I-94 Card
Your I-94 card is the small white card (or the long card that looks somewhat
like a plane ticket) that you received upon arrival in the United States.
This card documents the date you entered the United States, in which status
you entered (F-1), and how long you may stay. In most cases, F-1 Students'
I-94 cards are stamped "D/S" or "duration of status";
in other words, as long as you maintain your non-immigrant status and have
a valid I-20, you may stay in the United States.
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Duration of Status (D/S)
Duration of Status or D/S is the length of time for which individuals in
F status are admitted to the United States. D/S allows you to stay in the
United States as long as you are participating in the program described on
your valid I-20 and otherwise complying with all immigration regulations required
for maintenance of F-1 Student Status. D/S is not, however, an indefinite
period of time. D/S is based on the date of your completion of program (completion
date on your I-20) plus a 60-day grace period. If you find that you are not
able to complete your academic program before the expiration date on your
I-20, it may be possible to extend D/S by applying for a program extension
at least 45 days before the expiration date on your current I-20.
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Visa
The visa stamped in your passport allowed you to enter the United States.
As long as you have a valid I-20, you may stay in the United States. Therefore,
you only need to renew your visa if you are going to travel outside of the
United States and return to the U. S. after the expiration date on the visa
already in your passport. F-1 Student visas must be obtained at a U. S. Embassy
or Consulate outside of the U. S. Your visa does not indicate how long
you may remain in the United States.
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Maintenance
of F-1 Student Status
To maintain F-1 student status, students must:
- Maintain a valid passport. To extend the validity
of your passport, please contact your country's embassy. Links to Foreign
consular offices in the United States can be found on the internet at http://www.state.gov/www/travel/consular_offices/fco_index.html
- Attend the school
he or she is authorized to attend as stated on his or her Form I-20.
- Pursue a full course of study
and make normal progress towards the completion of the full course
of study. If you find for any reason that you are unable to be enrolled
full-time in your course of study, please contact the Office of International
Exchange Services (OIES) immediately.
- Only up to 3 online credits may count toward fullfilling the full-time F-1 status. Remaining credits must require physical presence for the course.
- If necessary, apply for extension
of program before the expiration date on the current I-20. Extension of
program can only be granted under certain circumstances, so please contact
OIES if you encounter any difficulties in your academic program.
- Follow USCIS procedures for changing
from one program or educational level to another (e.g., from M.S.
degree to Ph.D. degree). If at any time you decide that you would like to
change your field of study or change your academic level of study, you must
visit OIES before you make any changes.
- Follow USCIS procedures for transferring
from one school to another. If at any time you decide that you
would like to transfer to another institution, change your field of study,
or change academic level of study, you must visit OIES before you
make any changes.
- Limit on-campus employment
to 20 hours a week while school is in session. Full time on-campus employment
is permitted during appropriate university vacation periods as long as the
student was enrolled full-time the term before and intends to be full-time
the following term. You must contact OIES for approval of any on-campus
employment. Do not accept any unauthorized employment.
- Refrain from off-campus employment without authorization.In
the event of economic hardship or interest in part-time practical training,
please contact OIES immediately to discuss appropriate options. Do not
accept any unauthorized employment.
- Report a change of address
to OIES and USCIS within 10 days of the change. Please use form AR-11 to report
your change of address to DHS. This form can be found at OIES or submitted online at the
USCIS website at https://egov.uscis.gov/crisgwi/go?action=coa
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Travel
If you plan to travel outside of the United States during your F-1 program,
two weeks before you leave you must visit OIES with your passport and your
I-20 so we can prepare your documents for travel and give you any necessary
information regarding your return to the United States. It may be a good idea
to contact OIES before you make your travel plans, so that we can provide
you with any information you may need to make your travel decisions.
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Health Insurance
All F-1 Students and any family members accompanying in
F-2 status are required by Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Medical
College to be covered by adequate health insurance. This health insurance
must provide for medical evacuation and repatriation of remains. Brochures
for appropriate health insurance policies are available at OIES.
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End of Program
If you are interested in more information about any period of Optional Practical
Training that may be available to you at the completion of your studies, please
contact OIES at the beginning of your final semester at Jefferson so we can
review your program and advise. If you will be leaving the United States at
the end of your academic program, please visit OIES at least one week before
you end your program and return to your home country.
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IMPORTANT!
Always keep any I-20 you ever receive in your lifetime, because this document
helps to show that you legally maintained your F-1 status.
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