International Students and Scholars

Deadlines:

January 12  Spring Semester begins

January 15  Scholarship Deadline

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Procedures


Program Extension

Although F-1 students are admitted into the U.S. for "duration of stay" (D/S), they must complete their academic program by the completion date of the I-20.  If the student is unable to complete their program by this date, they should apply for a program extension through their international student advisor.  Program extensions can be given to students who have currently maintained status and who have been delayed due to academic or medical reasons.  The new regulations have discontinued the requirement that program extension must be requested no more than 30 days before the end of program requirement.  Now it is open, as long as the program extension is requested and granted PRIOR to the program end date on the I-20.
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Reinstatement

If you do not violate your F-1 student status, you will never have to apply for reinstatement.

If however, for any reason, you violate your legal status, you lose all benefits of being an F-1 student (e.g., authorized employment, program extensions, etc.) and risk deportation.  You can in some situations, where your loss of status was unforeseeable and "beyond your control," apply to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) for reinstatement to F-1 status.  Schedule an appointment with an ISA advisor to discuss your options. To request reinstatement, there is a $195 fee that must accompany the I-539 INS application form.  For the period of time you are "out of status," you may not be able to work on or off-campus under any circumstances. And, depending on your particular situation, you may not be able to work off-campus for up to nine months following reinstatement.

Regulations from the 1996 Immigration Reform and Responsibility Act (IRAIRA) could result in your being barred from re-entering the United States for a period of three to ten years if you fail to seek reinstatement.  Moreover, the implementation of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) on January 30, 2003 has narrowed, i.e., almost eliminated, reinstatement as an option.

Reinstatement applications must be submitted within 5 months of the loss of status, unless exceptional circumstances can be shown and documented.

"Beyond a student's control" is more defined in the new regulations as serious injury or illness, closure of the institution, a natural disaster, inadvertence, oversight, or neglect on the part of the DSO.  Situations where there is a pattern of repeated violations or where a willful failure on the part of the student resulted in the need for reinstatement is not acceptable ground for reinstatement application.

The only ground for reinstatement that does not depend on circumstances beyond a student's control are situations where the student reduced his/her course without prior DSO authorization, and where the reduced course load could have been DSO (needs to be a reason listed by the CIS).  To quality to apply for reinstatement on this ground, the student must show that not being reinstated would result in "extreme hardship" to the student.
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School Transfers

F-1 student regulations allow all transfers to be done by the notification procedure through the International Student Advisor at the school, but you should always notify your current international student advisor of your intention to transfer.  For example, if you decide to transfer to Ohio State University (or choose to seek a higher degree), you should give a copy of your new I-20 to the ISA office.

To maintain F-1 status, you will need to sign the new original I-20.  If you do not leave the U.S. and re-enter with the new I-20, you will need to give the new I-20 ID to your new International Student Advisor no later than 15 days from the program start date on your new I-20.  After the transfer is complete, your new international advisor will complete your transfer in the SEVIS system, notate on your new I-20 that the transfer has been complete, and return the I-20 to you for your records.  Always keep all your I-20 ID copies together when traveling overseas.

The new regulations include a 5-month rule.  A student must be able to begin classes within 5 months of the program completion date on the I-20, whichever is earlier.  Students on OPT: a transfer can be done only if the student is able to resume classes within 5 months of transferring out of the school that recommended OPT or within 5 months of the date  the OPT authorization ends, whichever is earlier.

CIS recognizes travel and re-entry in a new F-1 status for those not eligible for transfer.

The current school must set a "release date" in the SEVIS system.  A new school cannot issue a new I-20 for transfer until this "release date" has been reached.  Also, a student can indicate only one school to whom he or she should be released for transfer.  This will require the student to make a decision sooner if they have applied to more than one school.
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Travel

You do not need a new I-20 to re-enter the U.S. after an absence of less than 5 months; however, you will need your current I-20 ID properly endorsed on page four (3 on the new SEVIS I-20s) by the Designated School Official (International Student Advisor) in the Office of International Student Affairs.  Regarding your visa, it is all right to remain in the U.S. if the F-1 visa has expired, as long as your I-20 has not expired and you are otherwise maintaining your status.  If CIS approved a change of status for you within the U.S., you will need to apply for an F-1 visa stamp while outside the U.S. in order to re-enter the country.  Be sure to take your approval notice and documentation of your financial support.  Under all circumstances, it is not advisable to travel with a current copy of your transcript that documents your pre-registration for the following semester.  You must also check the visa requirements of those countries through which you travel.  If you are traveling to Canada, you may be required to apply for a Canadian visa to enter the country.  The ISA office has available current lists of those citizens who are required to obtain a Canadian visa prior to crossing the border.
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Special Registration Requirements for Certain Non-Immigrants

As a result of the USA Patriot Act passed by Congress, signed into law by the President in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist acts, and modified by DHS on December 2, 2003, non-immigrants from certain countries are still subject to departure controls that require them to use only designated ports of departure when departing the U.S., but they are no longer required to report to DHS offices in between entry and departure (the so-called 30-day and annual re-registrations).  The rule also provides that F, M, and J non-immigrants who report changes in address and educational institution as required through SEVIS are not required to also report those changes using Form AR-11SR (although changes to F, M, or J employment must still be reported to AR-11SR).

The changes to Special Registration are effective immediately (69 Fed. Reg. 67578 December 2, 2003).

Again, this new interim rule (which modifies the original rule) is summarized below:
 - The 30-day and annual re-registration requirements for aliens subject to NSEERS (National Security Entry-Exit Registration System) are suspended. Instead of the 30-day and annual requirement, DHS will notify individual aliens of future registration requirements.
 - If you are enrolled in SEVIS, you do not have to separately report change of educational institution or change of address to DHS (it will be reported through SEVIS).
 - The former INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) has been abolished and its functions transferred from the Department of Justice to Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Please note, this is an interim rule and the final rule may be slightly different.  The comment period ends February 2, 2004 and the final rule will come out sometime thereafter.
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Who is subject to the special registration requirements?

The nationals and citizens (including dual citizens) from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan (females and males), and males 16 years of age or older from Syria, Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Eritrea, Lebanon, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait and Yemen who were last admitted to the U.S. on or before September 30, 2003, and who will remain in the U.S. for a specified period of time (visit the ISA Office for more details).  It could also apply to any non-immigrant who made unexplainable trips to Afghanistan, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.  The date required for registration depends on the country of which the individual is a national or a citizen.  It is the responsibility of each individual subject to this requirement to comply fully.

For detailed information, please visit the International Student Affairs Office, Room 366 in he University Center building, or refer to: http://www.immigration.gov/graphics/shared/lawenfor/specialreg/index.htm (1-800-375-5283).  If you have any additional questions after reading this information, please contact the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Office as listed.
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Other Non-Immigrant Changes Affecting Change of Status from B-2 to F-1

Students entering the U.S. on a B-1 or B-2 visa (visitor) cannot be admitted and start studying in an academic program while still in B status.  For further information, please make an appointment in the Office of International Student Affairs.
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New Visa Requirements for Canadian Landed Immigrants

Canadian landed immigrants will no longer be able to enter the U.S. as freely as Canadian citizens.  Effective March 17, 2003 Canadian landed immigrants from certain designated countries will need a valid passport and visa to enter the U.S.  For a list of countries whose citizens will need visas to enter the U.S. beginning March 17, 2003, see this website: The Embassy of the United States of America Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Note, citizens of countries that were previously visa exempt but are now listed among the countries that are no longer visa exempt can still enter the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Pilot Project Program if they are traveling to the U.S. for business or tourism and their stay in the U.S. will be less than 90 days.  However, if they intend to enter the U.S. in any other non-immigrant classification (such as an F-1) they will have to obtain a visa.
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Tuition and Payments at NKU

1. Deferments:  If you need a deferment past the posted due date for each semester, you must come in BEFORE the due date to request this office's assistance.  If you are eligible for a deferment, the maximum length is up to two weeks past the due date.  You will be charged a late payment fee of $50.00.  "Deferments" must be paid in full at the agreed upon time. This is not a payment plan.

2. Payment Plans:  If you need to set up a payment plan different from the installment plan already in existence through the Bursar's Office, you must come in BEFORE the due date to request this office's assistance.  You will be charged $30.00 for a payment plan, and any missed payment will result in a $50.00 late payment charge.

3. International Student Affairs supports this and will not request waivers.

4. Any request for assistance must be made BEFORE posted or agreed upon due dates. The ISA Office will not be able to assist after the fact.

5. Registration holds will not be lifted until full payment has been made.
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Mode of Communication & Responsibility for Maintaining F-1 Legal Status

   1.  Your NKU e-mail account is the official mode of communication for this office.  You must either check this email or forward it to the e-mail address you use.  You may also come in to the ISA for information or to speak with a foreign student advisor.  Claims of "no knowledge" are not acceptable.
   2.  The ISA office works hard to monitor all F-1 students.  We notify you through your NKU email address when we see something that needs attention, but YOU are ultimately responsible for your legal status.  Please take your legal status in the United States seriously and do not rely solely on the ISA Office or CIS for notification of a problem or correction of a problem.  You must take affirmative steps.
   3.  You may always check your legal F-1 status in the ISA office . also, we have information on our website, and the CIS website is also very helpful (http://uscis.gov).
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