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Permission to stay in the U.S. is indicated on the I-94 Arrival/Departure card, the small white card usually stapled inside your passport upon arrival in the U.S. It indicates the date and port of entry to the U.S., your immigration classification, and the date until which you are allowed to remain in the United States of America. Most students on F-1 or J-1 status will have “D/S" (Duration of Status) instead of a specific date. This means you may remain in the U.S. as long as you are a full-time student with a valid I-20 or DS-2019 and are in compliance with all the regulations pertaining to your status.
There are several options for students who would like to stay in the U.S. upon completion of their program. All students are granted a 60-day grace period during which they may remain in the U.S. after completion of the program. For other opportunities, please refer to the After Elon page.
Upon your acceptance to Elon, you will be issued either an I-20 (F-1 students) or a DS-2019 (J-1). These documents certify your eligibility to apply for a visa and also certify you are maintaining status while in the U.S. You should keep all I-20's or DS-2019's issued to you during your time in the U.S. as they will be necessary in applying for practical training, re-instatement, or change of status. These documents will also be used to verify that you are eligible to re-enter the U.S. after a trip abroad.
The U.S. Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS) requires students to have a recent signature of a Designated School Official on their most recent I-20 or DS-2019 in order to be re-admitted to the U.S. after travel. You should come to the GEC to have your I-20 signed before travel if the previous signature is more than six months old, or will be more than six months old when the you return to the U.S.
Your eligibility for employment, school transfers, and program changes depends on maintaining lawful status. Your signature on the I-20 signifies your agreement to abide by the conditions of F-1 status while in the U.S. It is important to carefully read page 2 of the I-20.
You should initiate transfer procedures during the term prior to the semester you intend to enroll in the new school. It is imperative to follow the established transfer procedures in order to maintain valid immigration status.
A student who transfers schools must enroll in the new school during the first available regular term after leaving the previous institution.
To transfer to Elon, you must:
To transfer from Elon, you must:
A student who is out-of-status must apply to the USCIS for reinstatement to F-1 status. Please refer to the instructions on reinstatement on this page and contact the GEC.
F-1 and J-1 students are REQUIRED to take a full-time course load in order to maintain status. At the undergraduate level a full-time course load consists of at least 12 hours while at the graduate level a full-time load typically consists of 9 hours. The only exception to this rule is students in the final term of their degree program who require less than a full load to complete the program. Students in this situation may carry less than a full load without approval.
There are certain circumstances where students not in their final semester may be approved to carry less than a full load. To learn more about requirements for taking a reduced course load, please contact the GEC.
You must be approved by the GEC to drop below a full-time load or you will be considered out of status.
If you are approaching the expiration date on your I-20 and know you need more time to complete your program of studies, you must request a program extension IMMEDIATELY.
If your visa expires while you are in the U.S., you do not need to depart for the express purpose of renewing it as long as you are in valid immigration status. However if your visa expires and you depart the U.S., you must renew your visa before you can return.
The process for renewing a visa is identical to the process for applying for a visa except that you should not have to pay the SEVIS fee a second time. For more information on the visa application process, please see the Visa Application and Information page.
It is not possible to apply for an F-1 visa while in the U.S. It is possible to apply for one as a third-country national (i.e. in a country other than your home country), but you should be aware that third-country nationals often face more stringent requirements than residents of the country where they apply.
Under certain circumstances, a student whose visa has expired may visit Canada, Mexico, or adjacent islands in the Caribbean for a period of less than 30 days without renewing their visa. For more information, please contact the GEC.
You must apply to the USCIS for reinstatement to F-1 student status as soon as possible under the following circumstances:
You are eligible for consideration for reinstatement to F-1 status only under the following circumstances:
You cannot apply for reinstatement if you have worked without authorization.
Information on this page was adapted from the NAFSA Adviser's Manual, retrieved 8/8/2011.