Extending F-1 Student Status: Eligibility, Restrictions, and Application Process
This article explains the difference between an F-1 visa and F-1 status, outlines when and how F-1 students may apply for a status extension, lists the three required conditions and situations that do not qualify, describes documents schools may request, and uses an example to explain the relationship among the F-1 visa, Form I-20, and Form I-94, as well as options after the status end date.
Strictly speaking, what needs to be extended is F-1 status, not the F-1 visa. F-1 students must complete their program of study on or before the end date listed on their I-20, which is set by the school's admissions office based on the average time required to complete the degree. Typically, this end date is the graduation date; if the program is not completed by the end date, the degree status becomes incomplete, and F-1 status will expire after the end date. If a student finds that more time is needed to complete the program (i.e., cannot graduate on time), they must promptly apply for an F-1 extension with the school's international student office.
F-1 students whose I-94 expiration date is marked as D/S cannot use Form I-539 to apply for an extension; Form I-539 is limited to public high school student extensions or university/college students applying for reinstatement.
Situations in Which an F-1 Extension May Be Applied For
To apply for an F-1 extension, the applicant must maintain F-1 status and must not have engaged in any activities that violate F-1 status regulations. The reasons for requesting an extension are limited to academic or health issues, and the following three conditions must all be met:
- Unable to complete the program on time due to a change of major or research topic, unforeseen difficulties, or health conditions.
- The applicant has sufficient funds to support their studies and living expenses.
- The applicant submits the application before the I-20 end date and allows sufficient processing time.
An extension cannot be applied for in the following situations:
- Enrolling in extra courses or retaking courses to improve GPA.
- Participating in research on or off campus.
- Receiving an 'incomplete' final grade but wanting to retake the course.
- Participating in unnecessary internships.
- Enrolling in courses that were delayed due to participation in unnecessary internships.
- The I-20 has already expired.
How to Apply for an F-1 Extension
Procedures for handling an F-1 extension may differ from school to school. Applicants should contact their academic advisor and the international student office as soon as possible and submit the application form and other documents as required. These documents may include:
- I-20 extension application form (each school has its own form; there is no uniform standard)
- Application letter (explaining the reason for the extension)
- Proof of financial resources
- Copy of passport
- I-94
- Current I-20
- Transcript
After the extension is approved, the applicant will receive a new I-20 with a new end date.
The Relationship Among the F-1 Visa, I-20, and I-94
The F-1 visa is a visa—the "entry ticket" for entering the United States. It is applied for at a U.S. consulate outside the United States and is used only at the time of entry. After you enter, an expired F-1 visa does not affect your lawful status in the United States; however, once you depart, you must apply for a new F-1 visa to reenter the United States.
The I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Non-immigrant Student Status) is proof of eligibility for student status and one of the required documents for applying for an F-1 visa. After entering the United States, the student status termination date is the earlier of the I-20 end date or the graduation date. For students participating in OPT, student status terminates on the OPT end date. F-1 students have a 60-day grace period to pack up and leave the United States.
The I-94 expiration date for F-1 students is marked as D/S, meaning duration of status. This means that you may remain in the United States for the entire period during which your status is valid. This period of valid status refers to the I-20 end date (plus OPT, if applicable), and is unrelated to whether the F-1 visa has expired.
Take Wang Xiaoming as an example: he holds an I-20 issued by a U.S. university, with a start date of July 1, 2020, and an end date of June 30, 2024. In April 2020, Wang Xiaoming applied for an F-1 visa at the U.S. Embassy in China; the visa was issued as a multiple-entry visa valid until June 30, 2022.
Accordingly, Wang Xiaoming could enter the United States as early as June 1, 2020; he returned home for vacation in June 2021 and re-entered the United States in August 2021. However, if Wang Xiaoming instead returns home for vacation in June 2022 and plans to come back to the United States in August of the same year, he will need to apply for a new F-1 visa.
Wang Xiaoming's F-1 status will expire on June 30, 2024. If he wants to continue staying in the United States, he can do the following:
- If the program is not yet completed, apply for an extension with the international student office before the I-20 expires.
- Within the 60-day grace period, apply to the original school for further study, or transfer to a new school, and obtain a new I-20 to continue status.
- Apply for OPT within the 60-day grace period.
- Apply to USCIS for a change of status within the 60-day grace period.
Related Articles
[https://gonglue.us/33052]
[https://gonglue.us/2827]
[https://gonglue.us/33051]
