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NEW
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MUST
VISIT THE OFFICE
OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENT/SCHOLAR SERVICES (B-13) BEFORE
THE BEGINNING OF THEIR FIRST SEMESTER. The information that follows is intended to help you
understand your legal obligations as an international student in the
United States. Read it carefully – this could affect your lawful
status. Question: What is SEVIS? SEVIS
stands for the Student and Exchange
Visitor Information System. It is a secure
internet-based system that allows schools and the Department of
Homeland Security (www.dhs.gov)
and it’s agencies such as United States Citizenship and
Immigration Services, (USCIS, formerly INS), to record, control and
exchange data on the status of international students.
College and
university staff (Admissions personnel, International Student
Advisors), Consulates and Port of Entry officers, input and transmit
accurate and current information electronically throughout an F-1 or
J-1 student’s academic career in the United States, each and every
semester. College
personnel, U.S. Embassies, worldwide Consulates, and US Immigration
and Customs Enforcement (USICE) officers at ports of entry, have
access to the SEVIS system and your personal information in that
system. Other U.S.
federal bureaus and agencies, such as the U.S. Social Security
Administration or State Motor Vehicle Agencies, will request
verification of your immigration status from SEVIS before processing
requests for service or benefits. Your SEVIS record is always
carefully examined by these agencies before granting applications
for employment, social security number, and future changes of status
[for example] to H-1B Temporary Worker status, or Legal Permanent
Resident. Q: How does SEVIS work? ·
After
The City College admits an international student, and the student
satisfies the financial certification and, (if applicable), the
transfer process requirements for I-20 issuance, SEVIS is notified
and the USICE approves the College’s request to issue an I-20.
The Office of Admissions prints and issues the new bar-coded
I-20 form to the student. ·
The
student visits a U.S. Consulate abroad with his/her I-901 payment
receipt (SEVIS fee)*, and the consul confirms that the I-20 the
student presents is a valid document.
If everything is in order, the consul issues the visa.
*Please see link on Main Menu for more information on the SEVIS fee. ·
A
USICE officer at the airport records in SEVIS the student’s time
and date of entry into the U.S. ·
When
the student arrives on campus, he/she reports to the Office of
International Students and Scholar Services, Room B-13, then
registers for classes, and the International Student Advisor
confirms through SEVIS the student’s enrollment. ·
The
College’s International Student Advisors continue to provide
electronic reports to USICE each and every semester throughout the
student’s academic career. ·
If
and when a student with a SEVIS I-20 desires to transfer to another
US academic institution it is that student’s responsibility to
personally inform the International Student Advisor of intended
transfer and to request their SEVIS electronic file be transferred
to the new school. This does not happen automatically when accepted to a new
school, and failure to have your SEVIS file transferred in this
manner results in TERMINATION of F-1 status even if you enroll and
attend classes at the new school. ·
Finally,
SEVIS records the student’s departure from the United States. Q: What data does SEVIS collect? While other
agencies with SEVIS reporting requirements input various items, The
City College of New York’s reporting responsibility is limited to
the following items. ·
Each
semester reports whether students have enrolled at the school or
failed to enroll. ·
Must
report changes of student/dependent’s legal name/address within
ten days of the event. ·
Reports
students who graduate prior to the end date listed on the I-20 ·
Each
semester reports students who have dropped below a full course of
study. ·
Other
data generated by standard procedures such as program extensions,
school transfers, changes in level of study, employment
authorizations, and reinstatement. ·
Immediate
reports for any student who fails to maintain status or complete his
or her program. Q: What does “fails to maintain status” mean? Some
examples of failure to maintain status include unauthorized drop
below full-time enrollment, attending a school other than the one
listed on I-20, failure to transfer SEVIS record when transferring
to a new school, failure to apply for an I-20 extension or change in
level of study, unauthorized employment, and failure to report a
change of address. Q: What are the consequences if a student fails to
maintain status? The
student’s record is updated in SEVIS at least twice every
semester. Students are responsible for maintaining their status
according to the regulations on page 2 of the I-20.
Students who fail to maintain status lose the privileges of
student status. Specific
consequences may include denial of re-entry to the U.S., inability
to move from undergraduate to graduate status, termination of
on-campus employment, denial of requests for Practical Training and
change of immigration status, and possible denial of future visa
applications. Q: Can
a student who is “out of status” regain legal status? If a
student drops below a full course of study without prior approval of
the DSO, or otherwise violates lawful F-1 status, that “event”
would be reported to USICE, via SEVIS, and he or she would be out of
status. The student may
apply to USCIS for reinstatement, (within five months of the date of
loss of lawful status), if the violation resulted from circumstances
beyond his or her control. Reinstatement
is intended to be a rare benefit for exceptional cases. Applications for reinstatement submitted more than five
months after loss of status require proof that exceptional
circumstances beyond the control of the student prevented timely
submission of the reinstatement request.
Denials by USCIS of reinstatement requests cannot be
appealed. Q: How Is Full Course Of Study Monitored And
Regulated? 1.
What
is a full course load? Throughout
the registration period, and twice each semester, the Office of
International Students and Scholar Services will monitor the course
load of international students and report reduced course loads. UNDERGRADUATES ·
Part-time
study is one to eleven credits for undergraduates, or as determined
by a tuition bill for part-time study.
Full time undergraduate study is 12 credits, or as determined
by a tuition bill for full-time study. ·
Full-time
graduate study, (for the purposes of SEVIS certifications), is six
credits or more*. Less
than six credits for any student (graduate or undergraduate) is a
USCIS violation. Therefore,
graduate students do not have a Reduced Course Load option.
*Some
graduate students may be required to take more than six credits per
semester if their degree programs require more than thirty six (36)
credits to graduate. ·
Undergraduates
who wish to register part-time (or drop below full-time later in the
semester) and graduate students who wish to register for less than
five credits (or drop below) must obtain, complete and return the
appropriate REDUCED COURSE LOAD Form to Office of International
Students before classes begin or before you drop below full-time. 2.
Acceptable
reasons for reduced credit load include: ·
New
students who experience academic difficulties their first
semester of program enrollment (for example, unfamiliarity with
American teaching methods or English language difficulties) may be
pre-authorized to take a reduced credit load.
·
A Student
at any point in her/his program, who has been improperly advised
with regard to appropriate course selection, may take a reduced
course load. ·
Students in
their final term of study need only to register for the credits
required to complete the degree.
There is a special Reduced Course Load form for students in
their final semester that will provide the appropriate
authorization. ·
Students
who have a medical problem can reduce their credit load or take the
semester off; i.e., be authorized for 11-0 credits.
A Reduced Course Load form and appropriate medical
documentation is required. Remember, only the Designated School Officials,
International Student Advisors, in the Office of International
Students and Scholars Services have authority to authorize a reduced
credit load! THIS APPROVAL MUST BE OBTAINED BEFORE DROPPING
BELOW FULL-TIME STATUS.
Social Security Administration Students (and scholars) in F-1 and J-1 status are eligible to receive an official Social Security number if they have been offered employment (on or off campus) in the United States. Any student who works on or off campus MUST obtain an official Social Security Number, since your college-assigned I.D. number is not acceptable for employment purposes. Please visit the Office of International Students & Scholar Services (Baskerville Building Room 13) to obtain a letter and instructions on how to obtain a Social Security Number. Students in statuses other than F-1 or J-1 should come to the office to check if they are eligible to receive a social security number. The Social Security Number will be issued by the Social Security Administration. (www.socialsecurity.gov)
The Individual Taxpayer ID Number An ITIN, or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, is a tax processing number that IRS (Internal Revenue Service) has made available to certain individuals who are unable to get a Social Security Number. For all U.S. tax returns filed after December 31, 1996, including your ITIN on the return will ensure prompt processing and receipt of any refund. To obtain an ITIN, you must complete IRS Form W-7, Application for Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, available in the International Students & Scholar Services office. IRS requires proof of nonimmigrant status and true identity for each individual applying on Form W-7. After completing Form W-7, you can mail it along with supporting documents to the Philadelphia Service Center, present it at IRS walk-in offices, or process your application through Acceptance Agents authorized by the IRS. For more information on the ITIN please check out Publication 1915, Understanding Your IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.
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