F-1 Student Requests

F-1 students who complete their program of study and/or Optional Practical Training (OPT) and plan on leaving the U.S. must notify the International Student Office to mark their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record and I-20 as complete.

 

To request your I-20 be marked complete, visit the International Student Dashboard in Workday to submit an F-1 Student: Completion of I-20 request. View the Student Help Guide: F-1 Student Request for further instructions.

 

The International Student Office has a window of three to five business days for processing all requests. Once your request has been reviewed, you will be notified via email.

Request I-20 Completion

F-1 students are eligible for enrollment in courses both at Collin College and another college or university during the same semester only if approved by the International Student Office.

 

To be concurrently enrolled, the following conditions must be met:

• The combined credits for which you are enrolled must be the equivalent of a full course of study: 12 credits.
• You must be enrolled at Collin College. Collin College must issue and maintain the SEVIS I-20, handle all SEVIS reporting requirements, and ensure that you are pursuing a full course of study.
• You must have permission from the International Student Office to concurrently enroll with another institution.

 

To request to take a course outside of Collin College, visit the International Student Dashboard in Workday to submit an F-1 Student: Concurrent Enrollment (Outbound) request. View the Student Help Guide: F-1 Student Request for further instructions.

 

The International Student Office has a window of three to five business days for processing all requests. Once your request has been reviewed, you will be notified via email.

Request Concurrent Enrollment

As an F-1 student, it is expected that you will finish your degree program of study by the completion date on your current I-20. If you are not able to complete your degree by that date, you must request an extension no later than 45 days before the date your current I-20 will expire.

 

To be eligible to request an I-20 extension, you must show that you have continually maintained F-1 status and that the extension is needed due to compelling academic reasons (such as a change of major) or due to a documented medical reason. An I-20 can be extended for one semester, with a maximum of one year.

 

Important Note: Immigration regulations state that delays in completing your program caused by academic probation or suspension are not acceptable reasons for an I-20 extension. The International Student Office will determine your eligibility.

 

To request an I-20 extension, visit the International Student Dashboard in Workday to submit an F-1 Student: I-20 Extension request. View the Student Help Guide: F-1 Student Request for further instructions.

 

The International Student Office has a window of three to five business days for processing all requests. Once your request has been reviewed, you will be notified via email, and if approved, an updated I-20 will be uploaded to your Workday account.

Request I-20 Extension

F-1 students who are finishing, or have recently finished, one academic program at Collin College and are continuing in a new academic program at Collin College must submit the change of level I-20 request within 45 days after completing the program or the post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT).

 

To request a change of level I-20, visit the International Student Dashboard in Workday to submit an F-1 Student: Change of Level request. View the Student Help Guide: F-1 Student Request for further instructions.

 

The International Student Office has a window of three to five business days for processing all requests. Once your request has been reviewed, you will be notified via email, and if approved, an updated I-20 will be uploaded to your Workday account.

Request Level Change

An F-1 student is expected to maintain full-time enrollment. There are exceptions to the full-time registration requirement, and the criteria for each is strict. Those exceptions include medical (a temporary illness or medical condition) or academic reasons (completing the last semester of the program of study).

 

Medical

A reduced course load may be issued due to a student’s temporary illness or medical condition for a period of time not to exceed an aggregate of 12 months per education level. You must provide the Reduced Course Load I-20 – Medical form signed by a licensed medical doctor, doctor of osteopathy, or licensed clinical psychologist. You will receive a new I-20 showing approved reduced course load. The form must be completed each semester you wish to receive authorization.

 

Academic

A reduced course load may be issued due to a student’s pending program completion — not to exceed an aggregate of 12 months per education level. You must submit the petition to graduate before requesting a reduced course load. A reduced course load will not be approved until confirmation by the Graduation Department is provided.

 

An F-1 student who drops below a full course of study without the prior approval of the International Student Office will be considered out of status and must be reported in the SEVIS as having dropped below a full time without authorization.

 

To request a reduced course load I-20, visit the International Student Dashboard in Workday to submit an F-1 Student: Reduced Course Load – Academic or F-1 Student: Reduced Course Load – Medical request. View the Student Help Guide: F-1 Student Request for further instructions.

 

The International Student Office has a window of three to five business days for processing all requests. Once your request has been reviewed, you will be notified via email, and If approved, an updated I-20 will be uploaded to your Workday account.

Request Reduced Course Load

F-1 international students who experience an unexpected financial crisis beyond their control may be eligible to apply for off-campus employment authorization due to severe economic hardship with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

 

Severe Economic Hardship status is intended for students whose financial situation has changed significantly after arriving in the U.S. because of unforeseen circumstances that could not have been planned for or prevented. View the F-1 International Student Employment page to see examples of unforeseen circumstances and eligibility requirements for Severe Economic Hardship status.

 

F-1 international students must request a Severe Economic Hardship I-20 before submitting the application to USCIS. Submitting an application to USCIS without a new I-20 recommending you for Severe Economic Hardship will result in denial.

 

Eligibility Criteria for Severe Economic Hardship Status

To be eligible, you must:

• Have maintained valid F-1 status at Collin College for at least one academic year.
• Be enrolled in a full course of study and be in good academic standing.
• Prove on-campus employment is unavailable or is not sufficient to meet the unforeseen circumstances.
• Provide documentation of unforeseen severe economic hardship requiring employment.

 

The following documents are required when submitting a F-1 Student: Severe Economic Hardship request:

• Completed Severe Economic Hardship Request Form
• Personal statement explaining your financial hardship
• Supporting documentation of your hardship (letters, financial records, medical bills, sponsor statements, etc.)
   

To request Severe Economic Hardship status, visit the International Student Dashboard in Workday to submit an F-1 Student: Severe Economic Hardship request. View the Student Help Guide: F-1 Student Request for further instructions.

 

The International Student Office has a window of three to five business days for processing all requests. Once your request has been reviewed, you will be notified via email.

Request Severe Economic Hardship

A status letter confirms that an F-1 student is compliant with all SEVIS and USCIS regulations. This letter is typically used for requesting a state or federal ID, such as a Social Security number, or to apply for employment, such as Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or Optional Practical Training (OPT).

 

To request a status letter, visit the International Student Dashboard in Workday to submit an F-1 Student: Status Letter request. View the Student Help Guide: F-1 Student Request for further instructions.

 

The International Student Office has a window of three to five business days for processing all requests. Once your request has been reviewed, you will be notified via email, and if approved, the letter will be uploaded to your Workday account.

Request Status Letter

F-1 students who have an approved change of status, want to withdraw from Collin College before completion of their program of study, or no longer have F-2 dependents must notify the International Student Office to terminate their SEVIS record and I-20.

 

To request your I-20 be terminated, visit the International Student Dashboard in Workday to submit an F-1 Student: Termination of I-20 request. View the Student Help Guide: F-1 Student Request for further instructions.

 

The International Student Office has a window of three to five business days for processing all requests. Once your request has been reviewed, you will be notified via email.

Request I-20 Termination

F-1 students may request to transfer their SEVIS record to another school. You must seek admission to the new school and be accepted.

 

Submit the F-1 Student: Transfer Out request via the International Student Dashboard in Workday and provide the following information:

• Copy of your acceptance letter from your new school with the semester listed
• Your new school’s SEVIS school code
• Your desired SEVIS transfer out date

 

For students on active post-completion OPT, the work authorization will end the day the SEVIS record is transferred. You must receive a new I-20 before the end of your 60-day grace period and begin a new program within five months of your SEVIS transfer or OPT completion — whichever is earlier.

 

After your SEVIS record has been transferred to the new school, you will need to contact your new school to have the new I-20 issued to you.

 

Once the International Student Office completes your transfer, Collin College will no longer have access to your record. Please contact our office before the release date if you change your mind or want to transfer to another school.

 

To request your SEVIS record be transferred, visit the International Student Dashboard in Workday to submit a F-1 Student: Transfer Out request. View the Student Help Guide: F-1 Student Request for further instructions.

 

The International Student Office has a window of three to five business days for processing all requests.

Request Transfer Out

F-1 students planning to depart from the United States and return after a temporary absence must obtain a travel endorsement on their I-20 before traveling abroad. Travel endorsements are valid for 12 months for F-1 students currently enrolled in courses and valid for six months for F-1 students on OPT.

 

When entering the U.S. through a port of entry or preclearance location, be prepared to present the same documents you used when you first arrived in the U.S. to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer.

 

To request your travel endorsement, visit the International Student Dashboard in Workday to submit an F-1 Student: Travel Endorsement request. View the Student Help Guide: F-1 Student Request for further instructions.

 

The International Student Office has a window of three to five business days for processing all requests. Once your request has been reviewed, you will be notified via email.

Request Travel Endorsement