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Current F-1 Students

F-1 Immigration Responsibilities

During your stay in the U.S. in F-1 status, you are subject to many complex immigration law and regulations that relate to your legal status here. Advisors at ISSS are available to assist you and answer your questions about your immigration status, but it is your responsibility to know and abide by the law in order to maintain valid legal status. It is to your benefit to maintain legal status throughout the duration of your stay in the U.S.

As an international student, please make sure you are following these rules:

Documentation and personal information

  • Possess a passport that is valid at all times.
  • Report promptly any change of address by updating your information at MyFIU with. Make sure to update the Home address.
  • Always verify the Foreign Address in your record as well.

ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS

  • Attend the school/institution you were authorized to attend.
  • Be registered full-time for each academic semester as defined by USCIS.
  • Fall and Spring Semesters for New, Transfer, and Current Students: For undergraduate students, this means registration for, and completion of, at least 12 credits per academic semester (fall and spring semesters), and for graduate students, this means registration for, and completion of, at least 9 graduate-level credits per academic semester (Fall and Spring).
  • NOTE: You are not required to be registered for classes during the summer unless you have been admitted to FIU for the summer term or are completing your degree at the end of summer term.
  • Summer Semester for NEW and GRADUATING Students: Summer is optional UNLESS it is your first or last term. For undergraduate students, this means registration for, and completion of, at least 12 credits per academic semester, and for graduate students, this means registration for, and completion of, at least 6 graduate-level credits.
  • Register for no more than three (3) online credits as part of your required full time enrollment. Undergraduate students may enroll for no more than 3 of their required 12 credits each term. Graduate students may enroll for no more than 3 of their required 9 credits each term. If approved for a reduced course load in your final term (including summer), only three credits of your total needed credits to graduate can be online; if you only need one class to graduate, it must be in-person. NOTE: Hybrid classes count as in-person classes.

UNDERGRADUATE (Bachelors Degree)

Fall and Spring semesters (and Summer if it is your first or last term)

  • Full Time = minimum total twelve (12) undergraduate credit hours
  • Minimum of nine (9) credits must be in-person (NOT online) classes; only 3 online credits may be counted toward the 12 credit total
  • You MUST be enrolled full-time from the beginning of each semester (Fall or Spring Term A).
  • You MUST be enrolled in at least one course in-person in Term A/C.

GRADUATE (Master's and/or Doctoral Degree)

Fall and Spring semesters (and Summer if it is your first or last term)

  • Full Time = minimum nine (9) graduate credit hours
  • Minimum of six (6) credits must be in-person (NOT online) classes; only 3 online credits may be counted toward the 9 credit total
  • You MUST be enrolled full-time from the beginning of each semester (Fall or Spring Term A).
  • You MUST be enrolled in at least one course in-person in Term A/C.
  • NOTE: You are not required to be registered for classes during the summer unless it is your FIRST or LAST term.
  • NOTE: Hybrid classes do not count as online classes.

FINAL TERM ENROLLMENT (INCLUDING SUMMER SESSIONS)

The requirements below need to be met whether your final term is in the Spring, Fall or in the Summer. During your final term, you need to:

  • Register in the credits needed to graduate. If you are registering in fewer than full-time credits, please complete the Reduced Course Load for Completion of Program e-form in the ISSS Portal.
  • Students must enroll in at least one course that requires on-campus/physical presence at FIU throughout the entire semester (Session C or combination of session A and B).
  • F-1 students cannot enroll in only session A classes UNLESS a student will complete his/her last class in session A. This would make session A the new program completion date and mark the student’s 90 day OPT I-20 request period.
  • F-1 students cannot enroll in only session B classes for fall, spring or in the final semester.
  • If you plan to graduate in the summer, you must still be registered for credits that require on-campus/physical presence in the summer for the entire semester; enrolling in only online credits is not permitted.

Academic standing

  • Maintain good academic standing as per University policy (includes maintaining a minimum cumulative G.P.A. of at least a 2.0 for undergraduate students and at least a 3.0 for graduate students) and make normal progress towards completing your degree (which includes completion of at least 12 credits each fall or spring semester for undergraduate students and at least 9 credits for graduate students).
  • If you get dismissed from your program of studies, you should contact our office immediately. We will assist in the appeal process. If the request is denied you will not be allowed to enroll at FIU for the upcoming semester. In order to keep your F-1 or J-1 status, you will have to make plans to transfer to another institution to continue your studies. If your dismissal is official and you have not transferred to another institution, your I-20 will be terminated and you will have to leave the US as soon as possible. You can find more information on dismissal and appeal policies.

Transferring your I-20

  • Follow appropriate procedures to notify your school if you want to transfer schools or if you change from one educational level to another at FIU.

  • Students wishing to transfer in or transfer out of FIU must meet certain transfer requirements. To learn more about the transfer process, visit: https://www.ice.gov/sevis/f1-transfers

  • Transfer-in to FIU procedures should be completed before the start date of the semester. 

Program/I-20 extension

  • File for a Program Extension before the Program End Date listed on your I-20 if you must remain in the U.S. longer to complete your studies.
  • Check your documents to be sure they are in order before leaving the U.S., even for a brief trip, and be sure to have the proper documents to re-enter the U.S.
  • Limit on-campus employment or any authorized off-campus employment to a total of 20 hours per week during the academic semester.

Employment

  • Obtain proper authorization before engaging in any off-campus employment whether the employment is paid or non-paid. (Working without proper authorization constitutes illegal employment, an offense that can lead to deportation.)
  • Refrain from any on-campus employment if/while you are out-of-status.
  • ALWAYS check with the ISSS BEFORE you engage in anything resembling employment, internships, co-op experience, whether paid or unpaid. Avoid putting your immigration status at risk!
  • If you register for a course that consists of an internship, any kind of employment on or off campus, co-op experience, paid or unpaid, or that it has the word “internship” in the name of the course. you MUST visit the ISSS Office IMMEDIATELY to obtain approval. Failure to do so may lead to very serious violations of immigration policies.
  • For any off-campus employment (CPT or OPT) authorization, you must have completed at least one full-time academic year (Fall and Spring semesters). Please note that summer does not count as a full-time semester for this purpose.

Reinstating your status

  • File for a reinstatement in a timely manner if you have fallen out-of-status.