Maintaining Your F-1/J-1 Status

• Keep your immigration documents valid and unexpired
• Your passport should be valid at least six months into the future at all times. If your passport is expiring soon, renew it with your country’s consulate in the US or in your home country. 
• Your I-94 record should be correct and printed out every time you travel outside of and reenter the US to ensure you entered the country in F-1 or J-1 status. To learn more, visit your I-94 Record.
• Your I-20 or DS-2019 must be accurate and unexpired. You must keep all original I-20s ever issued to you in a safe place. Do not throw away any I-20. If any information is incorrect or you need to update anything on your I-20 or DS-2019, contact us. If your I-20 or DS-2019 is expiring, learn more about getting an extension.
• Your visa must be valid if you are traveling outside of the US and reentering the US. To learn more about getting a new visa, visit the Study and Exchange Visa Information Page.

• During the academic year, international students in F-1 or J-1 non-immigrant status must be enrolled full-time.
• The deadline for meeting the full-time registration requirement is the end of the Drop/Add period. For exact dates, please view the Academic Calendar.
• If you are not registered full-time by the deadline, your SEVIS record will be terminated, and you will lose your F-1/J-1 status. There is no grace period to remain in the U.S. following status termination.
• During the academic year, in general, the minimum full-time enrollment for international students is as follows:
  • Undergraduate students must enroll for 12 credit hours per term with a minimum of 9 credit hours being in-person. 
  • Graduate students must enroll for 9 credit hours (or the number of credit hours defined by the specific graduate program) per term. 6 credit hours must be in-person.
  • During any given term in which you have been officially appointed by the department as a Graduate Assistantship, you may enroll for 6 credit hours.
• Suspension, dismissal, enrollment withheld, expulsion, or any other similar action that prevents enrollment may have an effect on legal immigration status. For questions, see an advisor at the Westfield State University International Programs Office.

• International students are required to physically attend classes.
• Hybrid classes are considered the same as in-person classes as long as you physically attend the class.
• See above for the minimum in-person credit hours required.

If you decide to work within the U.S., you can stay here for as long as your work authorization remains valid. If you choose to leave the U.S. without working, keep in mind the following:

• F-1 students can stay in the U.S. for up to 60 days after completing their studies.
• J-1 students can stay in the U.S. for up to 30 days after completing their studies.

• If you're an F-1 student and want to work, you must apply for OPT ideally 3 months prior to completing your studies.
• If you're a J-1 student and want to work, you must apply for Academic Training before you complete your studies.
• If you stay at WSU to pursue another academic program, you can apply for a new I-20 or DS-2019. Please contact IPO for more information. 
• If you are starting an academic program at another school within the US, please contact IPO to learn how to transfer out of WSU.
• If you do not plan to pursue any of the options above and will depart the US during your grace period, please inform IPO via email. Our office will close your immigration record.

• Make sure you have a valid travel signature from your DSO
  • Located at the middle of page 2 of your I-20; OR bottom right of page 1 of your DS-2019.
  • For students, your travel signature is valid for 1 year (unless the end date on your I-20 or DS-2019 is sooner)
  • For those on post-completion OPT or Academic Training, it is valid for 6 months

• Make sure to have the following documents with you:
  • Passport with F-1/J-1 visa.
  • I-20 or DS-2019 printed copy
  • SEVIS fee receipt
  • Proof of financial support (this may include personal or family bank statements, any affidavit of support, or copies of your scholarship letter)
  • Enrollment verification
• Please note that you must also have any transit visas required for citizens of your passport-issuing country for any country you might visit or pass through on your way to the U.S.

The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, known as SEVIS, is a real-time electronic system used to maintain records for individuals in F or J status. Every F-1 student and J-1 exchange visitor has a unique SEVIS record. This record was created by IPO before issuing your immigration document. You can find your SEVIS number in the upper right corner of your immigration document.

The SEVIS system allows WSU to provide up-to-date information to related government agencies regarding your program at WSU, as required by regulations regarding the sponsorship of F students and J exchange visitors. Any time we update or extend your program or issue a document, it’s done through SEVIS.

Immigration regulations pertaining to SEVIS records require the following:

• New F-1 students, J-1 exchange visitors, and F-2 and J-2 dependents to complete an initial IPO check-in remotely or in person by contacting  IPO at ipo@westfield.ma.edu and providing copies of their immigration documents within 15 days after their arrival to the United States or the start date of their academic program.
• All continuing F-1 students register for classes each semester so that the IPO can report the student’s continued attendance to the US Department of Homeland Security through SEVIS.
• The IPO is to keep updated records on each student and exchange visitor within the SEVIS database (see list of reportable events below).

If you plan to enroll in another full-time program soon after your last enrollment or end date or the end of your OPT or AT, you may be able to transfer your SEVIS record to your new school. Do note that this information pertains to your F-1/J-1 immigration record only and will have no impact on your academic record. Contact your academic department if you have questions about transferring your academic record or course credits. Please see the Transferring Your SEVIS Record Document for more information.

Reportable Events in SEVIS

What does WSU report to the government? Only the information required by federal law. This includes all data fields listed on your immigration document (I-20 or DS-2019), including your personal information, information about your program or affiliation at WSU, information about accompanying dependents, and financial information.

WSU is also required to report information on academic, disciplinary, or other events that affect the nonimmigrant status of a student or exchange visitor.

For F-1 students, these reportable events include, but are not limited to:

• Registration/enrollment each school term
• Leaves of absence, suspensions, or withdrawals from school
• Authorized and unauthorized drops below a “full course of study,” as defined by USCIS regulations.
• Employment off campus
• US residential address changes
• Changes in major, program of study, or expected completion date.
• Transfer to a new college or a new degree level.
• Periods of authorized and unauthorized employment
• Termination of F-1 status due to degree completion, change of status, failure to maintain status, or other reasons.

For J-1 visa holders, reportable actions include, but are not limited to:

• Extensions
• Changes of status
• Replacement of a lost form
• Amendments and corrections
• Change in school or sponsor
• Completion of studies or participation in an exchange program
• Change in funding

Incoming F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors must pay a SEVIS fee before obtaining the appropriate visa and entering the US for the first time in this status. Additional SEVIS information can be found on the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) website.