Visa (F-1) Information

Students who have the F-1 student visa are required by law to take a minimum of 21 hours of class time per week. Students who do not take the minimum 21 hours per week are in violation of their visa. Group classes consist of 3 to 10 students. If there are less than 3 students at any particular level the student(s) must take private classes to cover the 21 hours per week minimum.

*IMPORTANT Instructions for F-1 Students

1. Read all instructions on the application carefully. Review the petition before you file it. Please remember that there are severe penalties for falsifying and/or concealing any material information on an Immigration and Naturalization Service form.
2. A student is considered in status and is authorized to remain in the United States as long as they are enrolled as a full-time student in an authorized educational institute.
3. Students must initially attend the school that is stated on the passport. Failure to do this may result in the loss of the student status and deportation.
4. A student on an I-20 visa may reenter the United States, if the temporary absence is within five months of departing the United States. Proper documentation must be presented before the student can be readmitted.
5. Students are permitted to transfer to other schools, as long as the transfer process is followed.
6. If a student is unable to complete a program of study within the anticipated amount of time, an extension of stay must be filed with the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
7. As an F-1 student, you are not permitted to work or engage in any type of business without approval from the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
8. If a student moves, they must notify the Immigration and Naturalization Service within 10 days of the change of address.
9. When a student first arrives to the United States they will be issued a Form I-94. This must be kept with the student's passport and surrendered when they depart the United States.
10. All students must show proof of financial support for the entire length of their study in the United States. Documented evidence must be attached to the I-20 application.
11. All students are required to give the named school on the I-20 application, authorization to release all information from your records to the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
12. In order to maintain student status, all students are required to enroll as a full-time student at the school they are authorized to attend. Failure to do so, could result in the loss of the student status and subject the student to deportation.

For more detailed instructions on the I-20 visa, please refer to page 2 of Form I20 A-B. You can also link to the Immigration and Naturalization Service web site by clicking INS. To search the Folio Infobase for a specific topic within the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act click here.

If you are looking for an immigration lawyer on the Internet, please click here for a sample list of law offices in the United States. Please remember that legal fees can be very expensive in the United States. Conversa suggests that you use the above list of law office web sites as resources for information only. *NOTE: If you decide to contact a lawyer via the Internet, please ask about fees and costs before you ask any questions.