1. What does it mean to maintain full-time status?  What if I have a good reason for not enrolling full-time?
To maintain F-1 or J-1 student status, international students must be enrolled in a full course of study each fall and spring semester (summer enrollment is optional).

Minimums:
Undergraduates = 12 hours
Graduate students = 9 hours (if no assistantship)
Graduate students w/assistantships = 6 hours

There are valid academic and medical reasons for enrolling less than full-time.  For any semester you are enrolled less than full-time, please complete the Exemption from Full-time Enrollment Form and have your academic advisor sign the bottom section. This will clarify any questions regarding you enrollment status.  This form is due on or before the last day of drop/add period for the semester. Do NOT drop to less than full-time until you have approval from International Programs.

2. What do I do if my I-20 is about to expire?  I’m not finished with my degree, so does it matter if the I-20 expires?
YES!  It does matter.  You must apply for a program extension.  You can do this as early as 90 days before the current end date on your I-20 (See #5 on page 1 of your I-20 to find this date). 

 Your first step is to set up a meeting with an international student advisor.  Please be advised that program extensions MUST be requested BEFORE the I-20 end date.  Because your academic advisor’s recommendation is also needed as part of this process, students must allow sufficient time for processing and for dealing with any problems that may arise.  An extension is granted up to one year at a time; you must reapply for another extension if needed.

3. My passport will be expiring soon, what should I do?
Each passport has an expiration date listed. As a student it is your responsibility to keep your passport valid at all times.  If your passport expiration date is approaching you must contact your embassy or consulate in order to have your passport renewed.

4. My visa is about to expire, will I be out of status?
No.   It is legal for you to be in the United States and possess an expired visa. You only need your visa to re-enter the United States.  If you will be traveling outside of the United States and have an expired visa, we recommend that you travel during the summer and Christmas breaks which are longer so that you will have a better opportunity to renew your visa in time to return to your studies.

5. What if I decide to transfer to a different university?
As part of your admissions process at the other university, you may be asked to bring us a form to verify that you have maintained your status while at USC.  We can fill out as many of these forms as needed.

However, once you are admitted to one or more universities, you will need to decide on one.  You will need to let us know within 60 days of your last day of study at USC by filling out the Transfer Release Authorization.  By filling out this form, you are giving us permission to release your SEVIS record from USC to the other institution.  Please read this form very carefully before you submit it to us. 

6. I have changed my name.  What should I do to update my documents?
Begin by updating your passport in your home country or at your country’s embassy or consulate here in the U.S.  Once you receive the new or amended passport, fill out an

I-20 Request Form.  Submit this form to International Programs for Students along with a copy of any supporting documentation (i.e., a marriage certificate or a court order).  Your name will be updated in the university system and in SEVIS.  You will receive a new I-20 in the new name.

You should then update your name with the Social Security Administration, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and any other agencies which have records for you.

7. How long will it take to get my requested document from International Programs?
We ask that you allow at least 5 days for documents and requests to be processed.  Notice of processed documents will be sent through e-mail addresses provided on the forms

8. I am a special registrant.  What do I need to do when traveling?

• Carry all required immigration documents, as well as other supporting documents of your activities as an F-1 student
• Have your I-20 or DS-2019 signed for travel
• Make sure the airport you exit through is a Designated Point of Departure approved for special registrants
• Locate an immigration official at the Point of Departure who can assist you with registration
• Be sure your address information is correct in VIP.  (Or if you are on OPT, e-mail intlprog@sc.edu with your address changes.)

If you do not register when leaving the country, you will have a problem re-entering and may be forced to return to your home country to apply for a new visa. 

Interviews in Charleston are no longer required for special registrants.

9. I am taking a semester break from studies.  Who do I need to notify?
Under the F and J visas, you are required to be enrolled full-time during the fall and spring semesters.  If you decide to take a semester break and return to your home country, missing one of the major terms of enrollment, you will break your F-1 or J-1 status.  If this happens, you will need to re-establish 9 months of F-1 or J-1 status after you return before you will be able to apply for work benefits, such as CPT, OPT, or Economic Hardship.  If you are an undergraduate, you may need to re-apply for admission if you did not enroll at all during the semester you are absent.  If you are a graduate student, your admission to the university is valid for three years.

We will need to re-issue you a new I-20 so that you may re-enter to continue studies.  To request an I-20, complete the I-20 Request Form and return it to International Programs for Students.

10. I am currently on an F-2 visa and I was just admitted to the University of South Carolina.  Can I apply for a change of visa status to F-1 in a country other than my home country?  Immigration regulations permit an alien to apply for a visa at any other consular jurisdiction in which he or she is physically present, but only if  that consular office has agreed to process visa applications from “third country nationals” (TCNs).

A majority of consular offices do accept nonimmigrant visa applications from TCNs.  Nevertheless, obtaining a visa at a U.S. consulate outside the home country may often be more difficult or time consuming, mostly because a consular officer must evaluate the applicant’s ties to a residence abroad, and consular offices in the country of an applicant’s residence are in a better position to evaluate the applicant’s ties to that country.

11. I’ve heard that I can go to Mexico or Canada to renew or change my visa.  Is this true?
"While it is possible to apply in a Third Country such as Mexico or Canada, it is very risky.  If the consular office finds cause to deny your request, you would need to be prepared to continue your travels to your own home country as you will not be allowed to return to the United States.  On the other hand, some students have been successful in their visa renewal or visa status change quests. 

12. What documents do I need to renew my visa?
You will need to contact the U.S. Consulate in your home country for a complete list of requirements, but you will definitely need the following:  your current I-20, a current financial statement, and a passport valid for at least 6 months.

13. What will happen if I am absent from the U.S. for 5 months or more?
The five month rule says that if an F-1 student leaves the United States for 5 consecutive months or more the United States Customs Immigration Services considers the student to have abandoned their F-1 visa status and may lose their eligibility for any benefits.  In this case you will have to apply for a new student visa and will have to be issued an initial I-20 document to return. 

14. I have just completed my program of study or OPT, what is the length of my grace period?
After you have completed your studies at each degree level you will have a grace period of 60 days after your program end date (listed on your I-20 document) to either change your status, transfer to a new degree program or leave the country.  If you are a student on OPT you will have 60 days from the OPT completion date to change your status, transfer into a new degree program or leave the country.

15. How do I find a local immigration attorney?
Go to the South Carolina Bar website:
Search under Richland County for a listing of Columbia lawyers and their specialties.  There is also a phone number listed on that site which serves as a referral service.  You can also request a referral through the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
 

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