Maintaining Your Immigration Status

The documents you should maintain are:

• Passport
• I-94
• I-20 or DS-2019

Passport

Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months into the future. If your passport is about to expire, renew it while you are home on vacation or through your embassy or consulate in the United States. If you are issued a new passport, but your valid F-1 or J-1 visa is in your expired passport, carry both passports when traveling in and out of the U.S. Your visa does not expire even if your passport does.

Stolen Passports

If your passport is lost or stolen, file a police report and obtain a replacement passport (either from your home country or from your embassy or consulate in the U.S.) as soon as possible. Keep a copy of the police report for your records. The Department of State provides guidelines on how to address lost and stolen passports.

Visas

Visas are used to enter the U.S. This means you can stay in the U.S. with an expired visa. However, if you intend to travel outside the U.S. on an expired or soon-to-expire visa, make plans to renew it abroad before re-entering. Visas can only be granted or renewed at U.S. embassies or consulates outside the U.S. If your passport with your visa is lost or stolen, you will need to apply for a replacement after returning to your home country. The Department of State provides guidelines on how to address lost and stolen visas.

I-94

The Form I-94 is an electronic record that documents your arrival in the U.S. It is proof of your legal entry in F-1 or J-1 status. You will also need it to apply for a social security number, driver’s license, and employment.

Each time you re-enter the U.S., save a PDF copy of your I-94. You should always carry a copy of your most recent I-94 when you travel in the U.S.

For F-1 or J-1 students, your most recent I-94 should:

• contain correct personal information and travel information;
• say “F-1” or “J-1” as your Class of Admission; and,
• say “DS” for your Admit Until Date.

Review your I-94 carefully each time you download it. If you notice any errors, let the ISSS Office know as soon as possible.

I-20

The Form I-20 is a physical form of your record in SEVIS and identifies you as a student at Pomona. Keep an unexpired, signed, and accurate physical I-20 form with you at all times.

Your I-20 is valid up to the end date on your I-20. If the end date of your program changes, inform the ISSS Office right away. Learn more about Program Completion.

Important: You are responsible for keeping all I-20s issued to you. Do not throw them away. If applying for immigration benefits in the future, you will need to present all your past I-20s.

Minimum # of Course Credits for Full-Time Enrollment: 3 per semester

Average # of Course Credits for Pomona Students: 4 per semester

Exceptions to Full-Time Enrollment

If you cannot maintain full-time enrollment, let the ISSS Office know immediately. F-1 students may be authorized by the ISSS Office to enroll for less than a full-time course load under the following circumstances.

• Completing requirements in last semester
• Unexpected medical reason

Learn more about Reduced Course Load (RCL).

Withdrawing from Pomona

You must let the ISSS Office know before you withdraw from Pomona. Learn more about Program Completion.

Your contact information and address must be current in SEVIS at all times.

At the beginning of each term, email the ISSS Office report your residence hall and room number. If you move to a different hall or even a different room, you must report the change to the ISSS Office within 10 days of moving. If you are living off campus, you must also report any address changes within 10 days of moving.

Changing your address with the Registrar’s office is not sufficient to keep your SEVIS record current.

Learn more about on-campus employment.

Learn more about off-campus employment in the U.S.

After your SEVIS record is terminated, you begin to accumulate daily “unlawful presence” (ULP), which can result in a future ban on entering the U.S.

• 180 Days of Unlawful Presence: 3-year ban
• 365 Days of Unlawful Presence: 10-year ban

A termination adds a flag on your record moving forward. If you try to enter the U.S. after a termination, you may be required to enter secondary inspection to explain the reasons for your termination. Similarly, if you need to apply for a new U.S. visa, a consular officer may ask you about your termination as part of your interview.

While your original visa won’t automatically be revoked due to a SEVIS termination, you won’t be able to use it with your terminated I-20 or DS-2019 to enter the country.

If your SEVIS record is terminated, your eligibility clock for OPT and CPT resets. If you return to the U.S. as an F-1 student, you would need to complete another two semesters before becoming eligible for OPT and CPT again.