As an international student in F-1 status, it is solely your responsibility to follow the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (U.S.C.I.S.) rules and regulations concerning your legal status in the U.S. The following are important guidelines to help you maintain legal status in the U.S:
- Make sure that your passport is valid for at least six months into the future.
- Report any address changes through WebAdvisor within ten days.
- Be sure that a Customs & Border Patrol (C.B.P.) officer stamps your passport with F-1; D/S.
- Register for a full-time course load each semester.
- Inform the O.I.A. immediately for program changes such as change of major, change of degree, or change of completion date.
- Consult the O.I.A. in advance if you are thinking about working off campus. Never begin a job off campus (even unpaid work) without prior approval from the O.I.A.
- Check with the O.I.A. when you plan on traveling outside the U.S.
- Report the loss of your I-20 immediately to the O.I.A. You should plan to keep all of your documents in a safe place and never throw any of them away.
- Keep backup copies of all your immigration documents.