• Maintain a valid passport at all times, unless exempt from passport requirements. Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months into the future. 
• Only attend the school listed on your current and stamped I-20. To attend another school, you must transfer to that school (obtain approval on a new I-20) or receive a concurrent enrollment letter from the International Student Advisor. 
• Complete an I-20 transfer whenever you change schools.  An I-20 transfer (not the same as transferring academic credit) must be completed within 30 days of the beginning of classes of the first semester at the new school.  An I-20 transfer is not complete until the International Student Advisor notifies SEVIS that you have enrolled in classes.
• Be a full-time student each main semester.  You must complete (not just register) for a full course load each main semesters.  To maintain your status, undergraduate students must complete 12 hours and graduate students 9 hours each spring and fall semester.  Note: Some degree programs may require more hours for academic reasons.  Check with your department. You are not required by BCIS to enroll in classes during the summer session, unless summer is your first semester in the U.S. If you need to drop below full-time hours, make an appointment to see the International Student Advisor BEFORE taking any action.
• Apply for an extension of your I-20 before the expiration date.  The extension can only be applied for at the International Student Office before the end data on your I-20. 
• Obtain a new I-20 whenever you make a change in degree levels.  This includes changing levels at the same school or a new one (e.g., bachelor's to master's degree) or beginning a new degree at the same level (e.g., master's degree to a 2nd master's). 
• Never work off-campus unless you have current authorization from the International Student Office or the BCIS.  You must either have an endorsement from our office on page 3 of your SEVIS I-20 or an employment authorization card from the BCIS. All off-campus employment has a beginning and ending date.  Renewals must be done before resuming work. If you work even one day before or after your authorization, you may be in danger of being removed from the U.S.  On-campus work does not require specific authorization, but you must maintain your full-time student status to be authorized.  On-campus work is limited to 20 hours or less per week during the fall and spring and may be full-time during the summer. 
• Obtain a travel endorsement on the back of your I-20 before leaving the U.S.   This will be needed if you want to reenter the U.S.  It is not necessary if you are returning home permanently.   An I-20 is no longer valid for reentry once you complete the degree listed on your I-20, even if the I-20 has not expired. 
• Report a change of address or phone number to the International Student Advisor within 10 days of the change.  You should also report the change to Registrar's Office.

• inform the International Student Office of your request for a Social Security Card 
• download and fill out an application at the following link: Application for a Social Security Card (SS-5) 
• present in person to your local Social Security Office your passport, your I-94, I-20, and a letter from the International Student Advisor verifying your employment eligibility

Be prepared to stand in line for a long time - a two or three hour wait is not unusual.

You must surrender any/all valid driver's licenses in your possession in order to receive a Texas driver's license.

Obtain and complete the application and provide:

• Birth certificate or passport to show your full, legal name, date and place of birth; 
• Information of current address, brief history of your physical and mental condition, and other personal information; 
• $24.00; 

Present the fee, application, and additional documentation to the examiner who will take your picture and thumbprints, and give you a vision test. If you have a corrected vision problem, you may be restricted to glasses, or if the problem has not been corrected, you will be instructed to see an eye doctor. The license will not be issued until your vision is corrected.

You will then be admitted to the written test which consists of two parts, road rules and road signs. The passing score is 70% on these two sections. If you pass that test, you will be instructed to make an appointment for the driving (skills) test, probably the next working day (Aug 2, 2000 update: to receive an appointment for the driving test before noon you may have to come as early as 6am. The office opens at 7am).

When you go to the DPS office to take the skills test, you must have a properly registered and insured car to drive. The DPS officer who administers the test will inspect the vehicle before setting out on the road. A score of 70% is also required for passing. After the test, the officer will go over the results with you, explaining the errors you made. If you do not pass, you may take the skills test two more times within 90 days without having to pay the fee again. If you pass that test, a receipt will be issued. This will reflect your driver's license number and may be used for 60 days or until you receive your license in the mail. Contact the local office of the DPS if you do not receive the license within 60 days. 

For further information, consult the DPS web-site at http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/

Traveling Inside the United States

The International Student Office advises carrying your Form I-94, your passport and your I-20 with you. Form I-94 is a little white card that is sometimes stapled into your passport. 

Reasons:
For many years, a regulation has existed which said that international visitors to the U.S. (including students and scholars) must carry their "registration document" with them. This regulation was not very well known and was rarely enforced. With increased security precautions, particularly at airports, the International Center advises students and scholars to make sure that they are in compliance with this regulation. The "registration document" for F-1 students is Form I-94.

Leaving and Returning to the United States

As always, please make sure that you have appropriate documents (your I-20, an un-expired passport, and Form I-94.) The signature on page 3 of your SEVIS I-20 should be no more than 6 months old. 

As an extra precaution, we also advise students to carry a copy of their official UST transcript.

If you feel you may come under increased scrutiny because of the area of the world you come from (i.e. Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen) you may want to get a travel letter from the International Student Office before you leave for your trip.

If You Need a New Visa to Return to the U.S.

If you plan to leave and re-enter the United States and will need a new visa, please read this information carefully. There has just been an important change in visa application procedures.  This affects people applying for a new visa AND people applying to renew a visa. It may mean that obtaining a visa will take longer. Here is the information about the change:

When you apply for a visa, you fill out form DS-156, the application for a non-immigrant visa. IMPORTANT CHANGE: all MALE non-immigrant visa applicants between the ages of 16 and 45 must ALSO fill out a new form, DS-157.

Consular officers have also been given the discretion to require the form to be completed by applicants outside this group, on a case-by-case basis. For example, female applicants could be required to fill out the form.

After you fill out the form, a security check (background check) MAY be required. If the security check is required, it may take 3 weeks to one month to complete and is usually valid for one year. (In other words, if you travel and apply for a visa again within a year you might not need to have the security check repeated.)

Additionally, as we previously reported, shortly after September 11, the Department of State began to require that all men between the ages of 16 and 45 from approximately 26 countries with large Arab and Muslim populations be subject to a waiting period on non-immigrant visa applications as their applications are checked against FBI databases. The enhanced security procedure was expected to generally add 20 days to the wait for a visa.

The list of countries is believed to include the following: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. While Turkey was reported to be on the list initially, more recent reports are that it is not on the list. Bangladesh, however, not included in initial reports, is apparently on the list. Please note, however, that the list of countries has not been formally published by the State Department.

NOTE: Although no specific authorization for on-campus employment is required, you must remember that on-campus employment is contingent on maintaining your full-time student status. For example, if you drop below full-time hours without authorization from our office, your permission to work on-campus is immediately canceled. If you continue to work you are violating U.S. law and may be legally removed from the U.S.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) 

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is temporary employment authorization directly related to an F-1 student’s academic program where the work done counts towards course credit.  The work must be required for the degree program or earning credit for the degree program.  Curricular Practical Training is only available to F-1 visa students who are and have been lawfully enrolled as a full-time student for one full academic year and are currently in status. The only exception is graduate students who are required to begin a required practicum or internship immediately.  CPT can be authorized for part-time employment (20 hours a week or less) or full-time employment (more than 20 hours a week).  Authorization for CPT must be renewed each semester that you wish to participate.

NOTE: Students who accumulate one year or more of full-time CPT are not eligible for Optional Practical Training (a separate program), which is usually authorized after the completion of a degree program. 

Severe Economic Hardship Work Authorization 

As an F-1 student, you may be eligible to apply to the Bureau of Citizenship & Immigration Services (BCIS) for off-campus employment due to severe economic hardship. Once authorized, this program allows you to work in any kind of job off-campus. 

You are limited to part-time employment (a maximum of 20 hours per week) during the fall and spring semesters. You must also maintain a full course of study during the fall and spring semesters. You can work full-time during the summer or officially recognized school breaks. 

To be authorized, you must prove that you have severe economic hardship that is due to a change in your circumstances that are beyond your control or ability to predict. Authorization is usually granted for one year at a time. If authorized, you will receive an Employment Authorization Card from the BCIS. 

Special Student Relief (SSR) 

To be eligible for SSR, you must be able to prove to the International Student Advisor that you have economic need and your primary means of financial support comes from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, or Thailand.  If you are from these countries, but the means of your support is from another country, you are not eligible. If your nationality is different, yet your support comes from these countries, you are eligible. 

You must have also become an F-1 student in the U.S. prior to June 10, 1998.  If you arrived in the U.S. as an F-1 student after June 10, 1998 (or changed your status to F-1 after this date), you are not eligible. 

If you are authorized under this program you are eligible to work full-time on or off-campus (more than 20 hours per week) even while school is in session. You may also carry a reduced course load during main semesters. Undergraduate students will be considered full-time by maintaining and completing 6 hours per main semester.  Graduate students are only required to maintain and complete 3 hours.  Separate procedures are used for working full-time on-campus and full-time off-campus. 

You must have employment authorization before beginning to work (including full-time on-campus) and may need your academic departmental approval in order carry a reduced course load.

Optional Practical Training (OPT) 

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is available to F-1 students who are currently in legal status and have been enrolled as a full-time student for at least one full academic year.

OPT allows you to work up to 12 months anywhere in the U.S. in a field related to your major and does not require proof of employment. Students are eligible for twelve months of OPT after each higher degree.

OPT must be requested prior to the completion of all course requirements or prior to the completion of your course of study. Applications can be submitted 120 days before completion of your studies. Since the application process may take more than 90 days and employment cannot begin until you have received an Employment Authorization Card, we recommend that you apply early. 

Whatever time period is authorized by the BCIS cannot be changed or retrieved once the start date has taken effect, even if you do not use your OPT.

3. Once the OPT is approved and you have received the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card you  will be allowed to travel outside of the United States.  To re-enter the U.S. you will need your:

• SEVIS I-20 that has been recently endorsed on the travel line by the International Student Advisor; 
• the Employment Authorization Document (EAD card) from the BCIS;
• your valid passport, and a current visa stamp;
• it is also be a good idea to carry your Offer of Employment letter with you as well. 

The Visa is a stamp in the passport indicating (1) where the visa was issued, (2) the date the visa was issued, (3) the date the visa will expire, (4) the number of entries permitted, (5) the type of visa, and (6) the visa number.  Before a non-immigrant can enter the U.S. a visa must be issued at the American Embassy or Consulate's Office in his/her home country.  Once the visa is stamped in the passport that permits someone to apply for admission to the United States at the port of entry or the arrival terminal at all international airports. 

Applicants should be aware that a visa does not guarantee entry into the United States.  The BCIS has authority to deny admission.

Students should go to the American Embassy in your home country and apply for a new visa.  In order to get a new visa, you will need to take a valid passport with the old visa, your I-20 recently endorsed for travel by the International Student Advisor, and a visa renewal letter from the International Student Advisor.

In the past, third party nationals (TCN's) have traveled to either Canada or Mexico to renew and expired visa.  This procedure is strongly cautioned against by the International Student Office.  Please see the International Student Advisor if you have questions about this process.

• Failure to complete a full time class load or its equivalent each fall and spring term. 
• Not attending a fall or spring term and remaining in the US. 
• Unauthorized employment 
• Failure to complete a transfer of school notification with BCIS. 
• Failure to complete a notice of change in degree level with BCIS.
• Failure to obtain an extension of current program in a timely fashion. 

There are two options available to students who want to get back into legal status?

1. Apply to BCIS for reinstatement to legal status.
2. Leave the U.S. and re-enter with a new initial entry SEVIS I-20.