Maintaining Student Status

The term "status" refers to your permission to enter and study in the U.S. You were issued a STUDENT visa, so your status comes from being a student in good standing.

top priorities

Study is Your #1 Priority

Your visa is a STUDENT visa. Maintaining your status as an F-1 or J-1 student is your #1 priority.

Your Form I-20 or DS-2019 was issued for a specific amount of time. This might be one semester or several years. The Program End Date was chosen to allow you all the time that you should need to finished your program of study. You should enroll in your required course, attend and pass all your classes. 

Learn more about your Registration Requirements here.

Communication

Keep in regular contact with your Designated School Oficial (DSO) or Responsible Officer (A/RO). This person is your international advisor and they are the only staff members on UNA's campus who can advise you on your international student visa status. There are many helpful advisers at UNA but only a DSO or ARO has the advice that you need as an international student.

Legal Work

The only legal work available to F-1 and J-1 students is on-campus employment, which is limited by written law to 20 hours per week. Learn more about On-Campus Employment here.

Off-campus work is extremely limited and only legal in very specific circumstances when it is authorized by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Do not work without authorization. If you choose to work without authorization, your I-20 or DS-2019 will be terminated to notify the US government of the violoation, and you will have to leave the United States as soon as possible.

Internships and other opportunities are called Training. Authorization is required, even for unpaid training or internships required for a class. Learn more about types of training here.

Email us at oiaservices@una.edu