International students are responsible for knowing and following all relevant immigration regulations. Failure to comply with these regulations may have very severe consequences for your ability to study, seek employment, or even remain in the United States. The following information describes what students must do in order to maintain legal status in the United States. Please contact the ISSS if you have any questions regarding the information presented.
Maintain valid or unexpired immigration documents.
a. An unexpired foreign passport valid at least six months into the future
b. An I-94 card marked "F-1 D/S" or "J-1 D/S"
c. An unexpired I-20 (for F-1 students) or DS-2019 (for J-1 students) that has been stamped by an USCIS inspector or was issued by the ISSS.
Be enrolled full-time each semester.
Undergraduate students must always complete at least 12 credits every semester; graduate students must complete 9 credits in order to be considered full-time. Only one online class can be counted towards full time enrollment. See more details about the rules for online classes.
All students are required to make normal, full-time progress toward degree completion and to complete within specified time periods. Extensions other than for medical or other unavoidable academic reasons are not permitted.
If you need to enroll for less than full-time status, please review our page on underenrollment.
Do not engage in off-campus employment without authorization from the USCIS and/or the ISSS.
Full-time students in F-1 or J-1 status may accept on-campus employment of no more than 20 hours per week during the school year, or full-time during vacation periods.
Report any change of address to the UMSL Registration Office and the USCIS within 10 days of moving.
F-1 and J-1 students are required to maintain a current local U.S. address and an overseas permanent address in MyView Make any address updates within 10 days of moving.
Apply for an extension of your I-20 or DS-2019 before your documents expire if you need more time to complete your program.
Apply for an extension of your I-20 or DS-2019 at least 30 days prior to the expiration of your document. Applications for extension after your document has expired will not be accepted.
Contact the ISSS immediately if there are any changes to your I-20 or DS-2019, or to your personal or academic situation.
Examples of such changes include:
a. change of name or citizenship
b. change of school, major, or degree level
c. withdrawal or termination from program due to academic or medical reasons
d. departure from the U.S. for research, study, or a leave of absence
e. transfer to another institution in the U.S.
