April 28, 2023 Immigration Advisory

Please read this information as a guide to help you with your studies and to maintain valid immigration status. The information below applies to international students at all campuses.

Contents 

1. Deadline for cancellation of enrollment – TODAY
2. Visa expired?
3. Last semester summer enrollment reminder

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1. Deadline for cancellation of enrollment – TODAY

April 28 at 11:55 p.m. Pacific time is the deadline to cancel your enrollment for spring 2023. A cancellation of enrollment is when a student withdraws from ALL classes for the semester. 

Please note that if you do this, it WILL impact your immigration status, so if you are thinking of doing a cancellation, please speak with an international student advisor.

Unless you have approval from ISSS due to specific reasons approved by the U.S. government, the cancellation will result in termination of your SEVIS record. This will put you out of status and require your immediate departure from the United States. So please speak with an international student advisor TODAY before requesting the cancellation.

2. Visa expired?

If your visa (the stamp in your passport given to you by the U.S. embassy abroad) has expired, it is important to remember that you are still able to maintain valid F-1 or J-1 status in the United States with an expired visa.

Your status is based upon the I-20/DS-2019 and your I-94, which you can access online at I-94 Website Travel Records for U.S. Visitors. If your I-20/DS-2019 and the accompanying SEVIS record is still valid and your I-94 is accurate, you are in status, even with an expired visa.

You WILL need a valid visa if you plan to exit and reenter the United States. If you do plan to travel internationally, please note that you will need to apply for a visa renewal at a U.S. consulate abroad if your current visa has expired. It is highly recommended that you apply for a visa in the country where you have permanent residency or citizenship. We have heard reports of denials and delays for individuals applying in third countries, such as Canada.

ISSS recommends that if you are holding an expired visa but planning to travel internationally, speak with an international student advisor or your local DSO (listed below) before traveling internationally.

There are increased delays and restrictions on visa issuance, even for visa renewals, and International and Student Services can help you prepare for these.

3. Last semester summer enrollment reminder

If summer will be your last term in your program, then please note there are some additional requirements on enrollment.

As you will not be a continuing student for fall, summer is not considered a vacation term so you will need to be enrolled full time for the summer or apply for the reduced course load for last term.

• Graduate full-time summer enrollment: 3 credits
• Undergraduate full-time summer enrollment: 6 credits

If you need to apply for a reduced course load for the last semester for summer, you can find this request on myPassport under Enrollment Forms.