The F-1 visa classification allows you to enter the country as a full-time student at a U.S. academic institution. While studying in the U.S. it is important to maintain your F-1 student status. Failing to do so is grounds for removal.
How do you stay in status?
Remember To ROAR...
Remain in Good Academic Standing
Stay enrolled, attend class, and make progress towards your degree.
Enroll in at least 12 credit hours each fall & Spring.
Only 3 online credit hours count towards full-time enrollment.
Attend all classes - being dropped from a course can impact your status.
Never drop below full-time without authorization
Maintain a 2.0 GPA and make normal progress towards your degree.
Obtain Approval for Work
Always follow F-1 rules before taking action.
Only work on-campus unless authorized for CPT or OPT.
Work no more than 19hrs/week during the semester, even when not enrolled in classes over school breaks.
Get a Social Security number within 90 days of starting employment.
Always Stay Up to Date
Your documents and payment accounts must stay valid and in order.
Pay your bill on time to avoid holds. Unpaid balances may prevent registration and affect your F-1 status.
Passport must be valid at least 6 months into the future.
Travel requires a valid travel endorsement on page 2 of your continued attendance I-20. Endorsements are valid for 1 year.
Reach Out & Report Changes
Stay connected and report changes to international@nctc.edu!
Report changes to the international office within 10 days.
Notify us if you change your address, your name, plan to travel, change your major or degree level, get an SSN. plan to transfer schools, plan to enroll below full-time, make any other changes to your status, or if you have any questions!
If you fall out of status, you have two options:
Transfer to another school that can assist with reinstatement.
OR
Leave the U.S. and enter on a new I-20.
Contact International Admissions right away if you fall out of status.
Enrollment Requirements
F-1 students are required to enroll in a minimum of 12 credit hours per 16-week semester (Fall and Spring). There are two options that fulfill this requirement:
Enroll in 12 in-person credit hours. OR Enroll in 9 in-person credit hours and 3 online credit hours
Not all credit hours must be taken at NCTC. You can meet enrollment requirements each semester by concurrently enrolling at another institution. In this case, you must take at least 3 in-person credit hours that either span the entire 16-week semester or 2 8-week in-person courses in the first and second 8-week sessions.
Please contact international@nctc.edu if you have questions about concurrent enrollment.
F-1 visas are academic-based, which means in order to remain in status, you must attend courses and make regular progress towards completing your program. Failure to attend courses or complete coursework may result in an administrative withdrawal from the course.
Should you fall below F-1 enrollment requirements due to an administrative withdrawal after registration has closed, your SEVIS record will be terminated and you must transfer to another institution that can assist you with reinstatement.
As part of the application process, you must show proof that you have sufficient available funds to support you during the course of your studies. This requirement exists to ensure that you can pay tuition and fees on time an in full. Failure to pay you bills on time can result in a hold that will block you from registering for classes and could prevent you from meeting F-1 enrollment requirements.
Please contact the Business Office if you have questions about your account or hold.
If you are thinking about withdrawing from a course, you should contact the International Office before attempting to do so. We will also receive notice from the Registrar’s Office if/when an international student attempts to drop a course on their own.
Once we determine that dropping the course will not have an effect on your status, you are free to submit a withdrawal request.
In some circumstances, a student may be eligible for a Reduced Course Load. There are only three situations that would qualify an F-1 student:
Academic RCL
Student is having initial difficulty with the English language or reading requirements, unfamiliarity with U.S. teaching methods, or improper course level placement.
The student must resume a full course of study at the next available term, session, or semester, excluding a summer session, in order to maintain student status.
An Academic RCL can only be used once at each program level.
Medical RCL
A student can receive a Medical RCL due to temporary illness or a medical condition.
The student must provide medical documentation from a licensed medical doctor, a licensed doctor of osteopathy, a licensed psychologist, or a licensed clinical psychologist
The student cannot use more than 12 months aggregate of Medical RCL at each program level.
Final Semester RCL
A student can receive a Final Semester RCL if fewer courses are needed to complete the course of study than meet enrollment requirements.
Student must maintain a minimum of 6 credit hours.
The student must take at least 3 in-person credit hours during a Final Semester RCL.
This type of RCL can only be authorized during the last semester of the student’s program.
Maintaining Records
Per the Code of Federal Regulations, F-1 student must report changes to address and/or name within 10 days of the change taking place. If you have an update to your name, home country address, or your address here in Texas, please complete a Change Request and submit it to international@nctc.edu.
F-1 students may travel internationally while they hold an F-1 visa. However, you should keep a few things in mind before you leave the country:
You must have a travel endorsement on page 2 of your I-20 in order to re-enter the U.S. This signature is not needed to leave, it is only needed upon return and is valid for one year.
Ensure that you have signed the bottom of page 1 of your I-20 before traveling back to the U.S. Your I-20 is not valid unless it is signed.
Check that your passport is always valid for a least six months past the dates you will be traveling for.
If traveling between long semesters (fall and spring) make sure to carry a copy of your classes for the upcoming session. It is possible they will ask you for this at the port of entry.
It is not recommended to travel outside the U.S. while you have a pending application with USCIS. This means that if you apply for OPT, you should not travel until after you have received your EAD card.
Additionally, F-1 students should not be outside of the U.S. for more than 5 consecutive months. Your visa may be considered forfeited if you do so.
It is the student’s responsibility to keep thorough records of their immigration documents, including all I-20s issued to them by any U.S. institution. These documents may be requested for future visa applications.
