New International Student Orientation Frequently Asked Questions
Immigration Check-In
Instructions for completing the Immigration Check-In Form can be found here:
Please refer to the Printing a Copy of Your I-94 & Obtaining an I-94 Correctionhandout.
Please refer to the Buff OneCard website. Using your CU Boulder email address, not your personal email address, you need to send your photo for your Buff OneCard to the Buff OneCard office at boc@colorado.edu. Be sure you follow the U.S. Passport photo guidelinesfor the photo you submit.
You can use your Buff OneCard at several placings including your residence hall, campus dining centers, campus libraries, student rec center and more. Please see the Buff OneCard website here for a list of all the places you can use your Buff OneCard.
Immigration Documents
Yes, you should keep a copy of every I-20 you ever receive. It is important to retain a file of all I-20s that are issued to you as they are required to document maintenance of status and may be requested for future immigration benefit applications.
Yes, if you change your major, you will need a new I-20. ISSS will update your I-20 information in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and issue you a new, updated I-20, upon request.
Each time you enter the U.S. you should check your electronic I-94 record and make sure the information is correct. If the information on your I-94 is incorrect, you will have to contact Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for a correction as soon as possible. Please review the Printing a Copy of Your I-94 & Obtaining an I-94 Correction handout for more information.
If your visa expires, you will need to renew it the next time you are outside of the U.S. in order to gain re-entry to the U.S. In general, you will not be able to re-enter the U.S. if your visa is expired (exception: Automatic Visa Revalidation). Please review the Visa Renewal Information for Students and Scholars handout for more information about renewing your visa. As a friendly reminder, you can remain in the U.S. with an expired visa, but you cannot renew your visa from inside the U.S.
If your visa expires, you do not have to leave the U.S. as long as both your I-20 and passport are valid, and you are otherwise maintaining your immigration status. Next time you depart the U.S., you should plan on renewing your visa. You will not be able to re-enter the U.S. with an expired visa (exception: Automatic Visa Revalidation).
If you lose your I-20, you can request ISSS issue you a new I-20 by completing the I-20 Reprint Request Form (DocuSign). ISSS mayhave a record of the previous I-20s issued to you within the last 3 years, so you should also ask ISSS if they could re-print you a copyof the lost I-20. You should keep a copy of every I-20 you ever receive. It is important to retain a file of all I-20s that are issued to you as they are required to document maintenance of status and may be requested for future immigration benefit applications.
If you lose your passport, you should apply for a new passport as soon as possible. You can apply for a new passport from within the U.S. at your home country’s consulate or embassy. You should also contact the local police station and report your passport as lost or stolen. After doing so, you will be issued a police report detailing the incident. You should make a copy of this report and keep it for your records.
If your visa was inside your passport that was lost, you should also contact the U.S. embassy or consulate outside of the U.S. that issued your visa. Please note, if you have already reported your visa lost/stolen to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate, and then you later find your misplaced visa, your visa will be invalid for future travel to the U.S. Therefore, in that situation, you must apply for a new visa at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
Maintaining my Status
F-1 regulations require students to inform ISSS of a change of address within 10 days of moving. You will report your change of address using the Buff Portal. Please see Updating Your Address in Buff Portalfor instructions on how to update your local address.
Students can only drop below full-time enrollment for one of the following reasons. Students must receive permission from ISSS to drop below full-time enrollment before dropping to part-time.
Academic Reduced Course Load - Immigration regulations allow a once per degree-level Academic Reduced Course Load (RCL) if a student has a valid academic reason for dropping below full-time. Please see the ISSS website on Academic Reduced Course Loads for further information, including the acceptable reasons for an Academic RCL.
Medical Reduced Course Load - ISSS may authorize a reduced course load or, if necessary, no course load, due to a student's temporary illness or medical condition for a period of time not to exceed an aggregate of 12 months per academic degree level. Please see the ISSS website on Medical Reduced Course Loads for further information, including the eligibility requirements for a medical RCL.
If a student needs less than full-time enrollment credit hours in their final semester to complete their degree program the student only needs to enroll in the credits needed to finish their program. Student must submit a Confirmation of Final Semesterto request part-time enrollment.
Academics
You may qualify for an Academic Reduced Course Load. Please see the ISSS website on Academic Reduced Course Loads for further information, including the eligibility requirements for an Academic RCL and contact ISSS immediately for assistance.
If you are ineligible for an Academic RCL, ISSS encourages you to seek additional academic assistance. As a first-year student, you may have the opportunity to seek help from an academic coach provided by your college or department. Please reach out to your CU Boulder academic advisor for more information on academic coaching resources in your college. Additionally, if you are struggling in a specific course or courses during your time at CU Boulder, there may be free tutoring resources available for you. Please contact your CU Boulder Academic advisor for further information on tutoring resources specific to your college or degree program.
Finally, if you are struggling academically due to cultural adjustment issues, adjustment to remote learning, US classroom culture, or other related difficulties, the International Student Academic Success Program may be able to assist. Please reach out to the Director of International Student Academic Success, Roberto Arruda (roberto.arruda@colorado.edu) for more information on this resource.
Please reach out to isss@colorado.edu if you are unsure which resource to explore first.
You may qualify for a Medical Reduced Course Load. Please see the ISSS website on Medical Reduced Course Loads for further information, including the eligibility requirements for a medical RCL and contact ISSS immediately for assistance.
Yes, but courses taken for no credit (such as auditing a class) DO NOT count towards a student’s full-time enrollment requirement
Yes, courses taken as pass/fail DO count towards a student’s full-time enrollment requirement
Health and Wellness
If you start feeling lonely or you are having trouble adjusting, there are multiple resources available to you. Please review the ISSS Resources and Support webpage for more information about a variety of Community, Academic, Campus Support and English as a Second Language resources available to you.
This charge is for the CU Gold Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP).All students are required to have health insurance while attending CU Boulder. Students may elect coverage through an individual health insurance plan, through a family member or employer or the CU Gold Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). Students must meet this requirement their first semester at CU Boulder and at the beginning of each academic year. Those taking six (6) or more undergraduate credit hours or one (1) or more graduate credit hours are required to complete the health insurance requirement process.
All students are required to have health insurance while attending CU Boulder. Students may enroll in health insurance coverage through CU Boulder or, if they have existing insurance, they may waive coverage from CU Boulder.Students must meet this requirement their first semester at CU Boulder and update their information each Fall. CU Boulder is partnering with Specialty Insurance Solutions (SIS) to administer the insurance waiver and enrollment process. Students will receive email communications regarding insurance from SIS through their official CU Boulder student email accounts. All insurance requirements must be submitted through the online SIS portal before a student’s first semester at CU Boulder and at the beginning of each academic year.
Employment
In order to be eligible for on-campus employment, international students in F-1 or J-1 status must:
- Be maintaining their nonimmigrant status;
- Be enrolled in a full-time course load or authorized equivalent in the current term or, in the case of summer or winter vacation, have not completed their degree and are enrolled full-time (or an authorized equivalent) in the next required term.
International student can work on-campus up to 20 hours a week while school is in session during the fall and spring semester. If a student has multiple on-campus jobs, the total hours worked for all jobs cannot exceed 20 hours a week while school is in session. International student can work on-campus full-time (more than 20 hours) during official school breaks (spring break, summer vacation, Thanksgiving break, and winter vacation). If students want to work more than 25 hours on-campus during a short break, the university requires them to submit an exception request form.
As a friendly reminder, on-campus employment refers to employment where a student is hired by a unit or department of the University of Colorado Boulder campus and paid by CU Boulder. Students who have questions about whether a job is considered on-campus should consult ISSS.
International students working in the U.S. must obtain an SSN. In order to apply for a SSN, a student must have a qualifying employment offer (documented in an official offer letter) and a letter from ISSS.
To request a letter from ISSS, please complete the appropriate SSN request via MyISSS
- On-Campus Employment SSN Letter Request Form (Access via MyISSS)
- SSN Letter Request for Students with Fellowships & Assistantships (Access via MyISSS)
You will be required to upload a copy of your job offer letter.
As a F-1 international student, you are in the U.S. on a student visa, not a work visa, therefore, you must receive special work authorization for off-campus employment. Below are the types of off-campus employment authorization that F-1 students are eligible to apply for:
Curricular Practical Training (CPT):Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is a temporary employment authorization for an “alternative work/study, internship, cooperative education, or any other type of requiredinternship or practicum which is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school.” CPT can only be authorized prior to your degree completion for a work experience that is in your major field of study and considered to be “an integral part of an established curriculum.”
To be eligible for CPT, you must meet one of the following requirements:
Be enrolled in an internship course for credit that counts towards your degree. (Enrollment in the course must be concurrent with the training. For example, if the internship is in the summer, you must be enrolled in the internship course during the summer) or
Your degree must require an internship and that requirement is clearly documented in the University Catalog.
You must also apply for CPT authorization and can expect a processing time of 2-3 weeks. Please see the F-1 Curricular Practical Training page on our ISSS website for more information, including other CPT eligibility requirements.
Optional Practical Training (OPT): Optional Practical Training (OPT) is defined by the regulations as “temporary employment authorization for practical training directly related to a student’s major field of study.” You can be authorized for OPT before you complete your degree program (pre-completion OPT) or after you complete your degree program (post-completion OPT). The standard processing time for OPT authorization is 2-5 months. Please see the F-1 Pre-Completion OPT and Post-Completion OPT pages on our website for more information.
F-1 Severe Economic Hardship: In cases of severe economic hardship, a F-1 international student can request special off-campus work authorization. You would be eligible for this if other employment opportunities are not available or are insufficient and the severe economic hardship is caused by unforeseen circumstances beyond your control. You must also have been enrolled full-time for one year, have good academic standing, demonstrate that your employment will not interfere with you having a full-time course load, and demonstrate that on-campus work is insufficient. If you believe that you could qualify for Severe Economic Hardship, please come see an ISSS advisor to discuss the procedures to request this kind of work authorization.