Maintaining F-1 Status

Enroll for and complete a full-time study course load (12 credits for undergraduate students, 9 credits for graduate students, 6 credits for students in the Artist’s Diploma and Performer’s Certificate programs) every fall and spring semester.

Undergraduate students: You are required to enroll in at least 9 credits in person (face-to-face or hybrid) each semester.

Graduate students: You are required to enroll in at least 6 credits in person (face-to-face or hybrid) each semester.

You must always have at least one in-person class (face-to-face or hybrid) in your final semester, even if it’s during the summer term!

*Graduate students: If your academic program requires you to take summer classes, then you must follow your academic program and take the summer classes.

If you do not believe you will be able to fulfill the full-time requirement for any reason, contact the Office of Global Engagement before you withdraw from or stop attending class. There are a few limited exceptions to this requirement for which you might qualify if you obtain permission in advance. Please submit the Reduced Course Load Form in MyGlobal Portal. Students in their final semester of study immediately prior to graduation may not need to enroll full-time but must also complete the Reduced Course Load Form.

Individuals with F-1 status may work on-campus up to 20 hours per week when school is in session and full-time during official school breaks, including winter break, spring break, and summer break. The 20 hours/week limit is an aggregate of all of the hours you work on campus (even if you have multiple jobs), including the work you do for an assistantship or fellowship, if you have one. In order to work in an off-campus job, you must get permission from a Designated School Official in the Office of Global Engagement and from the Department of Homeland Security. Apart from a few limited exceptions (such as unremunerated work for a charitable organization), all off-campus work, both paid and unpaid, requires this authorization.

Your program end date on your Form I-20 must always reflect (to the best of your knowledge) the date you will finish your studies. If you do not think you will be able to complete your program by the completion date on your I-20, or if you are unsure (e.g., if your graduation is dependent on a borderline GPA), you must apply for a program extension before the program end date expires and get an updated I-20. It is not possible to extend your F-1 program after the I-20 end date has passed. To apply for a program extension, you will need the Program Extension Form in the Forms and Applications section of this page. If you expect to complete your program earlier than the program completion date, you must get an updated I-20 before you complete your program.

If you plan to transfer to another U.S. school, college, or university (besides Montclair State), you must notify the Office of Global Engagement and be “transferred out” in SEVIS before your status ends. Please complete the Transfer-Out Request in MyGlobal Portal.

If you have been admitted to a new program of study at Montclair State University (for instance, if you are completing a bachelor’s and beginning a master’s or just starting a new program at the same level, like a second master’s degree), you must obtain a new Form I-20 for your new program before your F-1 status for complete your current program of study ends. Please contact the Office of Global Engagement for more information.

If you have completed your program of study, you must depart the U.S. within 60 days of your program end date, which should reflect the end of your last semester of study. Likewise, if you have completed your post-completion Optional Practical Training or STEM OPT and have no further plans to study or change your immigration status, you must depart the U.S. within 60 days of your Employment Authorization Document’s (EAD’s) end date. If you will depart the U.S. before completing your OPT period, you should depart before exceeding your allowable unemployment time and follow the instructions below in #8.

An Authorized Early Withdrawal will result in a non-violation termination of your record, and you will have only 15 days to depart the United States. If you plan to take a leave of absence, the Office of Global Engagement will assist you in preparing the documents you’ll need to return to the U.S., which may include a new I-20 and visa, depending on how long you’ll be gone. Please see the Request to Depart the U.S. Early form in the Forms and Applications section of this page, and contact the Office of Global Engagement for more information.

You must always have a valid passport.  If your passport is going to expire, contact your country’s embassy or consulate in the United States to renew it. If you are leaving the U.S. and returning (for instance, during summer vacation), make sure your passport will be valid for at least six months into the future when you return.

Report any address, name change, or employment-related change to the Office of Global Engagement within 10 days of making the change.

Notify the Office of Global Engagement if there are any changes in the information on your Form I-20, such as name, citizenship, degree level, major, funding, or employment information and get an updated Form I-20.

The F-2 visa and I-20 allow dependent(s) to travel to the U.S. and reside with an F-1 student while s/he is completing his or her studies, post-completion OPT, or STEM OPT. To apply for a dependent I-20, contact the Office of Global Engagement.