Rules for maintaining I-20, SEVIS, and F-1 status

This page is for students who have come or will come to the United States on an F-1 visa. Obtaining the visa is only the beginning; being able to remain in the United States depends on maintaining your "status" during your studies. Here we explain the Form I-20, SEVIS record, rules for maintaining status, the process for regaining status (reinstatement) if it is lost, and military-service deferment matters specific to Turkish students. Details about visa applications, course-load requirements, CPT, and OPT are on the 2.2 Student visa (F-1) page; here we provide only a summary.

• Visa: A document issued by a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad for entering the United States. It is issued according to your purpose.
• Status: Shows the purpose and rules under which you are in the United States after entering. Maintaining status means fulfilling the purpose for which the visa was issued and complying with the rules connected to that purpose.
• SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System): The government system that stores information about F, M, and J students. Your school's designated school official (DSO) updates your record.
• Form I-20: The paper printout of your SEVIS record. Its name is "Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status."
• SEVIS records belong to the government. According to Study in the States, a school cannot refuse to transfer your record to another SEVP-certified school; however, the school may have its own academic-record rules and fees.

• The DSO of the SEVP-certified school that admitted you issues the I-20. There is no blank I-20 available for download.
• You and the DSO sign the form. If you are under 18, your parent or guardian signs it. Separate I-20s are issued for spouses and children.
• The type of form (academic/language or vocational) determines the visa you will receive and the status you will maintain: F-1 or M-1.
• Check the form when it arrives: Your name and date of birth must match your passport. If they differ, ask the DSO to correct them and send you a new form.
• The school code and SEVIS number on the I-20 are required for the I-901 SEVIS fee. Fee and payment: 2.2.
• If you received I-20s from more than one school, use only the one from the school you will attend.
• Carry the I-20 in your carry-on luggage when entering the country; it is requested for visa applications, entry, and driver's-license and Social Security number (SSN) applications.
• When is a new I-20 required?
  • if the form is lost or damaged
  • for a travel endorsement
  • when your SEVIS status changes, such as from "Initial" to "Active"
  • when important personal, program, or OPT information changes
• Old barcode I-20s issued before July 1, 2016, are invalid.

• You may enter the United States no more than 30 days before the program start date shown on your I-20.
• Notify the DSO immediately after entry. When you arrive at the school, contact the DSO again no later than the program start date.
• Check your I-94 record after entry at i94.cbp.dhs.gov.
• If you want to transfer to another school as soon as you arrive: Tell the DSO at the school listed on your I-20 that you have arrived in the United States and want to transfer immediately; show the acceptance document from the new school. You must enroll at the new school and begin a full course load within 30 days after arriving in the United States.
• For the rules concerning Form I-515A if your documents are found to be incomplete at entry, see 2.2.

1. Attend classes and make normal academic progress. If you are having difficulty, speak with the DSO immediately.
2. Take a full course load every term. For the numbers, such as at least 12 credit hours for undergraduate students, see 2.2.
3. Consult the DSO before dropping a class. You may reduce your course load only with the DSO's approval. A reduced load must still be at least 6 credit hours (semester or quarter hours) or half the number of hours required for a full load. A student who falls below a full course load without DSO approval is considered out of status.
4. If your program will not be completed by the end date on your I-20, request an extension BEFORE the end date. The DSO may grant an extension only for compelling academic or medical reasons, such as a change of field or thesis topic, an unexpected research problem, or a documented illness. Academic probation or suspension does not count as one of these reasons. No extension may be granted after the end date has passed.
5. Report an address or name change within 10 days. Reporting to the DSO through the method designated by the school also fulfills your obligation to report to immigration authorities; the DSO enters the information into SEVIS within 21 days. The address you provide must be where you actually live, not a mailing address.
6. Obtain permission before working. On-campus work is limited to 20 hours per week during the term; full-time work is permitted during breaks and the annual vacation. You may begin an on-campus job no earlier than 30 days before classes begin. For CPT and OPT, see 2.2.
7. Annual vacation: If you have completed at least one full academic year at an SEVP-certified school and plan to enroll in the next term, you are entitled to an annual vacation. During this vacation, you may take as many classes as you wish or none at all.
8. Speak with the DSO first in these situations: changing your major, program, or degree; changing educational level; transferring or taking leave; interrupting your studies; traveling abroad; moving; or extending your program.
9. If you are in the OPT period: When you start a job, report the employer's information to the DSO or the SEVP Portal. Report name and address changes within 10 days. During STEM OPT, employer and email changes must also be reported within 10 days.

• Bring the following to your DSO to begin a transfer:
  • written acceptance from the new SEVP-certified school
  • contact information for the new school's DSO
  • the new school's SEVIS school code
• The two DSOs jointly set a transfer release date. After this date, responsibility for your record passes to the new school.
• Continue attending classes at your old school until that date. Your work authorization at the old school ends on that date.
• Obtain and sign a new I-20 from the new school. Enroll in classes and contact the new DSO within 15 days of the program start date on the new I-20.
• When transferring, classes at the new school must begin within 5 months of leaving the old school or the end date of the old I-20, whichever comes first.
• A transfer may sometimes be possible even if your record is in "Terminated" status; speak with the DSOs of both schools.
• After completing the program: F-1 students currently have 60 days to leave the United States after the end of their program and authorized OPT. Options for staying include transferring to another school, changing educational level, such as from undergraduate to graduate study, or changing to another status.
• M-1 students have 30 days to depart. An M-1 student cannot change to F-1 status within the United States.

• On July 17, 2026, DHS published a final rule eliminating the "duration of status" (D/S) period of stay for F, J, and I statuses (91 FR 44976).
• On September 14, 2026, the Massachusetts Federal District Court postponed the rule's effective date and stopped DHS from implementing the rule (Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration v. DHS, 26-cv-13799).
• USCIS is currently processing cases under the old rules. It accepts the August 28, 2024 edition of Form I-539 and the August 21, 2025 edition of Form I-765; it does not accept the September 15, 2026 editions of either form.
• DHS has stated that it will implement the rule if the court order is lifted.
• What would change if the rule takes effect, including a stay of up to four years, a 30-day departure period, and restrictions on changing fields and schools: 2.2.

• The SEVIS record of a student who works without authorization is terminated. In this situation, you must leave the United States immediately, and future entries may become more difficult.
• Application: File Form I-539 with USCIS together with a new I-20 containing the DSO's recommendation for reinstatement.
• Conditions USCIS may look for:
  • the period out of status must not have exceeded 5 months at the time of application, except in extraordinary circumstances
  • no record of repeated or deliberate violations
  • continuing or immediately beginning a full course load at the school that issued the I-20
  • not having worked without authorization
  • the violation resulted from circumstances beyond your control, such as serious illness, school closure, natural disaster, or DSO error, or was related to a reduction in course load that the DSO could have approved, and denial would cause you substantial hardship
• There is no appeal if USCIS denies the application.
• Fee (G-1055, October 7, 2026 edition): Form I-539 costs $470 by paper and $420 online.
• Mailing address changed: USCIS changed the Form I-539 mailing addresses on October 7, 2026. It will accept forms mailed to the old addresses until November 9, 2026. Check your address on the I-539 addresses page.
• Another option: Leave the United States and reenter with a new "initial" I-20 and, if necessary, a new visa.
• For the consequences of overstaying, see 2.9 Consequences of overstay and unlawful presence and 12.2 Loss of status, unlawful presence, and the 3/10-year entry ban. Consult an immigration attorney if your situation is complicated.

• First obtain admission from an SEVP-certified school and an initial I-20 marked "change of status," pay the I-901 fee, and file Form I-539 with USCIS.
• If you are in the United States in B-1/B-2 status: Do not begin classes until USCIS approves the change. Enrolling in an educational program while in B status is a status violation.
• If no decision has been issued 15 days before the program start date, notify the new school's DSO; your start date may be deferred to the following term.
• Even after approval, you may begin on-campus employment and practical training only 30 days before the program start date.
• People who entered under the visa waiver program cannot change status within the United States; Turkey is not in this program.
• Details: 2.8 Change of status and extension from within the United States.

• For male Turkish citizens studying abroad to defer military service, their student status must first be recognized by a Turkish education attaché's office (Military Service Law No. 7179).
• For student status to be recognized: The school and program you attend must be recognized by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), or by the Ministry of National Education (MEB) for K–12; your previous diploma must also be from a recognized school. The office reviews the documents and issues a "Student Recognition Certificate."
• Age limits for deferment:
  • high school and equivalent: age 22
  • faculty and college: age 28
  • language education and master's degree: age 32
  • doctoral study, medical specialization, and proficiency in arts: age 35
• After graduation: Graduates of undergraduate programs abroad may receive a two-year deferment beginning at graduation, up to the end of the year in which they turn 28; master's graduates may receive a one-year deferment up to the end of the year in which they turn 32. Those whose equivalency process is ongoing may receive one additional year.
• Military-service procedures for graduates and employees are handled by the consulate general to which you are attached, not by the education attaché's office.
• Those who also hold U.S. citizenship are entitled to a one-time deferment until the end of the year in which they turn 35; applications are made to the consulate general.
• Details: 11.5 Military service. For the "Procedures Ongoing" letter available from YÖK while the equivalency process is pending, see 6.7.

• Your school's DSO: The first point of contact for questions about status, transfers, extensions, employment, and travel.
• SEVP (ICE) Response Center: +1 703 603 3400; weekdays 08:00–18:00 (U.S. Eastern Time), excluding federal holidays. Email: sevp@ice.dhs.gov. If your DSO cannot help, you may write to SEVP.
  • Mail: Student and Exchange Visitor Program, 500 12th Street SW, Stop 5600, Washington, DC 20536-5600
• USCIS Contact Center (I-539, I-765): +1 800 375 5283 (TTY +1 800 767 1833); live assistance Monday–Friday, 08:00–20:00 (U.S. Eastern Time).
• Report student-visa fraud or unauthorized employment (ICE): +1 866 347 2423 (1-866-DHS-2-ICE).
• Turkish Education Counselor's Office in Washington (student recognition certificate):
  • Address: 2525 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
  • Phone: +1 202 612 6810
  • Jurisdiction: District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia (for Ohio, also ask the Chicago Attaché's Office). For other states, see the education attaché offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles; information is on page 6.6.

• Requesting an extension after the end date on the I-20 has passed.
• Dropping a class or reducing the course load without DSO approval.
• Failing to report an address within 10 days after moving.
• Continuing to work at the old school's on-campus job after the transfer date.
• Failing to notify the DSO within 15 days after the program begins at the new school.
• Beginning school in tourist status without waiting for I-539 approval.
• Assuming that the current eCFR text is the rule in effect today.
• Waiting five months to pass after losing status.

• Are a visa and status the same thing? No. The U.S. Department of State issues the visa for travel to and entry into the United States; you maintain your status in the United States by following the rules. Discuss your situation regarding your visa's validity with your DSO.
• I lost my I-20. Ask the DSO for a new I-20.
• Do I also need to report an address change to USCIS? For F-1 students, reporting to the DSO within 10 days fulfills the obligation to report to immigration authorities.
• My school terminated my record. What should I do? Speak with the DSO immediately. Options include applying for reinstatement (I-539) or leaving the United States and returning with a new I-20. Consult an immigration attorney about your situation.
• Has the D/S rule been abolished? No. The new rule has been suspended by court order since September 14, 2026; USCIS is processing cases under the old rules.
• How many hours per week may I work as a teaching or research assistant? On-campus employment is limited to 20 hours per week during the term. See 6.4 Scholarships and funding.

• Form I-539 (PDF)
• Form I-539 instructions (PDF)
• Form I-539 mailing addresses
• USCIS fee schedule G-1055
• Pay the I-901 SEVIS fee (fmjfee.com)
• Form I-901, paper application (PDF)
• SEVP Portal (for OPT students)
• Search for an SEVP-certified school
• I-94 inquiry (CBP)
• Study in the States – Full course of study
• Study in the States – Traveling as an F or M student
• eCFR – 8 CFR 214.2, text dated July 1, 2026