Violation and Reinstatement of Immigration Status

Occasionally, you will encounter a problem that affects your immigration status. Though situations of his kind do not occur frequently, they can happen to anyone.  This section provides a general explanation of the issues and what to do. 

What is a Violation of Immigration Status?

Violation of status means that you have broken an immigration rule for F-1 students. If this occurs, you will lose the benefits of your status in the U.S., including the possibility of working in the U.S.

What Causes You to Violate or “Fall out of” Status?

• Your passport has expired.
• You are not attending the school you were authorized to attend - the one which issued the l-20 you used to enter the United States,
• You do not follow the correct procedures for continuing from one educational level to another or for transferring from one school to another,
• You drop below full-time in any semester without first obtaining permission,
• You work off-campus without proper authorization,
• You work on or off-campus for more than 20 hours a week when school is in session, though you obtained permission be employed,
• Your program completion date has passed and you have not filed for a program extension,
• You do not attend school during the academic year.

Reinstatement to F-1 Student Immigration Status

If you violate the terms of your status, you must apply for “Reinstatement Status”. Unfortunately, there are serious consequences if this happens, so visit the Office for Global Education as soon as possible if you believe you are out of status. It is very important to make a Reinstatement application immediately. F-1 students who have been out of status for more than 5 months are ineligible for reinstatement unless they can prove exceptional circumstances. To be eligible for reinstatement, you must not have a record of repeat violations of regulations.