Your eligibility for opportunities such as employment, school transfers, and program changes depends on maintaining lawful status. When you enter the United States, an immigration inspector asks you to read and sign a statement on the Form I-20 (F-1 students) or Form IAP-66 (J-1 students). Your signature on either document signifies your agreement to abide by the conditions of F-1 or J-1 status while in the United States. To maintain your status, you must:

• Remain enrolled full-time at the institution you are authorized to attend.
• Have a valid, current I-20 (F-1 students) or IAP-66 (J-1 students).
• Maintain a passport that is valid for at least six months into the future (passport agreements between the United States and several countries allow for exceptions to this rule).
• Have appropriate authorization for any work and not be employed for more than 20 hours per week while classes are in session.

F-1 Students: F-1 students must possess an I-20 (pages 3-4 of the Form I-20) from the institution they are attending. The I-20 is the form F-1 students use to enter the United States and to notify the INS of a transfer to a new institution or program. Students must complete their course of study by the end date shown on the Form I-20 or request a program extension with assistance from the foreign student adviser.

Students must be enrolled full time. Full-time enrollment for undergraduate students is 12 credit hours per semester or quarter; for graduate students, full-time status is determined by the institution's established graduate study policy. Exceptions to the full-time requirement are made under certain circumstances; contact your foreign student adviser for details.

Students who are maintaining status are permitted an annual vacation period during the year if they intend to enroll the following term.

J-1 Students: In addition to the general rules for maintaining status described above, students in J-1 status must:

• Enroll full time in activities that are part of their educational objective.
• Follow regulations when extending their stay or transferring from one institution or program to another.
• Maintain the required level of health insurance.

Less-than-full-time enrollment is acceptable only under certain circumstances. For details, contact the responsible officer (usually your foreign student adviser) of your exchange visitor program. You may also take an annual vacation and remain in the United States.

If you are pursuing a degree, your stay in J-1 status is limited to the end date on the Form IAP-66 plus 30 days (to prepare for departure). If you are enrolled in a nondegree program, your period of study is limited to the time on your IAP-66 (up to two years) plus a period of academic training. If it appears that you will not complete your studies or academic training before the end date on your IAP-66, contact the responsible officer of your exchange visitor program well before the end date to request an extension of your J-1 status. Sponsored students who have signed an agreement with a sponsoring agency must obtain permission from the sponsoring agency if they wish to stay beyond the date shown on the IAP-66.

Academic Changes
F-1 Students: Foreign students, like domestic students, sometimes find themselves in unusual situations or develop new interests that require a change of major, degree program, or university. If you are maintaining status, you may make such changes as long as you follow INS procedures. If you are unsure of those procedures, consult your foreign student adviser well in advance of any change. Do not rely on your academic department to inform the international student office of the change after the fact; you could find yourself in serious trouble.

J-1 Students: Students in J-1 status may be more limited than F-1 students in making academic changes. It is assumed that participants in the Exchange Visitor Program are in the United States to pursue a very specific objective; once the objective is met, participants are to return home with their newly acquired knowledge and skills. Minor changes in program, however, may sometimes be viewed as a continuation or fulfillment of the original objective. If you are planning a program change, consult the responsible officer of your exchange visitor program.

Transferring from One Institution to Another
F-1 Students: If you have maintained your status you may transfer to another college or university as long as you follow the proper procedures and the new institution is permitted by the INS to enroll F1 students. Plan ahead. Speak with the foreign student adviser at the new institution to learn what information and papers may be required from your current institution. Inform your current foreign student adviser that you are transferring. Report to your new foreign student adviser as soon as you arrive on your new campus. The new foreign student adviser will notify INS of your transfer. If you plan to leave the United States during the transfer, consult your current foreign student adviser.

J-1 Students: Students in an exchange visitor program may transfer to another institution as long as they meet the following conditions:

• The new institution must have an exchange visitor program approved by the U.S. Information Agency.
• The student must continue to pursue the original educational objective.
• The student must obtain approval to transfer from the responsible officer of his or her exchange visitor program (not necessarily the institution in which the student is enrolled).

Before leaving your current program, consult your professor or academic adviser and the responsible officer to be sure that the transfer is not a problem. This is particularly important if you are a sponsored student.