<
Maintaining Status
Below are some common topics related to maintaining status as an F-1 visa student.
- Coursework - Most students at Gettysburg College are enrolled in four courses a semester. To maintain status you must be enrolled in at least three courses.
- Employment - You can work while you are enrolled at the college but you must carefully follow Federal guidelines. Click here for more information on employment.
- Travel - When traveling outside the United States F-1 students should be sure to follow some simple procedure to ensure that they will not have difficulty at immigration when returning to the United States.
- Before leaving campus:
- See the International Student Advisor to have your I-20 signed (the signature on the third page can not be more than 6 months old)
- Contact Lisa Wolf in the Registrar's Office to request a Proof of Enrollment Letter. She can be reached at 717-337-6244 or lwolf@gettysburg.edu.
- When traveling bring the following items with you:
- I-20 with a recent International Student Advisor signature
- Proof of Enrollment Letter
- Personal ID Documents (Passport, Visa, I-94)
- Financial documents that demonstrate an ability to finance your portion of educational expenses (tuition, room, board, books, etc.)
- Semester Abroad - In order to study abroad for a semester student work closely with the Off-Campus Studies Office. Once approved and before leaving for the semester abroad you should meet with the International Student Advisor to update the I-20 to reflect that you will be out of the United States for more that 5 months while studying abroad. Before returning to the United States after the semester abroad, you should send your I-20 back to the International Student Advisor to have it signed and then sent back to you.
- Leave of Absence - If a leave of absence is necessary you should work closely with the International Student Advisor to be sure that your documents are in order. In most of these cases you will be out of the country for more that 5 months which triggers the need to terminate your SEVIS Record. As a result, at least 3 months before returning to campus you must communicate with the International Student Advisor so that a new I-20 can be generated (note that USCIS charges $100 to reinstate the SEVIS Record - this fee will be charged to you and billed to your college account). You will need to use this new I-20 to apply for a new F-1 visa at the U.S. embassy or consulate in your home country. Even if your original visa is not expired you must obtain a new visa if you have taken a leave of absence of more than 5 months.
300 North Washington Street · Gettysburg, PA 17325