Foreign students in the United States are required by immigration law to follow certain regulations in order to maintain legal status
in the United States. WKU's International Student and Scholar Services is responsible for advising international students on immigration law
and regulations and for processing various immigration documents. When coming to ISSS for immigration matters, always
bring your passport, I-20, and WKU ID.
You should always allow us at LEAST three working days to process documents.
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOWING, UNDERSTANDING, AND COMPLYING WITH THESE REGULATIONS.
IF THERE IS SOMETHING YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND, PLEASE COME TO ISSS.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has established certain rules and regulations which you are expected to understand and follow. The following is a list of important information for your new studies in the U.S. as well as regulations, procedures, and forms that are frequently used in negotiation with the DHS. Most of these forms are known worldwide and may be obtained from ISSS or from any DHS office.
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When you travel outside the U.S. you will need a new Travel I-20 from ISSS before you leave. Please ask for a travel I-20 at least a week before you plan to leave. Regarding your visa, it is okay to remain in the U.S. if the F-1 visa has expired, as long as your I-20 and passport have not expired and you are otherwise maintaining your status. If DHS approved a change of status for you within the U.S., you will need to apply for an F-1 visa stamp while outside the U.S. in order to re-enter the country. Be sure to take your approval notice and documentation of your financial support.
Travel while on OPT is a complicated issue! First ask, “Is my visa valid?” It is extremely difficult for a student on OPT to convince the Dept. of State to extend or renew an F-1 visa. Our office suggests that students with expired visas DO NOT travel outside the U.S. while on OPT.
There are 3 scenarios in which a student might travel. Two of these scenarios are advisable and one is not! Please read on:
Travel BEFORE graduation and BEFORE OPT is approved:Travel prior to graduation while the I-765 is pending doesn’t cancel the OPT application. It is reasonable that a student would be allowed to re-enter the U.S. prior to the end date on their I-20 to complete their course work. In order to re-enter the U.S. in this scenario, a student will need:
Travel outside the U.S. AFTER graduation but BEFORE OPT has been approved: While this scenario is allowable under the law, it is not advisable! The Immigration & Customs Enforcement web-site states: “If your OPT has been approved and you depart before you get a job, your OPT ends and you cannot reenter unless you have a written job offer.” (Travel FAQ's)
Once OPT has been approved, the port of entry officer will expect you to have the documents listed below and OPT/EAD card AND proof of employment. Think about these questions: How will you know if and when the application is approved? What if something goes wrong with the application process while you are outside the U.S.? What if there is a significant delay in processing? What if your application is approved while you are outside of the U.S. and you do not have the card in hand when re-entering? If it is approved, how will you get the OPT card and job offer before you return to the U.S.? What if it is lost in the mail between the U.S. and your home country? As you can see, there are many things that can go wrong in this scenario! That is why it is UNADVISABLE!
Travel outside the U.S. AFTER graduation and AFTER OPT has been approved and AFTER EAD card has been received (**Most Advisable**): In order to re-enter the U.S. in this scenario, a student will need:
If you know you need to travel soon after graduation, apply for OPT early enough to have a chance of having your EAD/OPT card and job offer by graduation.
If you are transferring to WKU from another university within the United States, you will receive your WKU admit letter along with a TRANSFER FORM to be completed by your current International Student Advisor and returned to ISSS.
If you would like to transfer from WKU to another university in the United States, you will need to schedule an appointment with an International Student Advisor and bring your official admit letter from your new university to ISSS. You will work with your Advisor on the transfer of your SEVIS record to your new school.
Forms to transfer out: TRANSFER OUT FORM and the TRANSFER OUT CHECKLIST
1. VISA
This is the visa you obtained at the American Embassy or Consulate which allowed you to ask for permission to enter the United States. A nonimmigrant visa (such as an F-1) is valid only for the purpose for which it was issued. It is NOT a guarantee of entry. For initial admission, you are required to attend the school written below the visa for at least one academic term. Once you have been granted entry, your visa does NOT determine how long you stay in the U.S. (See "I-20" below.) You are required to renew your visa only when you leave the U.S. and wish to return and if your visa has expired or if your visa was designated as "single entry only." A request to obtain a new visa must be made at the American Embassy or Consulate outside the United States. PLEASE NOTE: If your visa has expired, it is all right to remain in the U.S. if you are in legal F-1 status. However, you must renew your visa if you go outside of the U.S. Please note that your I-20 must be valid.
2. PASSPORT
This is your most important piece of identification, and you need to keep it valid (at least six months beyond your projected date of departure from the U.S.) You cannot renew your visa unless your passport is current; neither can you leave the U.S. without a valid passport. It is strongly urged that you photocopy important pages of your passport, i.e., the identification page, the expiration page, and the visa page. Should you lose your passport, having photocopies of important pages may reduce the time needed to replace the document. To renew your passport YOU must contact your country's embassy or consulate.
3. I-94 CARD
This is the entry permit issued by the DHS inspector at the port of entry into the U.S. This is the little white card which was stapled into your passport upon arrival in the U.S. KEEP IT THERE. IT IS YOUR PERMIT TO REMAIN IN THE U.S. The D/S status marked on the I-94 means that you are permitted to remain in the U.S. for as long as you are pursuing your intended program of study, provided you remain in status, your I-20 has not expired, and you are making satisfactory progress toward completion of your degree.
4. I-20 - Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant F-1 Student Status
This form is issued to you to attend WKU initially. Having accepted the I-20, you are required by DHS to attend WKU for at least one semester before transferring. Whenever you travel outside of the U.S., you must carry an up-to-date I-20 form endorsed by a Designated School Official (DSO) at ISSS. You must also check the visa requirements of these countries through which you will travel. The I-20 form certifies that you are eligible to study at the designated school and that you have verified your financial ability to pay tuition, fees, and basic living costs while pursuing your education. Page 4 of the I-20 form is used to note transfers and other records (i.e., employment, reinstatement of status). It is also used to document your date of readmission to the U.S. after a temporary absence. In conjunction with your I-94, your I-20 indicates the length of time you have permission to remain in the U.S. (by the expiration date) as long as you are still maintaining your status and working towards the degree indicated on the I-20.
5. New I-20
All F-1 students are issued I-20 forms to enter the U.S. Most immigration transactions will be noted on the student's I-20. If you should receive a new I-20 for any reason (program extension, school transfer, change of degree or major), you should keep your previous I-20's as a record of your legal stay in the U.S. DHS regulations state that you should keep your I-20 with you at all times. You will not surrender it for temporary absences outside the U.S.
If you lose your I-20, please report it to International Student & Scholar Services immediately. In some cases, we may be able to issue a duplicate.
If you are an F-1 student and would like to bring a dependent to the U.S. with you while you study, you will need to complete the F-2 DEPENDENT REQUEST FORM and bring to the Office of International Student & Scholar Services. We also have available a handout indicating what documents an F-2 will need to take to the visa appointment.
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According to Department of Homeland Regulations, all students on an F-1 visa must report a change of address to their International Student Advisor immediately. If you have recently moved, please complete and submit the Change of Address Form.
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All students on an F-1 visa must enroll in and complete a full course of study throughout the academic year (a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester for undergraduates and 9 credit hours per semester for graduates) and maintain satisfactory academic progress. ALWAYS consult ISSS BEFORE you drop your course load to part-time or withdraw from all your courses; otherwise, you jeopardize your LEGAL status. Proper documentation must be kept in your ISSS file. Also, remember, the DHS will not accept not having enough money as an excuse for dropping below full-time hours. If you are in your first or last semester of study and your academic advisor recommends that you drop below full-time, please have them complete the REDUCED COURSE LOAD FORM. After they complete the form, schedule an appointment with the International Student Advisor and bring this form with you. If the Reduced Course Load is for academic reasons and the student is NOT in the last semester, a student's course load can only be reduced to 6 credits. Otherwise the student will be in violation of F-1 status.
F-1 Students who will not complete their program of study by the ending date on their I-20 need to request a program extension from the Office of International Student and Scholar Services within 60 days before the I-20 expires. You cannot extend your program solely for CPT if you have completed all the required courses for your degree. A student must have a compelling academic or medical reason in order to extend their I-20. It is the student's responsibility to monitor their I-20 cpmpletion date and begin the process of the program extension by taking the form to the academic advisor.
1. Print a program extension form here. Have your academic advisor complete the form by explaining the academic reason for the delay in completing your program of study and by indicating the amount of additional time needed to complete your degree.
2. Make an appointment with an International Student Advisor. Bring your completed program extension form.
3. If you are eligible for a program extension, we will issue you a new I-20 and notify the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of your program extension.
According to the Social Security Administration, you must have a job offer for on-campus employment authorized by a Designated School Official and the Department of Homeland Security in order to apply for a Social Security number.
Once you have been offered a position, your hiring supervisor will complete the necessary paperwork and send it to the appropriate hiring office. You will also need to complete an I-9 form in the Office of International Student and Scholar Services. Once the appropriate office receives all of this paperwork (Human Resources for Graduate Assistants or Student Employment for student workers), they will send an ENDORSEMENT LETTER to ISSS for verification of your status and employment eligibility.
Once ISSS receives this letter, they will verify your status, stamp the letter, and notify you by WKU email that your STAMPED ENDORSEMENT LETTER is ready to be picked up. This process could take up to 2 weeks depending upon how quickly ISSS receives the letter. Note: The STAMPED ENDORSEMENT LETTER is your ticket to filing for your Social Security number. When you come to our office, we will then give you a handout on what documents to take with you to the Social Security Administration (in addition to the endorsement letter).
Do NOT purchase health insurance for your studies in the United States. All of Western Kentucky University’s international students are automatically enrolled in Academic Health Plans insurance and it will appear on your university bill. The cost of your health insurance is included in the amount shown on your I-20. Please do not purchase health insurance in your home country.
Current rates for the 2009-2010 academic year:
08/01/2009 to 01/15/2010 $497
01/15/2010 to 08/01/2010 $497
To best utilize your Health Insurance, we recommend visiting WKU's Health Services located on campus. Health Services proudly staffs two Board Certified Physicians and a Nurse Practitioner within a brand new, modern facility. Their services range from routine physicals and doctor visits to lab work, x-rays, immunizations, urgent care, sports medicine, health counseling, and annual exams. They even house their own pharmacy. WKU's Health Services provides outstanding care to the WKU Campus Community.
HEALTH SERVICES POWERPOINT PRESENTATION- Please review the new Powerpoint Presentation for **Updated** health insurance information for the 2009-10 academic year.