Staying in Status
It is very important for international students to stay in status at all times. Your ability to receive employment authorization depends on your maintaining legal status. In addition, if you fall out of status, you risk possible serious problems with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
To Stay In Legal Status:
Your Visa does not need to be valid to stay in the U.S.. It is only an entry document. However, any student who leaves the U.S. and returns must have a valid visa. If the student leaves the U.S. with an invalid visa he/she will need to apply for a new visa at the U.S. Embassy in his/her home country.
Your I-20 or DS-2019 must always be valid and your SEVIS record updated and accurate.
You must always be enrolled full-time (full-time for undergraduates is a minimum of 12 credit hours in the fall and spring semesters; full-time for graduate students is a minimum of 9 credit hours in the fall and spring semesters) except for summer sessions.
You can only work with proper authorization.
Have a valid I-20/DS-2019
I-20s and DS-2019s have expiration dates, which can be found in item 5 on the I-20 and Item 3 on the DS-2019. If your I-20 or DS-2019 is going to expire before you finish your program, consult the Office of International Services atleast 30 days before the expiration date.
Be a full-time student
In order to maintain status, F-1 and J-1 students must be enrolled full-time for each fall and spring semester. Enrollment in summer sessions is not required, unless a student begins study at UALR in the summer.
Undergraduates
Full-time enrollment is at least 12 credit hours per semester.
Graduates
Full-time enrollment is 9 credit hours per semester.
Exceptions to Full-Time Enrollment
- A student in the last semester of a program is only required to enroll in as many credit hours as are needed for graduation. OIS will need confirmation from your academic advisor that you are in the last semester of your program.
- A student who has completed all course work and is only required to be enrolled in dissertation hours, thesis hours or the equivalent for graduation may enroll in the number of hours required by the department. OIS will need confirmation from your academic advisor.
Note: In all cases of under-enrollment except Ph.D. dissertation hours, students should ask their academic advisors to send a memo or email to the Office of International Services that states which course(s) the student is enrolled in, and that the academic department considers the student to be full-time.
Other Exceptions Requiring Approval of a Foreign Student Advisor
If a student will under-enroll for any reason not mentioned above, including all of the cases listed below, a student must speak with an academic advisor and a foreign student advisor before withdrawing from a course.
Examples include: A first semester student who is advised by an academic advisor to take less then a full load of courses due to language difficulties or unfamiliarity with the US teaching methods; a student who must drop a class because they were placed in an incorrect level; a student who is advised by a doctor to under-enroll due to a severe medical condition.
Work Only with Authorization
All international students and dependents who are eligible for work authorization must have permission either from International Services or CIS before they begin working. F-2 visa holders may not work.