International Student Services: F1 Status

When you entered the US with an F1 visa, a Customs and Border Patrol agent likely stamped the letters D/S next to your visa. D/S stands for duration of status – in other words, you have authorization to complete your program in the US as long as you follow the guidelines for “maintaining status.” 

Simply stated, maintaining status means meeting the requirements laid out in your visa program. The International Student Services office is here to assist you in understanding these requirements and to answer any questions you might have.  

Please note that this page does not cover all aspects of F1 regulations and mainly addresses regulations for enrolled F1 students. Regulations governing OPT, CPT or STEM OPT are not addressed here.  

 

Below is a summary of some of the most important F1 visa regulations: 

• Attend the school you are authorized to attend (the school listed on your I-20). 

• Provide our office with any changes to your physical address within ten days, even if you only switch apartments within the same complex or dorm room within the same dorm. Changes can be emailed to internationaloffice@mcneese.edu. 

• Maintain full-time enrollment during the fall and spring semesters. 

• Undergraduate students must enroll (and stay enrolled) in at least 12 credit hours, nine of which must have a face-to-face component. 

• Graduate students must enroll (and stay enrolled) in at least 9 credit hours, six of which must have a face-to-face component. 

• If you are in your final semester and do not need a full course load to complete your degree requirements, you must submit a request for a reduced course load. 

• Ensure your I-20 is correct and valid at all times, including reporting any changes to your major or funding. Email internationaloffice@mcneese.edu with these changes. 

• Make sure your passport is always valid at least six months into the future, and renew your passport well in advance of its expiration date. If you receive a new passport, stop by our office or email a copy of the biographical data page so that we can keep a copy in your file. 

• If you transfer to a different university, make sure you request a transfer of your SEVIS record to that school by emailing a copy of your admission letter, the school's SEVIS code, and the date you'd like your record transferred to intinfo@mcneese.edu.  

• Please note that we cannot transfer your SEVIS record in the middle of a fall or spring semester, as you are required to maintain full-time enrollment. 

• Keep an eye on your program end date. If you need more time to complete your degree requirements, you must request an extension before your program end date passes.  

• Inform our office and do one of the following before your sixty-day grace period ends after graduation: 

• If you do not wish to file for OPT, attend another school, or enroll in a new program of study at McNeese, you must prepare to depart the US by the end of your sixty-day grace period. 

• If you are enrolling in a new university, request a transfer of your SEVIS record. 

• If you are enrolling in a new program of study at McNeese, request a new I-20 from our office by emailing intinfo@mcneese.edu and sending a new affidavit of support and copy of your sponsor's recent bank statement. 

• Apply for OPT. 

• Apply for a change of status with USCIS.  

• Never work off campus without specific authorization to do so. Off-campus work includes an internship without CPT authorization, which must be listed on the second page of your I-20.  

• Never work more than 20 hours per week on campus while classes are in session 

• Never take a leave of absence without first consulting our office and getting specific authorization for an authorized early withdrawal. (This step should be done prior to departing the US.) 

 

For more information about maintaining F1 status, you can view the following resources: 

• Study in the States 

• Orientation slideshow 

• Student responsibilities document