Maintaining F-1 Status
All students admitted to the U.S. in F-1 status are required to follow certain procedures in order to maintain their status while they are here. It is the student’s responsibility to maintain their own immigration status; however, ISA is here to assist you with information and advising. Valid status is the foundation upon which all eligibility for benefits rests; as a result, it is important that the requirements listed below be attended to. If you have any questions, please feel free to consult this website and the ISA advisor for additional information.
• Maintain a valid passport at all times. If your passport is expiring, please visit your country’s embassy for information on how to renew or extend it. You can find links to the websites of foreign embassies and consulates in the U.S. at http://www.embassy.org/.
• Maintain a valid I-20 at all times. See section 5 of your I-20 to determine when your I-20 expires. If you will require additional time to complete your degree, apply for a program extension.
• Make sure the information on your I-20 is accurate and up to date. Any changes in personal, academic or funding information should be updated. See our section on changes in degree, funding program or personal information for more information.
• Make sure your I-94 always says “F-1 D/S”. If your I-94 says anything other than this, please see the ISA advisor.
• Maintain full-time enrollment at the university during the academic year. A full course load is defined as follows:
• For undergraduate students, you must register for and complete at least 12 credit hours each Fall & Spring semesters;
• For graduate students in full-time programs, your academic department determines what constitutes a full course of study:
Master of Music- 9 credit hours
Graduate Performance Diploma- 4 credit hours
Doctor of Musical Arts- 9 credit hours
Artist Diploma- 4 credit hours
Performer's Certificate- 12 credit hours
• Obtain ISA authorization for reduced enrollment prior to dropping below a full course of study. You may download and fill out the Reduced Enrollment Form from the Forms section.
• Report any change in address to JHU and ISA within 10 days of the change. Update your local address in ISIS by logging into ISIS self-serve at https://isis.jhu.edu/sswf/.
• Work no more than 20 hours per week on-campus while school is in session. Seehere for more information about on-campus employment.
• Do not work off-campus without written authorization from ISA or U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. See our employment section for more information about work authorization.
• Attend the school you are authorized to attend. F-1 students are only authorized to attend the school that issued their I-20.
• Follow procedures to transfer schools or move from one degree level to another. See our transfer andchange in degree, funding or program pages for information on these procedures.
