Foothill College is proud of its international student community. We want to do all we can to ensure your success as Foothill students. It is your responsibility to know and follow the legal requirements that keep you “in status”. Your “status” is the immigration category in which you entered the U.S. Most international students are in F-1 status. If you fail to stay in status, you could jeopardize your ability to complete your academic goals in the U.S. and risk having to leave the U.S.
Important Tips Regarding Immigration Regulations
You must:
- Carry and complete a full course load at Foothill during the fall, winter and spring quarters. Full time is at least 12 units.
- Obtain authorization in advance in writing from an international student advisor if you plan to drop below 12 units.
- Apply for an extension of program if you will not complete your degree within the time specified in section 5 of your I-20. Apply for the extension 4-5 months before the I-20 expires.
- Limit on-campus employment to 20 hours per week while school is in session or 40 hours during school breaks or holidays.
- Not work off-campus unless you have specific authorization from an international student advisor or DHS.
- Before traveling outside the U.S., have your I-20 signed by an international student advisor and check to see if the date of your F-1 visa is valid for re-entry.
- Keep your passport valid for 6 months into the future.
- Inform the International Students Office within 10 days if you change your U.S. residence address, your legal name, or your academic major.
- Enroll in no more than one online class in your first twelve units each term.
- If you plan to transfer to another school, request a “release” to transfer to another school with an advisor in the International Students Office before the completion date on your current I-20.
- Report early departure date and reason if you leave Foothill before the completion date on your I-20.
BEFORE you do any of the following, you must see an advisor in the International Students Office:
- Withdraw from Foothill College (for any reason)
- Are not registered full time (for any reason)
- Drop below 12 units of classes (for any reason)
- Are not registered for a quarter
You must leave the U.S. within 60 days of completing your studies unless you change to another visa, apply for post-completion practical training, or enroll in another degree program.
If you fall out of status for some reason (for example not completing at least 12 units in one quarter), please meet with your international student advisor immediately. Simply registering full-time in the next semester or stopping your unauthorized work does not put you back in status. There are steps you can take to recover your status, but the sooner you begin, the better your chances for approval. Recovering your status after having fallen out of status is not guaranteed.
Falling out of status has very serious consequences. You could be prevented from re-entering the U.S. depending on your status violation.
