Academics
Maintaining Your F-1 Status
An F-1 student is a nonimmigrant who is pursuing a "full course of study" to achieve a specific educational or professional objective, at an academic institution in the United States that has been designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to offer courses of study to such students, and has been enrolled in SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) (the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System). Once the F-1 student has completed their academic and professional objectives, the student is expected by the US government to return to their home country.
This section is not a comprehensive list and should not take the place of one-on-one consultation. If you are unsure or need further clarification, please contact the Cranwell International Center. Below is a summary of F-1 regulations and commonly used immigration terminology. Familiarize yourself with these basic principles and terms to avoid violating your immigration status.
How to maintain F-1 status
- You must attend the school and degree program indicated on your Form I-20.
- You must report to Cranwell International Center upon your arrival to Blacksburg, VA via the IntlHokies check-in e-form. Students will need to submit the Immigration Check-In e-form through the InltHokies Portal after they arrive in the US/to campus.
You must be enrolled full-time. Full-time enrollment is considered the following: - 12 credit hours for undergraduate students – must enroll in at least 9 in-person/hybrid credits.
- 9 credit hours for graduate students without an assistantship – must enroll in at least 6 in-person/hybrid credits.
- 12 credit hours for graduate students with an assistantship - must enroll in at least 6 in-person/hybrid credits.
- *Once minimum in-person/hybrid required credit hours are met, students may enroll in as many online/virtual credit hours as desired or needed.
- **Research hours are considered in-person for immigration purposes. Enrollment in full-time co-op course (Graduate Students) or CEIP course (Undergraduate Students) is considered in-person and full-time enrollment. For more information on CEIP or the Co-op and the relation to CPT, please see the employment section.
- ***Exceptions to full-time enrollment requirement must be approved by an International Student Advisor at the Cranwell International Center. Do not drop below full-time before receiving prior authorization. See dropping courses section for more information.
- You must make satisfactory academic progress. Undergraduate students must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA, while Graduate students must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA.
- You must obtain a new Form I-20 if there are any changes to your program of study. Changes include things like a change in or addition of a new major, or a change in your program end date.
- You must seek proper authorization for any off-campus employment. Students are not allowed to work off-campus in the US without authorization. They must consult with an International Student Advisor at the Cranwell International Center regarding off-campus employment options.
- You must work within the restrictions for on-campus employment. F-1 students are allowed to work on-campus, up to 20 hours per week, when school is in session. Students may work on-campus, more than 20 hours per week, during official school breaks (e.g., summer, winter, etc.).
- All students must file tax forms every year, even if they have not earned any income.
- Students who plan to transfer into or out of Virginia Tech must speak with a DSO (Designated School Official) at the Cranwell International Center. If you are transferring to Virginia Tech from another school within the US, you must have your SEVIS record transferred to Virginia Tech. Additionally, students who plan to transfer out of Virginia Tech will need to meet with an International Student Advisor at the Cranwell International Center to request the transfer of their SEVIS record to the new university.
- You must keep your Form I-20 valid at all times. Always keep track of the expiration date of your Form I-20. If you need to extend your Form I-20 beyond the expiration date, you must work with an International Student Advisor at the Cranwell International Center to submit a request for an extension before your Form I-20 expires. If the ending date on the Form I-20 expires before you notify an International Student Advisor, you are out of status and must submit a petition to DHS for reinstatement of your legal status.
- Your passport must be kept valid for the duration of your stay and for travel purposes. Maintaining a valid passport is the responsibility of the student. The passport can be renewed by the home country consulate or embassy in the US. Letters certifying enrollment at Virginia Tech that assist students in obtaining passport revalidation are available from HokieSPA or the Registrar’s Office.
- You must maintain your visa. If the visa stamp in your passport expires while you are in the US, this has no impact on period of authorized stay in the US. However, you will need to renew your visa only if you leave the US and seek to reenter. Note that a visa may only be obtained at a US Embassy or Consulate outside of the US; nonimmigrant visas cannot be renewed from within the US.
- Traveling outside the U.S.? You must obtain a travel signature to return. Review our Travel Information page for more information. Travel signatures are valid for one year from the date they were last signed for current students and valid for 6 months for students on OPT/STEM OPT (Optional Practical Training).
- You must keep your address changes and/or name changes up-to-date. You are required, by law, to report any address changes to Virginia Tech 10 days of moving so that your SEVIS record can be updated. You must update your information on HokieSpa. Your HokieSpa address is automatically used to update your SEVIS record.
- You should be aware of your 60-day grace period. After the completion of your program of study at Virginia Tech or after the completion of Optional Practical Training, international students in F-1 status have 60 days in which to depart the US, transfer to another school, or apply for a change of status.
Things that DO NOT affect your F-1 Status
Use of support services on campus will not impact your status.
For example, you can consult with the Graduate Ombudsperson, visit Cook Counseling or the Schiffert Health Center, seek assistance from the Dean of Students office, or take advantage of the programs and services of the Women's Center.
Parking tickets, Student Conduct sanctions, or Graduate Honor System decisions also do not influence your status, unless a penalty includes suspension or dismissal from the university. If you have any questions or concerns about how participation in a state or federally sponsored program may impact your status, please consult with one of our immigration advisors before you participate in the program.
Dropping Courses as an International Student
While attending Virginia Tech, students must maintain their full-time enrollment requirement. If a situation arises where you would like to drop a class, DO NOT do so without considering the impact on your F-1 immigration status.
- If dropping a class will not take you below the full-time and in-person requirements, you may drop the class. If you are unsure, you must come speak with an advisor at Cranwell BEFORE dropping a course.
- Withdrawing from a course and taking a W as a grade does not negatively affect your immigration status. Students may do this without violating their full-time or in-person requirements.
If you believe dropping a course would affect your full-time enrollment, you must come speak with or set up an appointment with an advisor at Cranwell BEFORE making a change. It is the STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY to maintain their F-1 status, and failure to do so could affect your immigration status and future benefits.
Reduced Course Load
F-1 and J-1 international students who wish to enroll in a course load that is less than full-time must request authorization for a Reduced Course Load (RCL) from Cranwell International Center before doing so. Please note that applying for an RCL does not guarantee approval - your request must be thoroughly reviewed within the context of related federal regulations and university policies before this can be determined. If you or your department have questions about RCLs, please contact one of our International Student Advisors directly.
Eligibility
Students who are having academic difficulties, are in their final semester, or are experiencing a medical condition or temporary illness are eligible to apply for authorization to enroll below full-time.
Academic Difficulties
Students who are experiencing academic difficulties due to one of the following reasons are eligible to apply for an RCL:
Will require approval from Professor:
- Initial Difficulty with English Language
- Initial Difficulty with Reading Requirements
- Unfamiliarity with American Teaching Methods
Will require approval from Academic Advisor:
- Improper Course Level Placement
Additional Information:
- Students must resume a full-time course load in the next available semester to maintain student status.
- Students previously authorized to drop below full-time due to academic difficulties are not eligible for a second authorization due to academic difficulties while still pursuing a program at the same education level. This restriction does not apply to additional RCL authorizations due to medical reasons or being in your final semester.
- If authorization is granted for the requested RCL and the current program end date listed on your Form I-20 or DS-2019 is later than your new anticipated completion date, then you will be provided with an updated Form I-20 or DS-2019 that lists your new program completion date (which will be the official end date of the current semester).
Medical Condition or Temporary Illness
Students who are experiencing a medical condition or temporary illness are eligible to apply for an RCL. Per federal regulation, students are required to provide a recommendation letter from Schiffert Health Center, Cook Counseling Center, or another licensed medical doctor, doctor of osteopathy, or licensed clinical psychologist that supports the student's request to reduce their course load to below full-time. The letter should:
- Be on official letterhead
- List the student's full name and date of birth
- Recommend either reduced enrollment or no enrollment
- Verify that a medical condition or temporary illness is or was present that impacted or is currently impacting the student's academic progress; Specific details of the medical condition or illness should not be stated in this documentation – only that a medical condition or illness exists.
Additional Information:
- Students may request an RCL for medical reasons more than once, but may not exceed an aggregate of 12 months total per academic program level.
- RCL requests for medical reasons that exceed one semester must be requested and reauthorized for each new semester, including submitting new documentation.
- Students may not participate in on-campus or off-campus employment while authorized for a medical RCL.
- Students must resume a full-time course load in the next available semester in order to maintain student status unless they are reauthorized for a medical RCL.
- If a student will remain in the US while on an authorized medical RCL, they must continue to maintain their medical insurance coverage. For any questions regarding medical insurance requirements, please contact the Student Medical Insurance office.
Final Semester
Students in their final semester and do not require full-time enrollment to complete their course of study are eligible to apply for an RCL. Students must enter the information for their academic advisor or department representative who can affirm that this is their final semester and less than full-time enrollment is possible to graduate. If approved, students must still maintain a minimum enrollment requirement, as follows:
Undergraduate students:
- Must enroll in at least 1 credit hour (on-campus or hybrid).
Graduate students:
- Non-thesis students must enroll in at least 1 credit hour (on-campus or hybrid).
- Students NOT defending within first 5 weeks of semester must enroll in at least 3 credit hours (on-campus or hybrid).
- Students defending within first 5 weeks of semester are required to submit the Start of Semester Defense Exception (SSDE) form to the Graduate School after obtaining the appropriate departmental signatures so they can be enrolled in the required 1 credit placeholder.
Once approved, a student's program end date will be updated if it does not already match their newly anticipated program completion date. The end date will always be updated to the official final day in the semester of the Final Semester Reduced Course Load.
Graduate students defending within the first 5 weeks of the fall/spring semester will have their program end date updated to the end of the 7-week SSDE period in the fall/spring or the official end date of summer semester in August, if defending during the summer.
Additional Information:
If you are enrolled for 3 or more credit hours, you must maintain full health insurance coverage for the semester. They must continue to maintain their medical insurance coverage. Full health insurance is not required if you are enrolled for Start of Semester Defense Exception. For any questions regarding medical insurance requirements, please contact the Student Medical Insurance office.
If you are authorized for an RCL in your final term but do not complete your program,
How to Apply
You will need to submit the Reduced Course Load e-form that applies to your situation through the IntlHokies Portal, as follows:
- Reduced Course Load Request (Academic) – for those having academic difficulties or in their final semester.
- Reduced Course Load Request (Medical) – for those experiencing a medical condition or temporary illness.
*Please be sure to have your recommendation letter ready before submitting your request. If you are a graduate student who will be requesting no enrollment, you are required to also submit a Request for Leave of Absence with your request. Please be sure to review the Graduate School's Leave of Absence policy completely and thoroughly if requesting no enrollment.
Academic Relief
Virginia Tech recognizes that significant medical, psychiatric, or psychological problems can interfere with a student's ability to meet academic responsibilities. In some instances, students will wish to receive academic relief. At Virginia Tech, academic relief comes in the form of the Medical Review Advisory Committee and the student’s Dean devising a way of easing the student’s burden, whether by dropping a course, allowing the student to take an incomplete on courses, delaying exams, or, in some cases, withdrawing the student from the university for medical reasons.
Undergraduate and graduate students requesting a medical RCL may consider applying for academic relief either through Schiffert Health Center or Cook Counseling Center. If a student wishes to consider this option, we highly recommend that students review the website of the office they are already working with or that applies to their situation, and reaching out to them directly, along with their Academic Advisor.
*This process is different than the reduced course load processes mentioned above. For immigration purposes, students must update Cranwell so we can document the academic relief.
I-20 Extensions
The program end date as listed on your I-20 is the estimated date of completion for your program. If you believe you need more time to complete your program, you may submit an I-20 extension request on the IntlHokies portal.
This request will require contact information for a second approver. This is generally your academic advisor or department representative that can evaluate your academic progress. They will receive a separate email upon your submission of the I-20 extension request. They will need to explain their reasoning behind the extension request. We require a compelling academic necessity to be able to extend.
Upon their submission, Cranwell will evaluate your request and decide if an extension can be granted.
As extensions are not guaranteed, students should attempt to complete their program within the initial granted period. If for any reason you think you may need an extension and are unsure about the process, please come see or schedule a meeting with a Cranwell advisor.
*I-20 extensions cannot be granted because of a student’s participation in an internship/co-op (CPT). In order to extend, the academic reasoning for the extension cannot be related to a delay from final semester CPT.
Change of Level
A student would need a change of level when they go from one degree level to another. For example, going from a master's level to a PhD level. The change of level must be made in the student’s SEVIS record and the I-20 must be updated to reflect this.
*This process is for changing a student's level of study within Virginia Tech.
Undergraduate Process
Undergraduates will be moving to the Virginia Tech Graduate School (or Northern Virginia Campus) from the bachelor's level to either the master’s level or PhD level. Once accepted and admitted to the new program, the student will need to do the following:
- Submit the transfer out request on IntlHokies found in the F-1 student services section. Select the option that you are transferring to another campus at Virginia Tech and fill out the appropriate information.
- Submit the New International Student Intake Form on IntlHokies under the admission section. Financial Information will need to be submitted with the intake form for the new level. Please refer to the financial requirements page for cost breakdowns and accepted funding sources.
Graduate Process
Graduates wishing to change their level of study must first submit the appropriate GAAPS form to the graduate school. (LINK) Once the GAAPS form is signed by the Cranwell office, the student will need to do the following:
- Submit a Change of Level Form I-20 request on IntlHokies found under the F-1 student services section. Financial Information will need to be submitted with the intake form for the new level. Please refer to the financial requirements page for cost breakdowns and accepted funding sources.
*Students submitting a GAAPS for master's direct to PhD or PhD to master’s will not need to resubmit financial information. If you are unsure, please contact Cranwell.
Beginning and Transferring to a Program Outside of Virginia Tech
If you have been accepted to a program outside of Virginia Tech, either at the same level or at a new level, you will need to submit the transfer out request on IntlHokies found in the F-1 student services section.
Your SEVIS record will be set to transfer to your new school on the day you indicate on the transfer out e-form. Once your record transfers, you are no longer able to work on-campus at Virginia Tech. This includes assistantships such as GTAs and GRAs. Generally, records are transferred between semesters.
If you have recently graduated from Virginia Tech and wish to start a program at a new school, you must submit your request and have your SEVIS record transferred to your new school before the end of your 60-day grace period. The new program must also start within 5 months of your current program completion to be eligible for the transfer.
*If you wish to transfer your record mid-semester, you will need to speak with an advisor at Cranwell. A mid-semester transfer could affect your immigration status.
Change of Campus
Graduate Students wishing to change the campus at which they are studying must first submit the appropriate GAAPS form to the graduate school. (LINK) Once the GAAPS form is signed by the Cranwell office, the student will need to do the following:
- Submit the transfer out request on IntlHokies found in the F-1 student services section. Select the option that you are transferring to another campus at Virginia Tech and fill out the appropriate information.
- Submit the New International Student Intake Form on IntlHokies under the admission section. Financial Information will need to be submitted with the intake form for the new campus. Please refer to the financial requirements page for cost breakdowns and accepted funding sources.
Credits and Transcripts
For information on transferring credits to or from Virginia tech, Transcripts, and information on your degree, reach out to the University Registrar.
Cranwell does not manage your academic records, credits, or transcripts.