F-1 Students

1. Report to the OIS within 30 Days of I-20 Start Date
   It is REQUIRED BY LAW that you complete the check-in process when you first arrive at UMB whether it is your first time in the United States or if you are transferring from another U.S. institution. If you are transferring to UMB, see the Transferring Schools page for more information.
   
   
2. Always Enroll Full Time
   F-1 students must maintain full-time enrollment each semester. For undergraduate students, a full-time credit load is 12 or more credits each semester; students enrolled at the graduate level should learn what constitutes as full time in their program. No more than one class or 3 credits offered online will count toward full-time status. Your tuition and fees must be paid each semester in order for you to enroll in the next semester. See Payment Deadlines from Student Accounting. In certain academic and medical circumstances, OIS may authorize part-time enrollment. You must have authorization from OIS before dropping below full time. See Submitting requests in Sunapsis for details on how to request authorization for a reduced course load.
    
3. Update Your Residential Address
   Immigration regulations require you to update your residential address within 10 days of moving. Complete the 'Address and Phone Number Update' e-form in Sunapsis (found under F-1 Student Services). You are required to use a physical residential address and not a P.O. box or a department address. You should also update your address in the Experience Student Portal.
    
4. Keep your Immigration Documents VALID and CURRENT
   You should make photocopies of your immigration documents and keep the copies and originals in a safe place.
   
   Keep photocopies of:
   
   • Your passport pages with your personal information and picture
   • The passport page containing the U.S. visa stamp
   • Your I-94 print out, or both sides of your I-94 card (if applicable)
   • Your I-20, pages 1-2
   
   Keep your passport valid
   You should keep your passport valid for at least six months into the future while you are studying in the United States. Consult your country's consulate or embassy in the United States to renew your passport. Review the list of embassies in the U.S. for contact information.
   
   F-1 Extension
   The end date of your F-1 student status can be found in Section #5 of your I-20 (not the end date of your visa stamp). If you are unable to complete your course of study by that time, you must apply for an extension before the I-20 date of expiration. If you do not complete the extension before that date, you will be out of status. See Submitting requests in Sunapsis for details on how to request an extension.
   
   Change of Degree Program or Level
   If you are changing degree levels within the University of Maryland, Baltimore, the OIS will issue a new I-20 for you once you have been admitted to the new program and have provided evidence of sufficient financial support.
   
   Discuss Transfer Plans with your OIS Advisor
   If you plan to transfer to another institution during or after your program at UMB, the OIS will need to assist you with transferring your F-1 SEVIS record. Please visit the OIS during walk-in hours BEFORE the end of your program to discuss the transfer process.
     
5. Never Work Without Prior Authorization
   International students are limited to two types of employment: on-campus and off-campus employment.
    
   International students who are maintaining a full-time course of study can work part time (20 hours a week) during the academic year and full time (40 hours a week) during the summer months and any periods when school is not in session. Because of the various academic calendars, please consult the OIS before working full time on campus. On-campus employment assumes that the work will not interfere with studies and that the student is maintaining good academic standing. IMPORTANT: If you have a Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA), you are not allowed to work an additional job as that is considered 20 hours a week.
    
   Off-Campus Employment: Off-campus employment is any type of work or service performed in exchange for money, tuition, fees, books, supplies, room, food, or any other benefit that is not on the UMB campus. Authorization from the OIS in the form of CPT or OPT is required before any off-campus work is allowed. 
   
   Read more at F-1 Student Employment
   
   See our page on Applying for a Social Security number for more information on who is eligible for a SSN and how to apply.
     
6. Notify OIS When You Leave the United States or Change Visa Status
   Please contact the OIS upon completion of your program in anticipation of departure from the United States. Additionally, the OIS will need to be updated if you change status during your program or while on OPT. 
   
   
7. Traveling Outside the United States
   Please visit our Travel Information page.

Employment Defined: Employment is any type of work performed or service rendered in exchange for money, tuition, fees, books, supplies, room, food, or any other benefit. If you receive no pay or any other benefit for the work performed and the position is normally an unpaid position, this activity is considered to be volunteer work.

Volunteering Defined: A position is considered voluntary if it is performed for a charitable nonprofit organization and is unpaid for everyone, U.S. and international students alike. There are laws that prohibit the misplacement of a U.S. worker. Volunteering is not solely based on the international's willingness to forgo compensation.

Resource: U.S. Department of Labor test to determine if an unpaid internship is considered employment

Full Time vs. Part Time Defined: Part-time employment is 20 hours or less a week. Full-time employment is 21 hours or more a week.

Learn more about:

• On-campus employment

• Curricular practical training

• Optional practical training

• STEM extensions

• Cap-Gap extensions

Prior to departing the U.S., the OIS asks that you complete an e-form in Sunapsis reporting your travel. If you will be renewing your visa stamp on this trip, or if you have any travel questions, please Schedule an Online Advising Appointment.

Required documents to re-enter the United States:

Please also check Traveling to a Country Other than Your Country of Citizenship.

*To return to the U.S., F visa holders are required to have their I-20s signed by the OIS on page 2 before traveling outside the United States.

If you require a travel signature, complete the form in Sunapsis.

You have a few options now to obtain a travel signature:

• Request that OIS electronically sign your I-20 and email it to you. You will need a printer.
• Drop off your I-20 at the OIS. It will be ready for pick-up the following business day. View drop-off & pick-up hours.

Prior to departing the U.S., the OIS asks that you complete an e-form in Sunapsis reporting your travel and Schedule an Online Advising Appointment to discuss your plans and specific risks.  

If you or your dependents need to renew your visa stamps to re-enter the United States, you must apply in person to a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad**. Applicants are normally required to submit the following documentation:

• A valid passport
• Current passport-size photographs
• A valid Form I-20 (complete three-page form)
• Proof of financial support (bank statements and/or scholarship, financial aid)
• Proof of enrollment (certificate of enrollment or transcript).
• Any additional required paperwork — visit the U.S. consulate's website where you plan to apply.

**In September 2025, the U.S. Department of State announced that all applicants should schedule their visa application interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate in their country of nationality or residence. You should expect significantly longer wait times and may face greater difficulty qualifying for a visa if you apply outside your country of citizenship or residence.

Visa Exceptions
Citizens of Canada and Bermuda are exempt from visa requirements. See Automatic Visa Revalidation for information on traveling with an expired visa.

Resource

NAFSA's 10 Points to Remember When Applying for a Student Visa

F-1 and J-1 students are required by law to enroll in and maintain a full course of study during the academic year. On occasion, an F-1 student may be authorized by the OIS to enroll part-time exclusively for compelling academic or medical reasons only.

An F-1 student must obtain authorization from OIS prior to dropping below a full course of study.

Reasons OIS may authorize a reduced course load:

• You are in your last semester of a degree program and need less than a full course load to complete your degree requirements this semester. Note that Individuals in their last semester of a degree program and who need less than a full-time course load to complete degree requirements. You must enroll in at least one in-person course. Enrollment in solely online courses is not permitted.
• You have a medical condition which requires you to interrupt a full course of study. A licensed physician, doctor of osteopathy, licensed psychologist or licensed clinical psychologist will need to complete our Medical Reduced Course Load form
  
• You are in your first semester in the United States in a degree program and need time to adjust to the American classroom, the English language, or intensive reading materials.
• Improper Course Level Placement - your academic advisor must provide further explanation on how the department incorrectly advised you regarding your registration.

Request Process

1. If you need a reduced course load due to a medical reason, you will need to have a licensed physician, doctor of osteopathy, or licensed clinical psychologist complete our Medical Reduced Course Load form.
2. Log into Sunapsis and click on F-1 Student Services on the left menu.
3. Select the Reduced Course Load Authorization Request.
4. Complete the form. Upload the completed medical reduced course form if applicable (note, your academic advisor will not be able to see this form). When you hit submit, an e-mail will go to your academic advisor in your academic program. You should talk to them before submitting this form.
5. When your academic advisor submits the form, OIS will review. Please allow up to 5 business days for OIS processing after your academic advisor submits the e-form.
6. The OIS will inform you and your academic advisor via e-mail when your reduced course load authorization has been granted. Do not drop below a full course of study until you receive that e-mail.

F-1 students are required to always have a valid I-20 in their possession. If you require more time to complete the requirements for your degree because of academic or medical reasons, then you must apply for an extension of your I-20. Failure to request extension of your I-20 by the expiration date may result in a loss of valid F-1 status. You can locate your I-20 expiration date in Section 5 of your I-20.

Process

Sunapsis has two extension e-forms: academic reasons and medical reasons. Complete the form that fits your situation. Initiate the form at least one month before the expiration of your I-20.

Once the request is submitted in Sunapsis, OIS will determine whether you meet the lawful eligibility requirements for an I-20 extension. If eligible, the OIS will issue you a new, extended I-20 with a new expiration date. The OIS processing time is 10 business days.

Requirements:

• All extensions: You must demonstrate you have sufficient funding to continue your studies.
• Academic extensions: When you complete the form, you will provide contact information for your academic advisor. The form will require them to provide a letter that:
  • confirms your full-time enrollment since the beginning of your program,
  • explains what degree requirements remain to be fulfilled,
  • explains why you have not been able to fulfill the degree requirements by the I-20 expiration date,
  • confirms the date they expect you to complete the remaining degree requirements.
• Medical extensions: Obtain a letter from your licensed medical doctor, licensed doctor of osteopathy, licensed psychologist, or licensed clinical psychologist explaining how your condition has impacted your ability to study.

Only the spouse and minor children (under age 21) who accompany the F-1 visa holder to the United States may receive F-2 dependent status. Their eligibility to stay legally in the United States, as well as to extend their stay, is contingent upon the F-1 visa holder maintaining their legal status and extending their program in a timely manner.

All other family members must apply for a B-1 or B-2 visitor’s visa to gain entry to the United States.

F-2 and Employment

The F-2 spouse and children of an F-1 student are NOT eligible for employment in the United States. However, they may do volunteer work as long as there is no compensation of any kind and the F-2 dependent is doing a job usually done by volunteers.

F-2 and School

The F-2 child may only engage in full-time study if the study is in an elementary or secondary school (kindergarten through 12th grade). The F-2 spouse may study part-time. The F-2 spouse and child may also engage in study that is avocational or recreational in nature.

An F-2 spouse or F-2 child (post-high school) who desires to engage in full-time college or university study must apply for and obtain a change of nonimmigrant classification to F-1, J-1, or M-1 status.

How to Obtain an I-20 for Your Dependent

Complete the Add SEVIS Dependent e-form in Sunapsis. See Submitting requests in Sunapsis.

For each dependent, you'll need to be able to provide:

• An additional $12,600 in U.S. funds for a spouse and/or $8,100 in funds for each child. Please provide a recent translated bank statement.
• A copy of the dependent's passport.
• Proof of the relationship to the F-1 visa holder, such as a copy of a birth certificate or marriage license. (Needed for the visa application, not necessary for the OIS.)

The Office of International Services is using Sunapsis to receive requests electronically for certain student processes.

What can you do in Sunapsis?

• F-1 Practical Training
  
  • Submit your Curricular Practical Training (CPT) request
    
  • Submit your pre-completion or post-completion OPT request
    
  • Submit STEM OPT extension
    
  • Submit a request for your Cap-Gap Extension I-20
    
  • Report changes to your OPT (report all changes within 10 days of the change!)
    
• F-1 Student Services
  
  • Submit a request to transfer your SEVIS record to a new school
    
  • Add a Dependent — Obtain an I-20 for your spouse or child (under age 21)
    
  • Submit a Program Extension or Change of Level I-20 request
    
  • Request authorization for a Reduced Course Load
    

How do I use Sunapsis?

1. Visit the Sunapsis website.
2. Click on the blue login button.
   
3. Log in with your UMID and password **If your UMID does not work, email ois-info@umaryland.edu for assistance.
   
4. Click on "F-1 Practical Training" or "F-1 Student Services" on the left-side menu to access the above noted e-forms.
   
5. Select the desired e-form and complete it.
   
6. Once submitted, please allow 10 business days for processing your request.