What to Do When You Get your I-20

The Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20) is the document you will need in order to apply for the F-1 student visa. The university will send you the I-20 after you have been admitted to the university and have provided information about your financial support (for more information about the financial support required, please refer to your admission application).

Upon receiving your I-20, you will need to do the following:

What to Do as You Enter the United States

On the airplane, you will be asked to complete the I-94 Arrival/Departure Record. Please make sure that you complete the white version of this form. (The green version is used for people entering on the Visa Waiver Program). After you get off the airplane in the United States, you will go through an immigration inspection. Please present your I-20 and passport to the inspector. The inspector may also ask to review your admission and financial documents, so please have them available. The inspector will then stamp your I-20, return page 3 and 4 to you, and staple the I-94 Arrival/Departure Record in your passport.

The I-20 and I-94 are proof of your legal admission to the U.S. as an F-1 student. Please keep these documents safe at all times.

Dependent Information

F-2 dependents are defined as a spouse or an unmarried minor child (under 21 years of age) of an F-1 student.

F-2 Dependents:

• May enter the U.S. with or after the F-1 non-immigrant, but never before
• May not be employed
• Must have a form I-20 every time they travel outside the United States, separately from the F-1 non-immigrant
• May not attend classes, with the exception of a strictly recreational course
• May not be admitted as a full-time degree-seeking student
• May not remain in the U.S. after the F-1 student is absent from the U.S. unless absence is temporary (5 months or less)

Inviting an F-2 Dependent

F-1 students may invite a spouse or unmarried children to join them after arriving at Purdue University Calumet by the following method:

1. Provide evidence of financial support (bank statement, sponsor letter, etc) for dependent(s) as follows
   1. $4,200.00 for spouse
   2. $2,600.00 for each child
2. Obtain an F-2 from I-20 marked for use by dependents

The Office of International Students will prepare a dependent I-20. The following items must also accompany the visa application:

• Original or certified copy of a marriage certificate
• Birth Certificate for each child
• Financial documentation

What to do when you arrive at Purdue University Calumet

Every student should report to the Graduate School Office, in the Lawshe building in room 356. Please bring with you your passport, I-20 and I-94 card. Call before you come to the office. You will need an appointment to see Marsha Gordon, Director of Graduate and International Student Services

• Attend any orientation workshops and or meetings
• F-1 students who are transferring from another U.S. educational institution (including high school, language center, or a different Purdue Campus) to Purdue must visit the Office of International Students to complete a transfer notification process. The process must be completed within two weeks of the first day of classes of the student's first semester at Purdue University Calumet.

The following documents must be submitted in order to complete the transfer:

• Purdue University Calumet issued I-20
• Form I-20 from previous schools
• Purdue University Calumet issued international student transfer form completed by the Office of International Students at the student's most recent school. The transfer form can be located on this website under Application Forms.

Students transferring from Purdue University Calumet to another US institution should obtain a form I-20 from the new school, and complete the transfer procedure at that school.

Maintaining Status

In light of the bars on admission created in 1996, it is very important for the student to maintain their status while in the US. There are eight important things that must be done to maintain status.

• Keep a valid passport at all times, unless otherwise exempt from the passport requirement
• Attend the school authorized
• Participate in a full course of study
• Leave the US by the completion date shown on the I-20, or request a program extension from the school's designated student officer
• If the student wants to change from one educational level to another (for example a bachelor's program to a master's) they must apply to the designated student officer
• If at any time there is a change in program, degree level, or funding a new I-20 form indicating the change must be prepared by the Office of International Student Services. When attending the appointment bring with you
  • A current I-20
  • Proof of the change (a letter from your department or funding source)
  • Passport
  • I-94
• In most cases, work no more than 20 hours per week while school is in session
• Do not work off campus without INS authorization
• Report any change in residence to the INS within 10 days.

Of course, one of the most important concepts in F-1 status is a "full course of study." INS regulations give five possible definitions for the concept.

• Postgraduate or postdoctoral study at a college, university, conservatory or religious seminary
• Undergraduate study at a college or university consisting of at least 12 credit hours per term, except in cases where to finish the program the student does not need to take 12 hours in the last term
• Study at a postsecondary institution that awards associate or comparable degrees, and whose credits are accepted by at least three other institutions of higher learning
• Study in a language, liberal arts, fine arts, or other nonvocational training program. This study must consist of 18 hours of attendance per week, 22 hours if laboratory work constitutes the dominant part of the course of study
• Study in a high school, providing the foreign student attends the minimum class hours per week required for graduation.

There are some situations in which the foreign student maintains their F-1 status even though they are not enrolled in a full course of study. These include: school vacations; failure to attend classes because of medical reasons; postdoctoral student and fellows who are not enrolled in standard academic courses; students who are carrying a reduced course load because of participation in a fellowship or assistantship; graduate students who have completed coursework but are preparing for exams or researching dissertations; and students who have been authorized for optional practical training.

F-1 students who fail to maintain legal status are considered to be "Out of Status". In order to be "In F-1 student status", individuals must apply for reinstatement at the Office of International Students, Lawshe Hall 356. Students should make an appointment with the immigration counselor and prepare the following paperwork prior to the meeting:

• Form I-20
• Proof of financial support
• Their control or how failure to be reinstated will lead to undue hardship for the student.
• BCIS Form I-539
• Money order or cashier check in the amount of $140.00
• Transcripts

The aforementioned materials will be mailed to Indianapolis. Processing time is approximately three weeks.

Travel Instructions

When traveling outside the United States, you need to have the proper documents to return. Anytime you travel, please submit a student request form and your I-20 for travel endorsement at least two weeks before you will be leaving campus.

F-1/J-1 Student Travel: To re-enter the United States you must have:

• A valid passport
• A valid F-1 or J-1 entry visa stamp (see "Special Notes and Warnings..." below)
• A properly signed* and valid Form I-20 ID or IAP-66
• Any previously issued I-797 Approval Notices from INS
• Your current EAD (if you have one)**

Note for Canadian and Mexican citizens: Citizens of Canada are not required to have passports or entry visas to enter the United States from Canada. However, a citizen from Mexico is required to have a valid F-1 entry visa in his/her passport for entry to the U.S.

*To obtain a travel signature on your I-20 or IAP-66, please bring it to the Office for International Affairs (OIA) one week in advance. The travel signature is valid for 12 months, however we suggest that you obtain a new signature each time you plan to re-enter the U.S. from Canada and Mexico.

**If you have work authorization from the INS based on F-1 Optional Practical Training after completion of your studies, you must carry your employment authorization document (EAD) with you when you travel.

F-2/J-2 Dependent Travel: To re-enter the United States you must have:

• A valid passport
• A valid F-2 or J-2 entry visa stamp (see "Special Notes and Warnings..." below)
• The F-1's current properly signed and valid Form I-20ID or J-1's current IAP-66
• Any previously issued I-797 Approval Notices from INS

Visa Stamps: If the F-1, F-2, J-1 or J-2 entry visa stamp in your or your dependent(s)' passport has expired or is otherwise invalid, or if you have a different type of entry visa stamp (such as B-2, E-2, etc), you must apply for a new entry visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate outside the U.S. You should be prepared to show evidence of the financial resources indicated on your Form I-20 or IAP-66. Evidence can be in the form of bank statements, a letter from an employer, a letter of financial aid or scholarship, etc.

Warning: If you need a new entry visa stamp and you travel outside the United States, you should be aware that you are never guaranteed a new entry visa to return, especially if you apply at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate in a country other than your home country. (See "Special Notes and Warnings..." below.) If you have difficulty you should contact an advisor at OIA who will make every effort to assist you.

Employment

There are several types of employment authorization for F-1 students. F-2 dependents can never work. Please see Marsha Gordon if you have any questions about work permission.

Extension of Stay

Always maintain a valid Form I-20 during your stay in the U.S. The ending date in item #5 on your Form I-20 is the date by which you must complete your studies. If you need to continue in your degree program beyond the date in item #5, you will need to submit the required documents listed below:

• Academic Advisor Recommendation Form
• Current Form I-20
• Passport
• I-94 Card
• Proof of financial support for the time period requested for the extension

Extensions can be processed before the expiration date. The process should start 30 days before the expiration date and no later than the expiration date, unless you will be outside the country on your completion date. The extension can only be filed for one year at a time. The extension is the student's responsibility. If the student forgets the deadline and applies late, he or she may risk the denial of the application and are considered to have engaged in illegal employment. Such mistakes can have serious consequences; therefore students should make certain that they apply in a timely fashion.