Students or prospective students wishing to change status to F-1 have 2 options: by travel outside the U.S. or by filing within the U.S.

Option #1: Travel outside and re-enter the U.S.

Students (or prospective students) may schedule an appointment with ISSSO to request an “Initial Attendance” I-20. ISSSO will issue the new I-20 upon receipt of required documentation. Students will then need to schedule a visa interview with the U.S. Embassy/Consulate to apply for their F-1 visa. The change of status to F-1 is considered complete only after successfully re-entering the U.S. and receiving a new I-94 card marked “F-1” “D/S” and stamped I-20 at the port of entry. Additional details regarding F-1 visa application can be found on ISSSO’s website.

Students entering the United States under a new SEVIS ID# must wait to complete one full academic year as a full-time student before they are eligible to apply for CPT, OPT or Economic Hardship work authorization.

Option #2: File change of status application in the U.S.

This process only changes your visa status (e.g., your classification noted on your I-94 card). It will not change your visa sticker (the entry sticker in your passport). This means that if you depart from the U.S. and want to reenter, you must still obtain the appropriate visa sticker in your passport. Instead of applying for a change of visa status in the U.S., you may prefer to apply for a new visa sticker in your home country. Approval of a change of status in the U.S. does not guarantee that you will be issued a visa in your home country. Applying for a change in status may take up 120 days or longer.

Students may prefer to apply for a new visa sticker in their home countries rather than applying for a change of visa status in the United States. Ask ISSSO for more information and processing times. Ask ISSSO about current processing times.

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