F1 Visa Regulations Overview

Once you receive your visa and enter the United States, there are a few things that you need to do:

• Arrive in the U.S. no earlier than 30 days prior to and no later than the start date listed on your I-20
• Report to the school listed on your I-20 form immediately upon entering the U.S.
• Attend the federally required immigration orientation at WT

Per federal regulations, F1 student visa holders must be enrolled full-time for the Fall and Spring semesters.

Undergraduates (includes Second Bachelor students) must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours. At least 9 of those hours must be face-to-face.

Graduates must be enrolled in at least 9 credit hours. At least 6 of those hours must be face-to-face.

F1 visa holders may work on-campus up to 20 hours per week during the Fall and Spring semesters. During official university breaks, students may work on-campus up to 40 hours per week.

Off-campus work is strictly prohibited at any time during a student's program of study

Internships

F1 visa holders may participate in internships during the course of study. Internships are also known as CPT (Curricular Practical Training). To qualify for CPT, you must be in valid F1 visa status for at least 2 long semesters (a Fall and a Spring).

Please visit our CPT website for more information on internships. Please be sure to visit this website BEFORE applying for or accepting an internship.

Post-Completion Work Authorization

A benefit of the F1 student visa is post-completion work authorization, also called OPT (Optional Practical Training).

Please visit our OPT website for more information on post-completion work authorization. Please be sure to visit this website BEFORE applying for or accepting any offer of employment after graduation.

• Must be pre-registered for classes for the next long semester
• Must get page 2 of your I-20 signed by a DSO
• Passport must be valid at least 6 months into the future at the time of travel back into the U.S.
• Must have a valid visa. If your visa has expired, you will need to apply for a visa renewal while outside of the U.S.

Federal regulations require F1 student visa holders to report the following changes to a DSO. Per federal regulations, updates must be reported within 10 days of the change:

• Physical Address
• Mailing Address
• Email Address
• Phone Number
• Major/Program Changes
• Change of Level (going from a Bachelor's to a Master's, Bachelor's to Second Bachelor's, etc.)
• If you will NOT finish your program before the end date listed on your I-20 (also called a Program Extension) - this update requires a minimum notice of 15 business days (3 weeks) BEFORE the end date of your I-20 to allow a DSO to process the extension

• Passport
• I-20

• Visa Stamp

The most common options after an F1 visa holder graduates are:

• Apply for Initial OPT
• Go back to your home country within 60 days of your program completion date
• Apply for and be accepted into a new degree program (at WT or elsewhere) within 60 days of your program completion date