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Overview
Student
Immigration Definitions
Obtaining
F-1 Student Status at Columbia
Important Information for Students Fully Funded
by Columbia University
Transfer
of F-1 Supervision
Change
of Status to F-1
Message
for Canadian Students
Potential
Delays in Visa Issuance
Dependents
Student Tax
Information
Maintaining
F-1 Status
F-1
Travel Information
Govt Q &
A for F-1 Travel
F-1
Extension of Stay (Current Program)
F-1
Extension of Stay to Begin New Program
F-1
Reinstatement
F-1
Work Opportunities
F-1
Practical Training (PT) Overview
F-1
Curricular Practical Training
F-1
Optional PT Before Degree Completion
F-1
Optional PT After Degree Completion
F-1
Internship with an International Organization
F-1
Leave of Absence, Suspension or Withdrawal
Student
Departure Information
F-1
Last Term Authorization
Address
Change Form
Applying
for a Social Security Number
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Immigration
Definitions for Students
First things first! It is very
important that you become familiar with the following terms, as they are
used repeatedly in Coming to Columbia and other information from the International
Students and Scholars Office. It is essential that you understand these
definitions, not just as you prepare to come, but throughout your stay
in the United States.
Certificate of Visa Eligibility - Students who (1) have been admitted
to the University, (2) need a student visa to enter the United States
to study at Columbia (except Canadian citizens who do not require a passport
or visa), and (3) have documented their ability to finance their education,
will receive a Certificate of Visa Eligibility, Form I-20. This document
certifies eligibility for an entry visa obtained at a U.S. consulate abroad,
and must be shown to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official
at the time of entry into the U.S. in order to enter in student status.
Also known as a Visa Certificate, the I-20 is processed and issued through
SEVIS.
SEVIS - SEVIS is an
acronym for Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. It is a data
collection and monitoring system that creates an interface between institutions
of higher education, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), consulates
and embassies abroad, and ports of entry. Schools are required to make
regular electronic updates in SEVIS throughout each semester on the records
of their enrolled students in F-1 and J-1 status-and their dependents-and
their researchers and faculty in J-1 status. This includes, but is not
limited to enrollment status, changes in address, changes in level of
study, employment recommendations, and school transfers.
Form I-94 - This small white card is a record of your legal entry
into the U.S. and immigration status. You complete it on a flight to the
U.S. or at a border crossing, and it is then processed at a port of entry.
An immigration inspector usually staples it into your passport. Form I-94
notes name, date of birth, country of citizenship, and the date and port
of your arrival in the U.S. It also indicates how long you can stay in
the United States. The notation D/S signifies "duration of status"
and refers to the completion date on the I-20 .The Form I-94 is also a
record of your arrivals and departures. Each time you leave the country
you surrender your I-94. Only in the case of short trips to Canada, Mexico,
and parts of the Caribbean do you keep this form. The I-94 is an important
form; we recommend that you make a photocopy of both sides of the form
to keep separately in case you need to replace it.
Form I-20 - The Certificate of Visa Eligibility for Nonimmigrant
F-1 Student Status is commonly known as the I-20. This is the document
issued by a school through the internet-based Student and Exchange Visitor
Information System (SEVIS) for presentation at a U.S.
consulate abroad to apply for an F-1 Student visa; it must also be
presented to an immigration official upon entry into the U.S. When traveling
outside the U.S., those in F-1 status must carry either an initial or
recertified I-20 and financial documentation if they intend to return
to the U.S. to continue their studies or practical training. The I-20
and its corresponding electronic updates in SEVIS are a permanent record
of one's activities as a student in the U.S. It is your responsibility
to keep all I-20's issued to you throughout your student status, no matter
how long you stay in the U.S. or how many times you travel abroad. The
initial I-20 used when you enter the country and stamped by the DHS is
a very important immigration document. Make a copy of both sides to keep
with your records. If you were not issued an I-20, or if you lose it,
please come to the ISSO or the IAO. Under most circumstances, we can provide
you with a replacement form within five working days.
Form DS-2019 - The Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant
J-1 Exchange Visitor Status is commonly known as the Form DS-2019 (formerly
Form IAP-66). This is the document issued by the program sponsor - the
university, government agency or other organization sponsoring the visit
- through the internet-based Student and Exchange Visitor Information
System (SEVIS) for presentation at a U.S. consulate abroad to apply for
a J-1 Exchange Visitor visa. It must also be presented to an immigration
official upon entry into the U.S. It is your responsibility to keep all
DS-2019's issued to you throughout your student status, no matter how
long you stay in the U.S. or how many times you travel abroad. The initial
DS-2019 used when you enter the country and stamped by the DHS is a very
important immigration document. Make a copy of both sides to keep with
your records. If you were not issued a DS-2019, or if you lose it, please
come to the ISSO or the IAO. Under most circumstances, we can provide
you with a replacement form within five working days.
Immigration Status - This is often confused with "visa"
but y our immigration status, e.g., F-1, B-2, J-1, etc., is determined
at the time of your entry into the U.S. by an immigration official and
is noted on the Form I-94. You may have many visa stamps in your passport
but, upon entry into the U.S., an immigration inspector will admit you
in only one immigration status which is noted on the I-94 card (see above).
Be sure the correct status is written on your I-94 card. Unlike your entry
visa, your immigration status may be changed in the U.S. The U.S. Department
of State web site at http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/info/info_1298.html
provides further clarification on visa and status differences. Several
important differences between the F-1 and J-1 immigration status are described
at the end of this section.
Passport - Students in F-1 or J-1 immigration status must keep
their passports valid at least six months into the future at all times.
You may obtain extensions of your passport through the nearest consulate
or embassy of your country. The ISSO or the IAO will provide you with
any appropriate documents your government may require.
Entry Visa - Your entry visa is issued by a United
States Consulate abroad and affixed into your passport. The only purpose
of an entry visa is to apply for admission to the United States at the
port of entry. The entry visa itself may expire while you are in the U.S.,
but your permission to stay in the U.S. remains valid. All international
students - with the exception of Canadian nationals - requesting F or
J immigration status are required to have a valid F-1 or J-1 entry visa
in their passport at the time of entry into the U.S. Your visa specifies
the type of immigration status you will hold (F-1, J-1, etc.), the date
until which you may enter the U.S., and the number of entries you may
make before you must apply for a new entry visa stamp. The length of validity
of each visa type is determined by an agreement between your home country
and the U.S. government and is not necessarily tied to the length of your
program of study. Please refer to the State Department's Visa
Reciprocity information on their website for more details.
NOTE THAT ALTHOUGH F-1 ENTRY
VISAS MAY BE ISSUED UP TO 120 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF A PROGRAM'S REPORT DATE,
YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO ENTER THE U.S. MORE THAN 30 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF
THE REPORT DATE.
If you have been out of the U.S. for more than 5 months and not registered
to your current degree program, any valid student visa you may have is
subject to cancellation and you are required to obtain a new visa to return
to the U.S.
F-1 or J-1 entry visas cannot
be obtained within the U.S. Application for a new visa must be made in
person at a U.S. consulate or embassy outside the U.S. The validity period
of your visa does not determine the length of time you may remain in the
U.S. after you enter. Your length of stay is determined by the expected
completion date of your program as indicated on your I-20 You are admitted
to the U.S. for "duration of status" in F and J. This is notated
as "D/S" on your I-94 card. The U.S. Department of State web
site at http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/info/info_1298.html
provides further clarification between the expiration date of an entry
visa and the duration of time you are permitted to stay in the U.S. in
your status.
Differences Between F-1
and J-1 Status
There are two types of entry visas issued to nonimmigrant students who
intend to study full-time at Columbia University - the F-1 Student visa
and the J-1 Exchange Visitor visa. A student's accompanying spouse and
children are given an F-2 or J-2 visa.
- Source of Funding
- J-1 Exchange Visitor status is available to those students who are
supported substantially by funding other than personal or family funds.
Such funding may include that which comes from the U.S. government or
the student's home government, an international organization, or the
University. Students who are supported by personal or family funds are
ineligible for J-1 immigration status, and must come to the U.S. to
study in F-1 immigration status.
- Foreign Residence Requirement
- Students in J-1 immigration status and their J-2 dependents may be
subject to a "foreign residence requirement". This applies
to those who have receive U.S. or home country government funding or
those who are on the "Country Skills List". The foreign residence
requirement means that upon completion of the J-1 program they must
reside in their countries of last legal permanent residence for two
years before they are eligible to apply for entry into the U.S. on a
specialized work visas (H or L) or an immigrant visa.
J-1 students who receive
direct or indirect U.S. or home government funding, or who are studying
in fields for which personnel are considered in short supply in their
home countries (most developing nations have "Country Skills"
lists of varying lengths), are ineligible to apply for a change to another
nonimmigrant status (except A or G) or permanent residency in the U.S.
until they have satisfied the "two year home country physical presence
requirement". To see if your country is on the Skills List and
which fields of study are included, consult the Exchange
Visitor Skills List in PDF format.
There is no foreign residence
requirement for F-1 student status. Refer to the Department of State's
web site for additional information on the Exchange
Visitor Program.
- Medical Insurance
- Students in J-1 status and their J-2 dependents are required to have
comprehensive medical coverage in order to fulfill U.S. government regulations
governing the J Exchange Visitor status. Currently the medical insurance
offered by Columbia University (plus insurance provided by the IAO for
the Health Sciences students) covers all requirements for those in J
immigration status. If you purchase insurance other than the insurance
offered through the University for your dependents or yourself, it may
cost as much as $3,000 per year in excess of the usual living expenses.
- Work Permission -
Students in either F-1 or J-1 immigration status may work part time
(up to 20 hours per week) on campus with permission from the ISSO or
the IAO. For both statuses, permission to work off campus based on economic
need may be requested only after the first full academic year of student
status, and only under extraordinary circumstances of unforeseen need.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) authorizes
F-1 students to work off campus, whereas J-1 students submit an application
for work permission to their visa sponsor, i.e. the agency or school
that issued the DS-2019 form.
- Practical or Academic
Training - Students in F-1 and J-1 immigration status are eligible
to engage in differing lengths of practical or academic training during
their studies and at the completion of their academic programs.
Practical training, a privilege
of F-1 immigration status if you are eligible, is employment in one's
field of study. Those in F-1 immigration classification may be eligible
for "curricular" practical training (which is authorized by
the ISSO or IAO) during their programs, in addition to one year of "optional"
practical training that may take place during or after one's program
of study. Permission to engage in practical training may be granted
only after you have been in valid student status for one academic year.
The ISSO and the IAO recommend optional practical training and the USCIS
authorizes it. Refer to the Practical
Training Overview for complete information on both curricular and
optional practical training.
Academic training, a privilege
of J-1 immigration status if you are eligible, is employment which is
integral, not just related, to one's field of study. One is eligible
to apply for permission to engage in academic training after one academic
term in valid student status. The period of time allowed for Academic
Training cannot exceed the length of the program of study. In most cases,
there is a maximum of 18 months with the exception of some postdoctoral
research and teaching positions that may qualify for up to 36 months.
An application for academic training is made to the J-1 student's Exchange
Visitor program sponsor. Refer to Academic
Training Authorization for Those in J-1 Exchange Visitor Immigration
Status for complete information.
- Dependent Employment
- Immigration regulations allow no circumstances under which the
spouse (F-2) of an F-1 student can apply for work permission while in
the U.S. The spouse (J-2) of a J-1 Exchange Visitor, however, may apply
to USCIS for permission to be employed, if he or she can demonstrate
a need for supplemental support for self or children. The spouse cannot
obtain work permission in order to support the J-1 student. Form
I-765, required to apply for J-2 work permission, may be filed electronically.
The form may also be obtained from the ISSO or the IAO.
Last Reviewed:29 March
2006 Last modified:29 March 2006
International Students and Scholars Office
Columbia University
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