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.

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, please submit the Program Extension Request Form through MyGlobal Portal. If you complete your program earlier than the program end date listed on your Form I-20, we will shorten your I-20 during your final semester to allow you to apply for OPT.

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

Changing Your Education Level

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 notify the Office of Global Engagement.

F-1 students who leave the U.S. early (before the program end date on your I-20 or before the end date on your post-completion OPT EAD) will have their SEVIS record terminated for Authorized Early Withdrawal. An Authorized Early Withdrawal is 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 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.

Student's must report any personal information or employment-related changes to OGE within 10 days of making the change. This can includes changes in address, name change, or employment changes. 

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.

If you would like to have your dependent(s) [spouse or child] join you in the U.S., you will need to apply for an F-2 dependent I-20 for each dependent so that they can apply for an F-2 visa. 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, please submit the "add a dependent" request form in MyGlobal Portal.