International Students FAQs

If you are employed on campus or approved for off-campus work, you may be eligible for a Social Security Number (SSN). 

Check the International Student and Scholar Services website to determine if you are eligible for a Social Security Number and find out how to apply.

In order to work off-campus, you must obtain work authorization from International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) prior to engaging in any employment.

• Detailed information on Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
• Detailed information on Optional Practical Training (OPT)
• For other types of employment (including on-campus employment), click here.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires you to be enrolled full time (12 credits, if undergraduate) each academic semester, except during the semester you are graduating, when you need to enroll only for the credits still needed. Earning an "Incomplete" does not count towards enrollment.

Please refer to Full Course of Study Requirements and Exceptions for more information.

To reenter the U.S. after a temporary absence (i.e., an absence of five months or less), you must have a properly endorsed (signed) Form I-20, a valid passport, and a valid F-1 visa (not required for citizens of Canada).

Please refer to Travel and Reentry for more information.

If you arrive at a U.S. port of entry without all the required documents, the customs officer may deny you entry into the U.S. As an alternative, the officer may issue you an I-515A. This document allows you temporary admission into the U.S. To maintain your nonimmigrant student status, you must submit the required documentation listed on your I-515A to ISSS immediately in order for your documents to be reviewed and sent to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) within 30 days.

Please refer to Traveling without a valid Form I-20 for more information.

Optional Practical Training (OPT) Instructions & Application and the Optional Practical Training (OPT) Timeline are available on the ISSS website. We strongly encourage that you apply 90 days before your program end date.

It is not possible to obtain an F-1 visa in the U.S. If you plan to travel outside the U.S. with an expired visa, you need to apply for a new visa while outside of the U.S.

Please refer to Travel and Reentry for more information.

If you are unable to complete your degree program within the time period indicated on the I-20, you may request a program extension if the delay is caused by compelling academic or medical reasons, such as change of major or research topic, unexpected research problems, or documented illnesses. Applications for an extension MUST be made prior to the completion date on your I-20. If the delay in completing your program is not for one of the reasons listed above, or if you do not apply prior to the completion date on your I-20, you will be considered to be out-of-status and must apply for reinstatement.

Please refer to Extension of F-1 stay for more information.

In order to transfer out of UM, you must submit the “Transfer Out” form to ISSS along with the “Transfer In” form for your new school and your most recent Form I-94.

You may be applying to many schools, but your SEVIS record can only be transferred to ONE school. Once we transfer your record, we CANNOT retrieve it after the release date, and you will have to contact the school to which you requested that it be transferred. Your transfer release date will be the end of the current semester unless otherwise requested, provided you have a valid reason. The new school cannot issue you a new I-20 until the record is transferred.

You are required to file tax paperwork in the year following the calendar year for which you were in the U.S. Please refer to Tax Filing Requirements for more information. Any aid that is above tuition and mandatory fees is subject to tax withholding.