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How to Maintain Your F-1 Status

Maintaining your F-1 Status or “Staying in status” means following all the rules required to maintain your legal F-1 immigration status in the United States. It is very important to stay in legal status. Falling out of status means you no longer have legal immigration status, which can lead to serious consequences with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This could affect your ability to:

  • Receive employment authorization
  • Obtain a future U.S. visa
  • Reenter the United States in the future

The International Students and Scholars Office is here to support and guide you with information and advice on maintaining your status, so always consult with the ISSO before making decisions that affect your status. However, it is ultimately your responsibility to follow the F-1 regulations and remain in status at all times.

Check in with the ISSO and Report Your Arrival to Cooper Union

 

Complete your check-in form with the ISSO within 10 days of your arrival. This activates your SEVIS record and is mandatory.

Enroll Full-Time Every Fall and Spring Term

 

  • Undergraduate students: minimum of 12 credit hours per semester.
  • Graduate students: full-time enrollment as defined by your program.
  • Final semester: you may drop below full-time enrollment with approval.
Get Authorization Before Dropping Below Full-Time or Requesting a Leave

 

  • Speak with your Designated School Official (DSO) before reducing your course load.
  • Only approved reasons (medical, academic difficulty, or final semester) allow part-time enrollment.
Keep Your Documents Valid

 

  • Keep your passport valid for at least 6 months into the future.
  • Always be aware of the expiration date on your I-20, and do not let your I-20 expire.
  • Be sure to request a travel signature before departing the United States.
  • You will also need to get a new I-20 if you change your degree level, your major, your funding source, or the number of F-2 dependents you have. Timing can be critical for all of these changes, so start the process early.
Update any changes to your DSO within 10 days

 

Report any U.S. address, phone, or email changes to international@cooper.edu within 10 days.  

Work Only with Authorization or USCIS approval

 

  • On-campus: up to 20 hours per week while school is in session.
  • Off-campus (CPT, OPT, Severe Economic Hardship): requires prior DSO or USCIS approval.
  • Learn more about employment options.
Travel Responsibly

 

  • Obtain a valid travel signature on your I-20 before leaving the U.S.
  • Carry a valid passport, visa, and I-20 for re-entry.
  • More F-1 travel tips. 
     
Follow OPT/STEM OPT Reporting Requirements

 

  • You risk losing your status if you don’t report Post-completion OPT and STEM OPT updates as described on here.
  • USCIS and the ISSO will send you reminder emails, so be sure to pay attention to them.
Depart or Transfer on Time

 

After completing your program or OPT, you have a 60-day grace period to depart the U.S., transfer your SEVIS record, or change status.

Comply with U.S. Tax Filing Requirements

 

  • IRS Form 8843 is required for all F-1 students and dependents, even if you had no U.S. income.
  • If you earned income, you must file both Form 8843 and a nonresident federal tax return using Sprintax.
  • For more Tax information 
     

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.