Under U.S law, you are fully responsible for abiding by the rules governing your F-1 student status. The International Student and Faculty Services Office (ISFS) will try to help you understand these rules but you are required to follow the Requirements and Responsibilities of F-1 Student Status explained below.
- Always be full time (12 credits or more). Enroll for and complete a full course of study every quarter. If you do not believe you will be able to fulfill this requirement for any reason, contact the ISFS Office before you withdraw or stop attending class. There are a few limited expectations to the full time requirements for which you might qualify if you obtain permission in advanced.
- Obtain permission to be less than full time before you drop, withdraw or stop attending. If you do not believe you will be able to be a full time for any reason, contact the ISFS Office before you drop, withdraw or stop attending class. There are a few limited exceptions to the full time requirement for which you might qualify if you obtain permission in advance.
- Maintain good academic progress. You must have a 2.0 GPA or higher to maintain legal status.
- Only one online class can count towards your full-time course load per quarter. All students, including those in their final quarter of study must demonstrate on-campus presence and therefore may not enroll in online classes only.
- Carry health insurance that meets a set minimum requirement any time you are in the United States, even while on vacation. Peninsula College requires all enrolled international students to have health insurance. The College has an insurance provider from which you can purchase a health insurance policy upon arrival. If you would like to purchase a health insurance policy from your home country it will need to meet or exceed the current minimum requirements, be in English, and in US dollars. You must provide a copy of the policy to the ISFS office in the first week of the quarter.
- Only work as authorized. You may work on-campus up to 20 hours per week when school is in session and full time during official school breaks. These 20 hours include the work you do for an assistantship if you have one. In order to work off-campus, you must get permission from the ISFS Office and U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services. Never work without authorization.
- Make sure your program completion date on your Form I-20 is accurate. Your program completion date on your Form I-20 must always be correct. If you don’t think you will be able to complete your program by the completion date on you Form I-20, you must apply for a program extension before the completion date expires and get an updated Form I-20.
If you expect to complete your program earlier than the I-20’s program completion date, you must contact the ISFS office.
- Obtain a change of education level to begin a new program of study. If you have been admitted to a new program of study at Peninsula College, you must obtain a Form I-20 for your new program before you complete your current program of study.
- Obtain a SEVIS transfer to attend another U.S. school. If you plan to attend another U.S. school, college, or university, you must notify the ISFS Office and be “Transferred Out” in SEVIS before your F-1 status ends.
- Depart the U.S. within 60 days of your program completion date or Optional Practical Training end date. If you have completed your program of study you must depart the U.S. within 60 days, likewise, if you have completed your Optional Practical Training after completion of your studies and have no further plans to study, you must depart the U.S. within 60 days of your EAD’s end date.