ESL/International Student Support Services
F-1 Student Guidelines
- Report to the ESL/International Student Services (EISS) upon your arrival to the USA.
- Maintain a valid passport at all times.
- Register full time for Fall and Spring Semesters (12 credits per semester). Summer semester is optional. Students don’t have to take courses in the summer.
- Report a change of address to the international student office within 10 days of a change.
- Report a change of major to the International Student Services.
- Health Insurance is mandatory. All F-1 students must carry a valid insurance card.
- Report to the EISS for an extension of stay if you need more time to complete your program of study. Do not let your I-20 expire before an extension. I-20 needs to be extended at least 60 days prior to the expiration date.
- Request travel signature from the EISS before you leave the USA.
- If you would like to transfer to another institution inform the EISS. Do not change your school without reporting it to the EISS.
- Do not engage in any employment without proper authorization.
- On campus employment is limited to 20 hours a week while school is in session.
It is the student’s responsibility to maintain his/her status.
F-1 International Students Requirements
Full Time Enrollment
Students must be enrolled full time during regular semesters (Fall and Spring). They must remain full time until a semester ends.
In order to be full time students must enroll in a minimum of 12 credits per semester. Students need an advisor/counselor signature to register for classes, and students are allowed to register in one online/distance learning course per semester.
Summer semester is optional. Students may take summer courses and enroll full time or part time in summer.
Drop Below Full Time
F-1 students must not drop or withdraw a course without an authorization. If a student drops or withdraws a course without approval he/she will fall out of status. Auditing a course or an incomplete work are not permitted without an authorization either.
Only in special circumstances may students be authorized to drop below full time.
- If students have academic difficulties in their first semester due to their language barriers.
- If students enroll in an improper course.
- If students are in their final term and need to take less than 12 credits to graduate.
- If students have a medical condition, a complete physicians report is required. If a student needs more than one semester to recover from his/her medical condition, authorization is required for each semester, but may not exceed 12 months.
Good Academic Standing
F-1 students must keep their GPA at the required level (Minimum 2.0) or higher at all times. In order for a student to pass a course she/he needs to receive a C or better grade. Receiving F grades may risk student’s academic success and she/he may fall out of status.
Extension of Program
A program extension is necessary if a student requires additional time to complete his/her program. Additional time may be needed if students change their major, need additional prerequisite courses, or have a medical illness etc.
Extension can be granted 12 months at a time if necessary. A student may be eligible for an extension if she/he has maintained the full time status. Student must inform the EISS before his/her I-20 expires. It is the student’s responsibility to keep a valid I-20 at all times.
F-1 Employment
F-1 International Students may be eligible for many types of employment as long as they maintain F-1 status; however, they can not start working without an authorization.
Before students begin any type of work, they must provide the following documents.
- Valid assport
- Original I-20
- I-94
- Social Security Card (obtain after job offer)
On Campus Employment
F-1 students may work on campus until the end date on the form I-20 or actual program completion date. For new students (initial entry), employment may begin 30 days prior to the start of classes.
In order to find a job on campus search through the career service job listings to learn about opening positions on campus. Students must inform the EISS as soon as they receive a job offer before beginning to work.
Important highlights for on campus employment.
- Students must maintain F-1 status
- Unlimited as long as they are MCCC students
- Up to 20 hours a week when school is in session
- Full time work allowed during annual vacation and semester breaks
- No fee
- No permission from USCIS (only from MCCC)
- Job offer is required
Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
CPT is an academic training or work program such as co-op or internship program .CPT employment must be directly related to the students’ field of study and it has to be part of the academic curriculum. The work may be full or part time. If the work is full time for 12 months or more then the student is not eligible for OPT.
Important highlights for CPT.
- Students must have been full time for one full academic year prior to CPT
- Part time-unlimited
- Up to 20 hours a week when school is in session
- Full time work allowed during annual vacation and semester breaks.
- Must be approved for one semester at a time
- No fee
- No permission from USCIS (only from MCCC)
- Job offer is required
- Must be approved by the academic department
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
OPT is a temporary employment for practical training directly related to the students’ field of study. OPT application must be submitted to the USCIS as early as 120 days prior to their anticipated start date for employment. It takes a few months to receive OPT approval. If authorized an EAD card will be issued. Students can not work without the Employment Authorization Card (EAD). Students may only apply before they complete their program of study.
Important highlights for OPT.
- Students must have been full time for one full academic year prior to CPT.
- Maximum length is 12 months
- Up to 20 hours a week when school is in session
- Full time work allowed during annual vacation and semester breaks or after graduation.
- Job offer is not required
- $180 application fee
- EAD card and Social Security Number are needed from USCIS prior to the work.
- Time subtracted after graduation if used prior to the graduation
Students must contact EISS to complete necessary documents for the OPT application. After completion of OPT, students have 60 days grace period to either transfer to another institution or go back to their home country.
Students traveling outside of the U.S. before they receive the EAD card may have difficulty reentering the U.S. Students need to have the EAD card and the job offer letter from the company before departing the U.S. It is usually risky to travel while on OPT; therefore, it is suggested that students inform EISS before they decide to travel.
Severe Economic Hardship
Students who have experienced financial problems due to unexpected circumstances (such as death of the sponsor, a war in home country, severe economic inflation in the home country, etc) may request employment authorization from USCIS. If authorized an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) card will be issued for a year. Students must reapply for Economic Hardship before the EAD expires.
Important highlights for economic hardship.
- Students must have been full time for one full academic year
- Part time-unlimited
- Up to 20 hours a week when school is in session
- Full time work allowed during annual vacation and semester breaks
- Job offer is not required
- Proof of severe economic hardship due to unforeseen circumstances
- Application fee is required ($180)
- EAD card and Social Security Number are needed from USCIS prior to the work
| * | Students who work off campus without an authorization will be terminated and can not be reinstated. |
Transfer Out
Students may transfer out to another institution during their study or after their graduation. Students must inform the EISS immediately in order to be released in SEVIS to the other institution. Students can be released only at the end of the current semester. They can only be released to one school; therefore, after the release date, students’ records can not be accessible by MCCC.
Transfer In
Students who would like to transfer into MCCC must contact the EISS immediately. Students can transfer in until the next semester’s start date. However, the international student application package must be complete and submitted to the admissions office prior to the semester start date. The transfer process will be completed after the I-20 is issued and students will be ready to enroll into MCCC.
Termination
F-1 students who violate their status are considered out-of-status and unlawfully present in the USA. Students who fall out-of-status will no longer be eligible for benefits such as on campus employment, OPT, CPT, transferring, etc. In some cases they must leave the USA immediately. F-2 dependents will also be out-of-status automatically when the F-1 student violets his/her status.
Under regulations, EISS is required to report students failure to maintain F-1 status to USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services). In some cases, student may be eligible for reinstatement to be moved into status again. Students who work off campus without an authorization are not eligible for reinstatement and they must leave the USA immediately.
These are the some common violations of status.
- Failure to report to school for SEVIS registration
- Failure to attend the authorized school
- Failure to obtain a program extension prior to program end date
- Failure to notify address change within 10 days
- Failure to notify change of major
- Failure to maintain good academic standing
- Failure to enroll full time for the current semester
- withdraw from classes without an authorization
- Taking a semester off without an authorization
- Failure to complete transfer process
- Unauthorized employment (not eligible for reinstatement)
- Out of status for more than 5 months (not eligible for reinstatement)
- Remaining in the U.S. after termination, before the completion of the program
| * | It is students’ responsibility to maintain his/her status; therefore, students should inform EISS about potential problems. |
Reinstatement
In some cases, students may be eligible for reinstatement if they apply within 5 months of their termination. After the approval of the reinstatement application, students will be in status again; however, after the denial of the reinstatement application students must leave the U.S immediately. Failure to leave the U.S on the specific date that is given by USCIS may cause ineligibility of future immigration benefits. Students must also be aware that there is always a risk in the reinstatement process.
Travel Signature
Before students travel outside of the U.S., they must make sure that they have a valid signature on the third page of the I-20 form. Students should contact the EISS at least a couple of weeks prior to their travel date. Students must also have the original I-94 card, a valid passport and visa before they travel outside of the U.S. Students whose visa expires must renew the visa before they reenter the U.S.
