Maintaining F1 Status

Degree Program: Student must register for at least 12 credits/hours for the fall and spring semester and complete 12 credits each semester.  No more than one online or hybrid course (3 credits only) is permitted per semester.

Withdrawal:  Should you feel that you have to drop your classes below full-time (12 credits), please see an advisor at IE first BEFORE dropping your classes.  If you need medical leave, you must provide a proper documentation to IE sun as a doctor's note and you may need to go to the office of Dean of Students for excused withdrawal for your grades and refund. 

• Passport: Your Passport must be valid at least 6 months into the future.  If you need to extend your passport, you must contact your country's consulate in the U.S. (mostly in New York City or Washington D.C.), or renew it when you return to your home country.
• F1 Visa: If you plan to travel into the U.S., a valid F1 visa is required. While remaining in the U.S. and studying full-time as an F1 student, your visa may be expired. Once it is expired, you can only renew your F1 visa at the U.S. Embassy in your home country.
• I-20: It is your responsibility to keep your I-20 unexpired.  The I-20 expiration date is your program end date on your I-20.  If you need more time to complete your program than your program end date on the I-20, you must apply for an I-20 extension.  I-20 extension application is available under Forms.
• I-94: Your I-94 record should list your most recent entry to the U.S. It states that you are in F1 status, and that your expiration date is listed as "D/S" (Duration of Status).  Each time you enter the U.S., you can visit https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94 to obtain your electronic Form I-94 record.  This record is your proof that you are in F1 status.  You will also need it for immigration or public benefits such as a driver's license or social security number.
• ALWAYS TALK TO THE IS A FIRST ABOUT YOUR IMMIGRATION STATUS: During your stay in the U.S. you will hear a lot of rumors concerning immigration from your peers. Before making any assumptions regarding your immigration status, you should always visit the ISA first. It is best to call and make an appointment in advance, so that we can serve you better.

As an F1 student, by law you are required to update your address within 10 days of your move. Please update your address by completing Information Update Form and submit it to IE. Do NOT change your address in different offices on campus including the Registrar. We will update your address for school records in Banner and SEVIS (Student Exchange Visitor Information System) for your I-20 as well.

• Change of Name
• Change of Major
• Completion of Program/Graduation
• Transfer to another school in the U.S.
• Withdrawal from classes:  You must see an advisor at the Office of International Education before dropping your classes. 

As an F-1 student, your primary reason for being in the United States is to study. All other activities are secondary in importance, including legal work. Work is strictly controlled by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), under The Department of Homeland Security. Never accept employment without consulting with the Office of International Education. Off-campus work that has not been approved by USCIS and the Office of International Education is strictly prohibited and is a violation of your F-1 status.

• On-Campus Job: If you are currently an F-1 student in legal status, you are permitted to work on campus less than 20 hours per week during spring and fall semester. Many international students are employed in various college departments at Nassau Community College.  If you have a job offer on campus, please bring your SPD Employer Services Form from a hiring department/office with your passport, I-20 and I-94.  We will help you with paper work for Social Security Administration and Human Resources.
• Off-Campus Job: Working without proper authorization and papers is a deportable offence.  Please speak to an advisor at the Office of International Education about off-campus employment options.
  
  Please remember that having a social security number doesn't permit you to work off campus. Students that would like more information on off-cmapus employment should contact the Office of International Eudaction for Advisement. Understand that off-campus employment is strictly controlled by government regulations, and not all students are eligible.

All F-1 students in legal status are eligible for Social Security numbers if they have already secured a job on campus or have a work permit (EAD or authorization on I-20) to work off-campus. If you have a job offer on campus, you must first come to the Office of International Education with a job offer letter, passport, I-20 and I-94. We will need to verify that you are in legal F-1 status and issue you a letter to bring with you to the Social Security Office. You will also need a letter from the campus department that you will be working for, stating that you have already been hired.

After you receive your letters, you must take them to a Social Security Office (we recommend Mineola) along with your passport, I-20 and I-94. You will also need to complete an official Social Security number application. You will need to present these documents to the clerk at the Social Security Office.

If the clerk finds that you are eligible for a number, he or she give a receipt with your wait time to receive your Social Security Number card in the mail. Sometimes, there may be a problem with your record in the database that the Social Security Administration uses to verify your F-1 status. If this happens to you, you should report it to the Office of International Education.

If you receive a receipt, you must bring it to our office to complete an employment verification form so that you can start working.  Once you receive your social security number, you must present it to Human Resources.  It is best to contact us if you have any questions.

It is possible to get a New York State Driver license. You must visit your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) with you passport, I-94 card and I-20 to apply. Currently, you will also need to have either a Social Security Card/Number or a letter from Social Security stating you are not eligible for a number.

It is not necessary for you to have a New York State driver license if you hold a current foreign driver license from your country. You may also have an international driver I.D. card, which is not a legal driver permit. An international I.D. card is not a legal license, but a form of identification that can accompany you foreign driver license.

For more information on obtaining a New York State driver license, please go to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles website at www.nysdmv.gov. If you have further questions, please contact the Office of International Student Affairs.

Before you travel anywhere, you should always contact the Office of International Student Affairs. If you are planning to travel outside of the United States, it is necessary for you to get your I-20 signed prior to leaving, as you will need a signature to re-enter the United States.

Before you travel, you are required to complete a Travel Authorization Form. You must bring this completed form, along with your I-20 and passport to the Office of International Student Affairs.

If you have completed your studies at Nassau Community College, or if you have decided that you would like to go to another school, it is possible to “transfer” your I-20 to that school. The transfer process is for students who are in lawful F-1 status, that is, you have not violated your status in any way.

If you would like to transfer, it is necessary to do the following:

• Apply to the new school and be accepted to a program of study.
• Contact the International Students Office at your new school to inform them of your transfer. You will have to complete an I-20 transfer application, and turn in documentation that will allow your new school to issue you an I-20.
• Contact the Office of International Student Affairs at Nassau Community College to inform us of your plans to transfer to a new school. We will need to complete a transfer recommendation form for your new school. This form can be obtained from the International Student Office at your new school.
• Your I-20 records will be transferred to your new school through the SEVIS tracking system, and your new school will issue you a new I-20.

If you are graduating and transferring (this means you are getting your degree from Nassau Community College) you must inform the Office of International Education of your plans to transfer within 60 days of your last day of classes at Nassau Community College.

If you are NOT graduating and transferring (this means you will NOT earn a degree at Nassau Community College), you must inform the Office of International Education of your transfer immediately (preferably BEFORE the semester ends). Understand that your status will be terminated if you do not complete the transfer process within 30 days of the first day of classes for the term directly following your last term. For example, if your last term at Nassau is the fall term, you record will be terminated 30 days from the start date of the following spring semester if you have not completed the transfer process.

If you would like your official Nassau Community College transcripts to be sent to your new school, you can order it online via. myNCC portal or go to the Registrar's Office, and complete a transcript request form.

IMPORTANT! Once your I-20 record has been transferred to your new school, we no longer have access to change or update your record. For this reason, it is very important that you make sure that you have been accepted academically to your new school, and that you definitely want to study there! If you change your mind about your transfer, you must inform the Office of International Student Affairs at Nassau Community College immediately.

When an F-1 student is getting ready to graduate, he or she generally has the following options:

• File for graduation via. myNCC portal or at the office of Registrar.  If you don't file graduation, your diploma cannot be issued.
• Transfer to another school.  Please bring your acceptance letter and transfer form from a new school.  Your I-20 will be transferred out to them as soon as you complete your last semester at NCC.
• Apply for Post Completion Optional Practical Training (OPT).
  Your application for post-completion of studies Optional Practical Training must be filed and received by USCIS BEFORE the last day of classes of your graduating semester.
• Leave the United States within 60 days from the last day of your classes. If you do not plan on transferring to a new school or engaginging in post completion Optional Practical Training, you will not be able to maintain legal F-1 status after you graduate from Nassau Community College. When you graduate, you have 60 days from the last day of classes to inform us of your transfer to a new school. If you do not inform us that you wish to have your record transferred out, it will automatically be completed in the SEVIS system. If you decide to remain in the United States and attend another institution after this point, you will need to file for a Reinstatement to F-1 status. Call the IE Office at 516.572.7053 for more information.