What is F-1 status?
Your “immigration status” is the category of legal status that you have been granted by an officer of the Department of Homeland Security. Your immigration status determines what activities you may be able to legally engage in while you are in the United States. You may be granted F-1 status by an officer of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at a Port of Entry (airport, seaport, or land border crossing), or by an officer of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) if you entered the U.S. in one immigration status and have requested a change of status to F-1.
F-1 Academic and Language Training Student status allows you to come to the United States to engage in a full-time course of study at a school that has been certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) to admit international students. F-1 status allows you to pursue various types of educational programs, including language training and bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.
Period of authorized stay
Your period of authorized stay is different from the validity of your F-1 visa. As an F-1 student, you should be admitted for "Duration of Status". This means that as long as you are following the rules and regulations that govern your stay in the U.S., you are legally allowed to remain in the U.S.
Duration of status typically includes the following periods:
- The period of full-time enrollment while you are completing your program of study, including any vacation terms;
- The period of your post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) authorization or STEM Extension, if eligible; AND
- A 60-day grace period following the completion of your degree program; if you engage in OPT or the STEM Extension after graduation, you are eligible for a new 60-day grace period following your OPT or STEM Extension.
Basic rules for maintaining status
Important Immigration Documents
Passport
You should make sure your passport remains valid throughout the duration of your stay in the United States. If your passport will expire before you will complete your program of study, you should renew it, either by returning to your home country or by contacting the nearest consulate for your country in the U.S.
Visa
Your F-1 visa gives you permission to travel to the United States and to request admission to the U.S. in F-1 immigration status. Your visa does not need to remain valid for the duration of your stay in the U.S. You may continue maintaining F-1 status after your visa expires. If you leave the U.S. after your visa expires, you will most likely need to apply for a new F-1 visa in order to return to the U.S. in F-1 status. Please note that citizens of Canada typically do not need to obtain a F-1 visa in order to enter the U.S. in F-1 status.
I-94
The I-94 is the record of your arrival in the United States, maintained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The I-94 record is available online through a special CBP website. You should review your I-94 record each time you travel to the U.S. to make sure that your immigration status and the authorized period of stay are correct. You should print a copy of your I-94 record to carry with you at all times while you are inside the U.S.
I-20
This document is issued by an SEVP-approved school in the U.S. and provides evidence of your eligibility for F-1 status. It describes your program of study, the duration of that program, and is required for your F-1 visa application. Your I-20 should not expire while you are in the U.S. and continuing your course of study. If you will not complete your course of study before the “Program End Date” on your I-20, you must request an extension of your I-20.