SEVIS - Arriving & Maintaining Student Visa Status (IEP students only)

After arriving in the US, or after transferring into The Tseng College, every new student must check in with the Office of Admissions, Registration and Client Services (ARC).

To Check In, submit the following to ARC:

• Check-In form.  
  Include apartment or dorm room number (if applicable).  Emergency contact in the U.S. can be a roommate, or a new classmate.
• Copy of F-1 visa (picture page)
• Copy of Form I-94, available at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov.
  OR
• Copy of entry stamp in passport
  The I-94 is THE SAME AS the entry stamp in your passport.
  SUBMIT EITHER ONE, entry stamp in passport OR your most recent I-94.

Every new student - who is in the U.S. on an IEP I-20 - must check in with the Office of Admissions, Registration and Client Services (ARC) and submit the information listed above. ALL other forms, such as proof of insurance, conditions of acceptance, or other documents that have been requested are submitted to the IEP Student Life office.

As a student in the U.S. on an F-1 visa, you have certain rights and responsibilities. Maintaining your status involves not forgetting that your purpose for coming to the United States was to be a STUDENT. The U.S. Department of State issued you your visa based on your intended purpose. This means that you came to the U.S. to study. You should not take any action that takes away from that purpose.

For SEVIS-related questions and concerns, contact a DSO in Admissions, Registration and Client Services (ARC) in EU 200.

More information regarding studying in the United States can be found at:

Study in the States
https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/maintaining-status
https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/english-language-training

Education USA
https://educationusa.state.gov/experience-studying-usa/experience-studying-usa

Student Process Steps: How to Navigate the U.S. Immigration System
https://www.ice.gov/sevis/students

These are the requirements for IEP Students to Maintain F-1 Status

1. Arrive and enroll by the start date on your I-20 (or have previous permission to arrive late).
2. Enroll full time
   • IEP Students must attend all of their IEP class are enrolled in.  (IEP students who are allowed to take a university class in place of an IEP class are still considered enrolled full time.)
3. Avoid excessive absences
   • SEVIS regulations require attendance at English language programs to be considered for maintaining SEVIS status. Grades AND attendance are monitored. Excessive absences and/or a pattern of not passing IEP classes result in termination in SEVIS.
   • If missing class due to travel, get permission from an IEP Advisor before requesting travel.
   • Work with IEP Academics/Student Life and with a DSO in ARC BEFORE taking an extended period of time off. If for medical reasons, must submit doctors’ notes to a DSO in ARC before taking time off.
   • Obviously, if an emergency happens, have someone report it to IEP and to ARC. If a student must take a long time off due to a medical emergency, submit a doctor's note to ARC as early as possible.
4. Make Normal Progress
   The number of absences allowed and the grades required to be considered making progress in a language program is determined by the school's policies, so be aware of IEP's policies regarding absences and grades which can lead to termination in SEVIS. Any ONE of the following can result in termination: Excessive absences, an overall lack of progress, or failing all three IEP classes in a session.
5. Avoid misconduct that can result in dismissal from the program or from the university.
6. Report a change of address to a DSO in ARC within 10 days of the change.
7. Keep passport valid.
8. Maintain Health/Medical Insurance at all times. The IEP Student Life Office handles everything to do with IEP students and their insurance. IEP Student Life Office is located on the second floor in the Extended University Commons building in EU 200, (818) 677-3923, iepadmin@csun.edu.

Tell a DSO in ARC if you are leaving the program permanently to avoid an - Auto-Termination - in SEVIS. If IEP students do not show up for the next session and they have not told anyone in ARC or in the IEP Office, their I-20s can Auto-Terminate in SEVIS.

Do not overstay the 60-day grace period at the end of your studies. See "Completion of Studies" below for details.

Terminations Due to Violations

Any of the above violations can lead to “falling out of status - and termination of your I-20.

I-20s that are terminated because students failed to maintain status due to SEVIS violations are not eligible for a grace period after their I-20 has been terminated and are expected to depart the US immediately.

Violations that lead to terminations can leave a negative mark on a student's record and can cause problems in the future when applying for a new F-1 visa or when applying for any type of visa.

Other Types of Termination that do not leave a Negative Mark on Your Record

Withdraw from school before the session ends
Sometimes students who are in status must withdraw from school and leave the U.S. Their I-20s are terminated but the reason in SEVIS is Authorized Early Withdrawal. This type of termination does not cause a permanent negative in SEVIS. Under these circumstances, students have a 15-day grace period to prepare for departure from the U.S.

SEVIS I-901 fee not paid
SEVIS will Terminate I-20s if the SEVIS I-901 fee has not been paid for that specific SEVIS ID number. Anytime someone receives a new SEVIS ID number, which happens when a brand-new I-20 is issued, not during a SEVIS transfer, not due to reinstatement, but a completely new I-20, the SEVIS I-901 fee must be paid. The SEVIS fee is supposed to be paid after receiving a new I-20 and before scheduling a visa interview. However, sometimes the payment is not recorded in SEVIS and those students are sent notices to pay. If not paid, SEVIS terminates their I-20s.

Must respond to a Form I-515A “Notice to Student or Exchange Visitor - within 30 days
SEVIS will Terminate I-20s if you do not respond in time after receiving a Form I-515A. These are given when CBP (Customs and Border Protection) allows a student to enter the US, temporarily, for 30 days. Form I-515A can be issued to both F-1 and F-2 visa holders when entering the U.S. for the following reasons: 1) do not have I-20 with you, 2) re-entering after travel and I-20 is not endorsed (signed) for travel, 3) using the wrong I-20, or 4) not having all required documents with you.

If you receive a Form I-515A, send in all required documents to the address on the I-515A within 30 days! Information about Form I-515A can be found at the Department of Homeland Security website. If one of the required documents is your I-20 and you don’t have yours, request a reprinted I-20.  Contact a DSO in ARC if you have questions about the process. It is important to take care of a Form I-515A because if you do not, your I-20 will be terminated by SEVIS.

Passports must be valid when entering the United States. If you travel outside of the US, make sure to renew your passport before re-entering the U.S. to continue your studies.

If your expired passport has a valid visa, you can still use it if you kept the old passport. Present the old passport, along with the new passport when you re-enter the country.

You should keep your passport valid even if you are not traveling. Many countries allow you to renew your passport while in the U.S.

Visas must be valid for at least six months past the date you enter the United States. Students are permitted to stay in the U.S. with an expired F-1 visa as long as they stay in status in SEVIS. However, whenever students travel outside of the United States, they must have a valid visa to re-enter. Students who leave the US with expired visas must apply to a US Consulate for a new (updated) visa before attempting to re-enter the US.

If your passport is lost or stolen, contact your local embassy in the U.S. for a replacement passport. If it was stolen, report the theft to the police, too.

If your I-20 was lost or stolen along with your passport, request a reprinted I-20 before requesting a replacement passport.  For more information, see Other Requests & Questions.

Passports can be replaced while in the U.S., but visas are not replaced. (Visas are only needed to enter the US.)

IEP I-20s are issued for 12 months. Some students stay in IEP for a shorter time than 12 months, some stay longer than 12 months. If you will be in the IEP after the - Program End Date - printed on your I-20, request an extension of stay.  Avoid risking your SEVIS status, submit the request at least 3 weeks prior to the program end date on your I-20.

Only for students who maintained their SEVIS status:
After completing your last session in IEP, you have 60 days to either prepare for departure from the U.S. or to transfer to another school.

If you are leaving the United States and not returning within the next 5 months, you have 60 days to prepare for departure from the US.

During that 60-day grace period, you:

• can stay in the United States and not attend school
• can travel WITHIN the U.S. only.
• can leave the U.S. permanently on any day during the 60-day grace period
• CANNOT travel outside of the US and re-enter the US
• should report that you are not returning. If you answered, NO, I am returning to my home country - on a recent Continuation Survey, that is all you need to do. If you did not answer the most recent Continuation Survey, tell a DSO in ARC that you are not returning. This is to prevent problems that could affect you, years in the future, if you want to visit the U.S. again (not just on a student visa, but also as a visitor, and other visa types).

If you are transferring to a new school, you:

• must request to transfer out
• must provide a written proof of admission to the new school in enough time to be transferred before the 60-day grace period ends
• must attend the first available session at the new school
• can travel in and out of the U.S. in the time before the new school starts, or not travel at all
• must use the new school's I-20 to re-enter the U.S. if you travel while between schools