply for an F-1 visa the first time you leave the U.S.
Name of school on your visa does not have to be Stevens as long as the visa has not expired

6. Visa (cont’d)
Give time for the visa renewal; don’t do it during spring break!
Visa wait times here:

7. Passport Must be valid six months into the future
Can renew at embassy or consulate in NYC or D.C.
After renewing your passport, you must continue to carry the old passport that contains your F-1 visa

8. I-94
Says why you are here (F-1 or J-1) and how long you can stay: D/S (duration of status; you can stay in the U.S. for as long as you are engaged in full-time study or are engaged in Optional Practical Training or Academic Training)
Old I-94 should be removed every time you exit the U.S. through a Port of Entry; if not, safely discard
New I-94 should be added every time you enter the U.S. through a POE. Make sure you get one!

9. I-94 (cont’d) Always check I-94 and I-20 before
leaving the Port of Entry (airport or U.S. border)
Is your name spelled correctly?
Does it say “F-1, D/S”?
Is it stamped with your entry date? (Don’t forget to present your most recent I-20 to be stamped– not an old one!)
If anything is incorrect, get it fixed before you leave
If you later notice something incorrect, many corrections can be made at the nearest POE– Doesn’t have to be the one through which you entered

10. I-20/DS-2019
Agreement with the U.S. government regarding your F-1/J-1 status
Tells where you are studying, what your educational objective is, how long it will take you to complete that objective, and how you are supporting the costs of studying and living here.

11. Any document that has changed must be photocopied for ISSS files!
You should carry copies of your immigration documents with you at all times!

12. Maintaining Status: Full Course of Study
Required credits for fall & spring for each program (summer is not a required term)
12 per semester for traditional undergrad
9 per semester for traditional grad
This means 9/12 credits EVERY SEMESTER,
not an average of 9/12 credits over the year
Full course of study equivalencies
Non-credit courses (such as ENG 001)
Research, thesis, or dissertation
On-campus employment deemed part of the program of study (assistantship, fellowship, etc.)
Final semester of undergraduate/graduate study
Web Courses (online)
Can only register for 3 online credits per semester
In the last semester of study: At least one
course must be on-campus, but other courses can be
online

13. Full Course of Study (cont’d)
Class registration is assessed at end of
drop/add period
If registered for the correct number of
credits, student is registered in SEVIS.
If not, student’s F-1 record is terminated
Final grade evaluation
After final grades have been submitted to Registrar
Looking for FAs that cause student to drop below full course load
F= allowed vs. FA= not allowed
Less than full course load permitted only during final
semester of study

14. Reduced Course Load Must be authorized by a Designated School Official
(ISSS staff)
Only for a very specified list of academic issues
For medical conditions with documentation
from a medical doctor or clinical psychologist
A student who reduces his/her course load without authorization will have his/her record terminated in SEVIS!

15. Changes to the I-20/SEVIS Record
Types
Change of address
You MUST submit your new
address using Pipeline and
the ISSS website
Change of name
Change of support/sponsorship
Change of major
Addition of minor or second major
Report change within 10 days of its occurrence
Most changes should also be reported to Registrar’s Office

16. Travel
Within the U.S.
Take your passport, visa, I-94, student ID card, and Form I-20/DS-2019
Outside the U.S.
Passport valid for at least 6 months into the future
A valid F-1 visa (not expired– if expired, you will need to anticipate additional time for visa renewal)
Form I-20/DS-2019 with a valid travel
endorsement
On post-completion OPT:
EAD & offer letter
Travel to Canada, Mexico, or
contiguous islands
Procedures for exiting the U.S.

17. Concurrent Enrollment
F-1 and J-1 students are permitted to take courses at other SEVIS-approved schools
Consult with the ISSS and your academic adviser BEFORE registering for a course(s) at another school
If you register for a course(s), you must submit documentation of your registration to the ISSS

18. Leave of Absence
“Permitted” under F-1 status but does not allow students to maintain F1 status
Will be terminated for Authorized Early Withdrawal
Leave of absence for more than 5 months requires new I-20, new SEVIS fee
Could return on old visa as long as it’s still valid

19. Program End Date
If leaving before: Must apply for Authorized Early Withdrawal (fill out form in ISSS offices)
Must apply for extension if you need more time to complete your program (i.e., you changed your major or added a second major). You should apply for an extension even if you are not certain you will need it; you cannot extend your I-20 after your program end date.
Must request that I-20 be shortened if you will graduate early and provide proof of anticipated graduation date

20. Program End Date (cont’d)
ONLY options after program end date
Depart the U.S.
Transfer to another school
Change education level or program
Start post-completion OPT

21. Transferring Schools
You need: acceptance letter from new school, transfer form from new school, transfer-out request from Stevens (You can get this form from our website or offices)
You must transfer after completing a semester and before starting the next. You cannot transfer mid-semester unless your new school’s drop/add period has not passed.
Timeframe: Must begin new school at the start of next required term or within 5 months, whichever comes first
Reminder: You need to contact other departments (such as the registrar, treasurer) to find out what else you should do to close out your record at Stevens. ISSS only transfers your immigration record in SEVIS.

22. Changing Educational Levels
New I-20 is created
Can be done before completing a program or within 60 days of program end date
Must submit
Acceptance letter from new program
New financial documentation
Application for Form I-20

23. Violations of Status What are violations of status?
Not pursuing a full course of study or not obtaining authorization to reduce course load
Working without permission or exceeding the limitations of work for which you are authorized
Not complying with immigration’s procedures for transferring schools, changing levels, extending the time you need to complete a program of study, or departing the U.S.
Violations of status must be reported to immigration in SEVIS immediately
If you violate your status, contact us immediately so you may be advised of your options

24. Deadline Overview Registering for a full course load each term
SEVIS Registration
Changes to the I-20/SEVIS record
Leave of absence or early departure
Program Extension
Applying for OPT
School Transfer
Change of Level
Departing the U.S. after AEW
Departing the U.S. after program
end date

25. IRS Reporting Form 8843 (all F-1 students)
Everyone must complete Part 1
Can be filed without a taxpayer ID #
Questions answered
Why is the student/scholar in the U.S.?
At what institution/employer?
Required by U.S. law but no “penalty” for not reporting
Deadline to file: June 15 (postmark)

26. IRS Reporting (cont’d)
Form 1040 NR/NR-EZ (students who worked)
Very similar to Form 1040
For a non-resident (NR) who had any U.S. source of income
Types of income limited to: wages, salaries, tips, taxable refunds of state/local income taxes, and scholarships or fellowships.
Address should be U.S. address
Deadline to file: April 15 (postmark)
Differences on the “EZ”
For non-immigrants with no dependents
Taxable income less than $100,000
Cannot claim any adjustment except
scholarship and student loan interest
Cannot claim tax credits

27. On-Campus Work 20 hours per week During “required terms”
(at Stevens, fall and spring semesters)
Total among all departments, including R.A. positions)
Full-time work (35 hours/week at Stevens)
During breaks included in the program (Includes winter holiday, spring break, and summer break)
Organizations that operate within the college, such as the cafeteria, are counted as “on-campus”
Not during the 60-day grace period
F-1 students can only work from their program
start dates to their program end dates (not
before and not after)

28. Four Types of Off-Campus Work
Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Alternative work/study, internship, cooperative education, field work, practicum
Integral part of the established curriculum
Published in the college catalogue/bulletin
Has a course number, and the student registers for it
Must apply through ISSS before beginning
Application requirements
Copy of course description
Recommendation from department chair
Letter describing employment
Immigration document copies

29. Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Off-campus employment connected to a particular class in your curriculum
Must have studied for at least one academic year in F-1 status
Unlimited part-time CPT available
364 days of full-time CPT available
Come to our session tomorrow and workshops through
Co-Op and Career Development for more information!

30. Optional Practical Training (OPT)
Must have studied for at least one academic year in F-1 status
12 months allowed for each academic level (associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, Ph.D., regardless of whether you changed schools or did two degrees at the same level)
Some majors eligible for a 17-month extension
OPT available before or after graduation
Come to our workshops for more information!

31. Severe Economic Hardship Employment
Must be applied for and authorized by USCIS
Cannot be total loss of financial support (unlikely for a student to earn enough to fully support himself/herself)
Must provide documentation of former support and the “economic hardship” (records of before and after)
Not possible if student has been dishonest about where financial support comes from (i.e., said it was from parents when it was really an aunt in the U.S.)
“My parents think tuition is too expensive” (or any argument of the like) not a valid case for Severe Economic Hardship Employment

32. Internship with an International Organization
“A recognized international organization within the meaning of the International Organization Immunities Act” [8 CFR (9)(iii)]
Must apply to USCIS
If you think you have an internship that qualifies, check with us first!!

33. Social Security
Social Security number is required to get paid for employment but not to start working
You must have a job to receive a SSN
The Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is the alternative for students who do not have a job

34. Driver’s Licenses Commonly used as a form of U.S. ID
Not driving but want an American ID? Ask for a state ID card.
What to take to the DMV
If you have one, a valid international driver’s license
Immigration documents (passport, I-94, I-20/DS-2019)
Proof of address
Student ID and proof of enrollment (recent acceptance letter or official transcript)
Social Security Card (if you have one). If you aren’t eligible for a Social Security card, you must get a letter from the Social Security office stating your ineligibility.
Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles for more information
If you are living in NY and attending Stevens,
it is not possible for you to get a driver’s license.

35. Helpful Resources & Best Wishes
Some helpful resources:
(ISSS Website)
International Student Handbook
Facebook Page (Stevens Institute of Technology International Student & Scholar Services)
One to World (
We wish you the best of luck in your studies here, and we’re happy to answer any of your questions to help you maintain your immigration status!
Never be afraid to ask!