It is your responsibility to maintain your immigration status. While the International Services team is here to help you, ultimately it is your responsibility to stay in status and ensure the requirements are followed. If you violate any of these requirements, you will fall out of status. You may lose immigration benefits such as CPT, OPT, H1-B and permanent residency in the future. In addition, you may be denied a future visa and/or face deportation. This information can also be found on the third page of your I-20.
To maintain your F-1 status, you must:
1. study full-time,
Undergraduate students: 12 credits per semester
Graduate students: 9 credits per semester
2. make normal progress towards completing your educational objective,
3. keep your passport valid,
4. not work without authorization, and
5. abide by all terms and conditions of status such as:
illegal employment
criminal activity, or
academic dismissal or conduct expulsion.
Requirement to be enrolled full-time
In order to be enrolled full-time,
An undergraduate student must take at least 12 credits (12 in-person credits) in the first semester. Then, from the second semester, they need 12 credits (9 in-person credits) per semester. In the final semester, they do not need to follow this requirement but take all left-over credits needed to graduate.
A graduate student must take at least 9 credits (9 in-person credits) in the first semester. Then, from the second semester, they need 9 credits (6 in-person credits) per semester. In the final semester, they do not need to follow this requirement but take all left-over credits needed to graduate.
Requirement to Keep Your Passport Valid
Your passport must be valid at all times. You do not have to leave the U.S. to renew your passport. Renewal applications should be made with the Embassy or Consulate of the country issuing the passport. Addresses of embassies and consulates are at www.usembassy.gov.
Requirement to Report Contact Information Changes to International Services
You are required to report any address change to the university within ten (10) days of the address or phone number change. This includes changes of any of your dependents as well.
Requirement to Obtain Prior Authorization from International Services to Drop below a Full Course of Study
You are required to pursue a full course of study during normal enrollment periods (fall and spring semesters). Full-time at Indiana Tech is twelve (12) credit hours for undergraduate students. Graduate students must maintain nine (9) or more credit hours. You are allowed to deviate from this full course of study only with PRIOR authorization from International Services, and only under very limited circumstances. If, for any reason, you need to drop below full-time, you must see the International Services Office before dropping your class. There are a few exceptions to the full-time requirement, but it must be approved by an advisor at the International Services in advance.
Requirement to Report Departure Date and Reason to International Services
For a variety of reasons, students leave the university early or unexpectedly. Some of these reasons include graduation, leave of absence, suspension, expulsion, or family emergencies. You are required to inform International Services if you plan to leave the university and provide the reason for doing so.
Requirement to Abide by Employment Regulations
Students may apply to work no more than twenty (20) hours per week on-campus while school is in session. These twenty (20) hours include the work you do in an internship if you have one. You are not permitted to work off campus without receiving PRIOR authorization from the DHS and/or International Services depending upon your immigration status. Off-campus employment possibilities are very limited. During scheduled breaks (i.e. summer) there is a forty (40) hour per week limitation for on-campus employment at Indiana Tech.
Transfer to Attend Another School
You are currently authorized to attend Indiana Tech. If you decide to attend another school in the U.S., you must notify the International Services Office of your intent to transfer and the name of the school to which you intend to transfer. Before your Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20) can be transferred, you must obtain and submit an acceptance letter and transfer form from the new school to Indiana Tech’s International Services. After the release date is reached, the new school can issue you a new Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20.) You will then have to report to the Designated School Official at the new school within 15 days of the program start date in order to complete the transfer.
Requirement to Apply for an Extension of Program
You must apply for an extension of your program prior to the expiration date on your Form I-20 if you cannot complete your program by that date. Requests for extensions should be submitted to the International Services Office prior to the expiration date on the Form I-20, so the extension process can be completed before the expiration date on your I-20. Financial support documentation is required for a program extension.
Requirement for Changing Your Academic Program or Degree Level
You must obtain a new I-20 if you change your academic program from one degree level to another (e.g., from a bachelor’s level to a master’s) or from one major/field of study to another (e.g., from mechanical engineering to electrical engineering). You must receive a new I-20 from the International Services Counselor within 15 days of beginning the new program/degree level.
Requirement for Receiving Authorization to Travel
You must notify the International Services Office prior to traveling outside the U.S. Your I-20 may need to be signed for travel or, if required, a new form can be issued. Your I-20 form must have been signed within the past twelve (12) months or your re-entry will be denied. For OPT students, the I-20 must be signed every six (6) months.
Requirement to Provide Documentation of Dependents
International Services is required to report information to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and/or U.S. Department of State (DOS) regarding your dependents. You must notify the International Services Office of any accompanying dependents in F-2 status and provide biographical information (e.g., full name, address, country of birth, etc.), immigration information (e.g., passport information, visa information, etc.), and supporting financial documentation.
Online Classes
Only one online course may be counted towards the full course of study requirement each semester. If there is only one course left to complete the degree requirements, that course may not be an online or distance learning course.
SACM Sponsored Students
Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission (SACM) sponsored students are not eligible for online courses through Indiana Tech’s College of Professional Studies (CPS) and cannot take online classes outside of the host institution (Indiana Tech).
