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Important Information for Canadian Students Obligation to Comply with Immigration Regulations In terms of immigration regulations, the only difference between Canadians and other international students coming to the United States is that Canadian citizens are not required to apply for an entry visa at a U.S. consulate. Some Canadians have mistakenly assumed that other regulations that apply to international students do not apply to them. Canadians are subject to the same regulations regarding employment in the United States, requirement for full-time study and all other provisions for maintaining status. Other than applying for a visa, it is important that you read about and abide by all other provisions relating to F-1 status. It is especially important for Canadian students to be vigilant about entering the United States in proper student status, as immigration inspectors are accustomed to admitting Canadian citizens as visitors. Obtaining F-1 Student Status To enter the U.S. in F-1 student
status, Canadians must present the items listed below to the immigration inspector:
After the immigration inspector reviews your documents,
you will be given an I-94 Admission/Departure card to complete. Be sure
to look at your I-94 card before you leave the inspection area to ensure
that it has the notations "F-1 D/S" written on it. ALL international students, including Canadian students, must have a correctly annotated I-94 card to confirm current F-1 status. If your I-94 card does not have "F-1" "D/S", you are considered to be in Visitor (B-2) status, a status which does not permit study in the U.S. If You are
Already in the U.S. Currently in F-1 Status at Another Institution and transferring to
Columbia - Students enrolled in another U.S. school under F-1 immigration
status who are planning to enroll at Columbia University must complete
a process in which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is notified
of this change. The transfer procedure begins with your current school
"releasing" your SEVIS record to Columbia and qualifying for
a Columbia I-20, and is NOT complete until you report to the ISSO or the
IAO within 15 days of the program start date on your I-20. The first step
is to get Columbia's I-20 in a timely manner. Please refer to our F-1
transfer procedures for exact details. Continuing Students in F-1
Status at Columbia University - If you are completing one program
at Columbia and are planning to pursue another degree or program at the
University, DHS must be notified. The ISSO needs to issue you a new I-20
for the new program within 60 days of your completion date on your current
I-20 or within 60 days of completion of your program, whichever is earlier.
Contact the ISSO about qualifying for and obtaining a new I-20. If You Will Be Accompanied
By Dependents - If your dependents - spouse or unmarried children under 21 years of age
- will accompany you to the U.S. or join you shortly after your arrival,
you will need to provide the ISSO or the IAO with additional documentation
showing your sufficient funding to meet your dependents' expenses and
copies of their passport ID pages. An I-20 will then be issued for each
of your dependents which they will use to enter the U.S. in F-2 status. You
may request an I-20 for your dependents at any time during your stay at
Columbia. Note that dependents are not required to pay the SEVIS fee. Exchange Visitor (J-1) Visa Alternative Last Reviewed: 9 March 2011 Last modified: 9 March 2011 |