Legal Information
General Legal Information
By law, all internationals on F-1 must keep the following contact information on file with the government and report changes within 10 days.
You are required to update your local address within ten days of arriving in Fort Wayne, or after changing addresses. If your first address is temporary (hotel, homestay, etc.), you must update your address again after you move into longer-term housing. You can always update your local address, phone number, and alternate email address with International Services at any time.
Update International Services With
New Street Address
If you move to a new address, even just temporarily, you will need to update the International Services team with this information. This includes both your U.S. address and your address in your home country. You will need to format the street address in the following manner:
House Number, Street Name, Apartment/Room Number
City, State, Zip Code
New Phone Number
If you have a U.S. phone number, you will need to update this information with the school also.
International Student Orientation
Attendance is mandatory! Orientation is designed to acquaint international exchange, graduate, and undergraduate students with Indiana Tech campus resources, American customs and lifestyles, visa and immigration issues, the Fort Wayne area, and other Indiana Tech students.
SEVIS Check-In
You will receive emails twice a year about SEVIS check-ins. These are mandatory and generally quick but must be done in person. These emails normally go out in early September and again in early February.
Laws
Due to remaining compliant, International Student Services and other departments from Indiana Tech cannot advise students regarding legal information. It is strongly recommended for you to do your own research on local and state laws while you are living in the United States of America.
Local (Fort Wayne) Laws:
- Local Ordinance: cityoffortwayne.org/local-nuisance-ordinance.html
- City Code: cityoffortwayne.org/city-code.html
Indiana State Laws:
- statelaws.findlaw.com/indiana-law.html
Note: If you are planning on traveling to other states, it is important to make sure you are familiar with the state laws, especially regarding driving.
Arrests
The website below gives information regarding “What Happens When a Foreign Student Gets Arrested in the U.S.: What to expect from the U.S. criminal justice system and how your student status will be affected”
nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/what-happens-when-foreign-student-gets-arrested-the-us.html
Immigration Attorney
If you are in need of an immigration attorney, please do an internet search with keywords “immigration attorney” and “Fort Wayne.”
Signing Legal Documents
If you are signing a contract or agreement, you should make sure that you understand everything in the document. If you do not understand anything in it, please ask for additional information. DO NOT SIGN ANY DOCUMENT WITHOUT FIRST READING IT. Some of these contracts and/or agreements include buying a car, adopting animals, leasing an apartment or house, renting a vehicle, etc. Legal action can be taken against you if you violate any part of the agreement or contract. If issues arise regarding legal action, seek advice from a lawyer.
Reminder: You are responsible for all legal information. Please use the provided information as a starting point for your own research including understanding the laws, consequences, how to search for a lawyer if needed. For any arrest or ticket, make sure you follow the legal instructions to pay a fine and/or appear in court. If you do not appear in court, additional issues could result., for example, a warrant for your arrest could be issued if you do not appear in court when you are required.
It is the student’s responsibility to know and understand all laws and regulations surrounding his/her international status, state laws, federal laws, and other additional legal information. Indiana Tech is not responsible for any law that is broken by the student.
Additionally, any criminal activity that is on your record could result in issues with entering the country or applying for a new visa stamp. SEVIS and/or student’s sponsoring agency will be notified in some legal cases, especially of a criminal nature.