F1 Visa Eligibility and Full-Time Enrollment
Upon completion of all academic requirements, on or before the program end date printed on the student's I-20, F1 Visa holders SEVIS records will be marked as complete and no additional coursework will be counted for the program issued for that specific I-20 [8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(iii)(C)]. F1 Visa holders have options within a specific grace period to either apply for OPT (if eligible, and within the authorized timeline for USCIS applications), transition to a new academic program meeting F1 eligibility, apply for a change of visa status, or return to their home country.
Upon successful completion of all F1 Visa student requirements by the program end date printed on the F1 Visa holder’s I-20, the SEVIS record is marked as complete in the SEVIS database. Completion is demonstrated in the following ways:
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All academic requirements have been met, the degree has been conferred, and the student has no plans to continue study in the U.S.
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Undergraduate students have completed all coursework, as well as any applicable required internships, honors thesis, or research projects
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Graduate students have completed all coursework, thesis/dissertation requirements, and the final manuscript has been submitted and approved
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Graduate students with a project or comprehensive exam instead of a thesis/dissertation have completed all research and exam requirements
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Optional Practical Training (OPT) and/or OPT STEM Extension is complete, with no additional plans to continue to work in the U.S.
The student with no plans to change their status, enroll in another academic program, or engage in Optional Practical Training will have their SEVIS record automatically updated to Complete by USCIS 60 days after the program end date printed on the student’s I-20. This indicates that the purpose of the F1 Visa issuance has been satisfied and the individual must leave the U.S. within those 60 days.
Completion vs Graduation vs Commencement
Completion: a USCIS term indicating the fulfillment of all requirements of the F1 student visa.
Graduation: an academic term indicating the fulfillment of all academic requirements at TWU. Upon verification by the TWU registrar’s office, the student’s degree is conferred.
Commencement: an academic term for the ceremony in which individuals celebrate their academic accomplishments. A degree is not awarded during commencement.
A student’s Change of Status to F1 must be completed prior to being issued a Continued Attendance I-20 at TWU. All students must show proof of the required amount of liquid funds through the required Certification of Finances form for initial and transfer students. This includes, but is not limited to, graduate students who have completed a program of study at TWU and are transitioning from OPT back to a new academic program at TWU.
Students on a B1/B2 Visa may not submit a Change of Status request to F1 through the ISSS office at TWU. These students must return to their home country and apply for an F1 Visa as an Initial student.
Students on other Visa types, who wish to change their status to F1, may contact the ISSS office for information on the Change of Status procedure based on their current Visa type and current USCIS procedures related to the requested change.
Students currently studying on an F1 Visa who apply for, and are granted, a Change of Status to a Visa type other than F1, may request a voluntary termination of their SEVIS record. This request must be made through the International Portal with an upload of the new Visa document or the Approval Notice from USCIS. An application receipt will not be accepted as proof of the change.
TWU Graduate School policy indicates the minimum required credit hours for graduate students holding an assistantship is 5 semester credit hours. F1 Visa holding graduate students with an assistantship may submit a request for Full-Time Equivalency in the International Portal to have their full-time equivalency status reported each semester.
An F1 Visa holding student in one of the following four situations has the opportunity to apply for a Reduced Course Load, either academic or medical.
- Academic difficulties - one (1) authorization to drop below a full course load of study (12 hours for undergraduates, 9 hours for graduate students) for academic difficulties can be requested during a student’s academic program at TWU, and only during the student’s first academic year in their program. Difficulty with the English language, reading requirements, U.S. teaching methods, or improper course level placement are options eligible for review by the ISSS office for an academic RCL petition. Once the F1 Visa holder has used one academic RCL for academic difficulties, a second request cannot be made for academic difficulties.
- Medical reasons - An F1 Visa holding student facing a temporary illness or medical condition may request a medical RCL not to exceed a total of 12 months throughout their academic program at TWU at each program level. The F1 Visa holding student must submit medical documentation from a licensed medical doctor, psychiatrist, doctor of osteopathy, licensed psychologist, or clinical psychologist. This information must be submitted each semester that the F1 Visa holding student is requesting the medical RCL for DSO approval to drop below full course of study.
- Last semester of coursework - An F1 Visa holding student in the final semester of their academic program, in need of fewer than full-time hours (12 hours for undergraduate students, 9 hours for graduate students) to complete academic requirements may request an academic RCL for their final semester. This is a request to register only for the remaining number of hours needed to complete the degree. If the F1 Visa holding undergraduate or graduate student needs only 3 hours, those 3 hours must be taken in-person or hybrid. If the F1 Visa holding undergraduate or graduate student needs 6 hours to complete their degree, at least 3 hours must be taken in-person or hybrid. If an F1 Visa holding undergraduate student needs only 9 hours, 6 hours must be taken in-person or hybrid.
- Students engaged in certain practical training opportunities - F1 Visa holding students enrolled in an academic program in which a full-time internship or clinical rotation is required for completion of the degree - and this requirement is designated as full-time enrollment for all students by the academic department are considered to be enrolled full-time by the TWU ISSS office. In addition to a Curricular Practical Training request, the F1 Visa holding student must also submit a request for an Academic RCL through the International Portal.