Immigration Check-In
The Immigration Check-In Form is available in your MyISSS portal. You will find instructions on the Accessing the F-1 Student Immigration Check-In E-Form in the MyISSS Portal handout.
You must complete the form once you have been admitted into the U.S. in your F-1 or J-1 status. International students in F-1 or J-1 status should complete the check-in form as soon as possible upon admission into the United States but no later than 08/28/2023, the start date of classes. Students who are transferring their F-1 SEVIS record to CU Boulder must complete the check-in form within 15 days of their F-1 program start date as reflected on the Form I-20.
Please refer to the Printing a Copy of Your I-94 & Obtaining an I-94 Correction handout.
The Immigration Essentials Virtual Quiz will be available in the International Student Orientation Spring 2024 course with Canvas beginning on December 12, 2023 This course is required and must be completed by February 15, 2024. ISSS encourages you to complete the International Student Orientation Course before January 16 when you will become busy with your schoolwork.
You must accept the International Student Orientation Spring 2024 in Canvas to access the course and complete the Immigration Essentials Virtual Quiz, which is part of your student welcome and orientation canvas course. You must earn a 70% or higher on this quiz to receive credit. Confirmation of completion must be uploaded to the Immigration Essentials Course Grade Submission Form (Access via your MyISSS Portal), part of the immigration check-in task.
Please read the appropriate article below regarding your required arrival date:
- Graduate Students: Late Arrival Process for Spring 2024
- Undergraduate Students: Late Arrival Process for Spring 2024
If you are unable to arrive at CU Boulder by these required dates, work with International Admissions to discuss deferring your I-20 program start date
- Undergraduate students should contact: intladm@colorado.edu
- Graduate students should contact: intlgrad@colorado.edu
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 (e.g., H-1B).
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. To request an updated I-20 that reflects a change in major, please complete the I-20 Reprint Request Form (available in the MyISSS portal).
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.
The visa stamp in your passport is an entry document and only needs to be valid when you enter the US from abroad. This means your F-1 student visa (the stamp in your passport) is allowed to expire while you are in the U.S. If your visa expires, you will need to renew it the next time you are outside of the U.S. 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. You cannot renew your visa from inside the U.S.
If your visa stamp in your passport 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. Status, is the legal category under which an international visitor is admitted to the U.S. The 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 (available in MyISSS portal). ISSS will review your request within the posted processing time and email your new I-20 to your Colorado.edu email address once issued.
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 (e.g. H-1B)
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 the 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 passport, your visa stamp in that passport 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.
Please refer to the “application process” on the Buff OneCard website. Be sure you follow the U.S. Passport photo guidelines for the photo you submit.
You can use your Buff OneCard at several places including your residence hall, campus dining centers, campus libraries, student rec center and more. Please see the Buff OneCard website for a list of all the places you can use your Buff OneCard.
Maintaining my Status
F-1 and J-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 Portal for instructions on how to update your local address.
Each fall and spring semester a hold is placed on the records of students in F-1 status to prevent them from dropping a class without prior permission from ISSS and unintentionally falling below full-time enrollment, a violation of status. This hold does not affect a student's ability to add a class or drop classes related to future semester enrollment.
If students in F-1 status wish to drop a class after the hold has been placed on their record, they must contact an ISSS advisor to request permission to drop the class(es). If dropping the class(es) will not result in under-enrollment, then the ISSS drop hold will be removed for 48 hours in order to allow students to drop the approved class(es).
Students must receive permission from ISSS to drop below Full-time enrollment before dropping to part-time. Students can only receive permission to drop below full time enrollment for one of the following reasons.
Academic Reduced Course Load - Immigration regulations allow one Academic Reduced Course Load (RCL) per degree-level 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.
Final Semester - If a student needs less than full-time enrollment credit hours in their final semester to complete their degree program, then the student only needs to enroll in the credits needed to finish their program. Students must submit a Confirmation of Final Semester (available in MyISSS portal) to request part-time enrollment. In-person credits are always required in a student's final term, even if the final term occurs in the summer.
Academics
Please review the ISSS Academic Success Resources.
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 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
Classes must be taken for a grade, pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory in order to count toward the full-time requirement. Classes taken for no-credit will not count toward the full-time enrollment requirement.
Please see the various CU Boulder English Language Resources available to you such as English Courses, the International English Center, and writing assistance.
Health and Wellness
If you start feeling lonely or you are having trouble adjusting, there are multiple resources available to you. Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) offers confidential, on-campus mental health and psychiatric services for a variety of concerns such as academics, anxiety, body image, depression, relationships, substance use and more.
Please also 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. Please reach out to isss@colorado.edu to further discuss your options and resources.
Please review the Medical Services available at CU Boulder.
Employment
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.
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.
To search for available on-campus jobs, please review the Student Employment website. International students in F-1 or J-1 status are not eligible for on-campus jobs classified as “work study,” as such positions are subsidized by federal financial aid for domestic students.
International students can work on-campus up to 20 hours a week while school is in session during the fall and spring semesters. 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 students can work on-campus full-time (more than 20 hours) during official school breaks (spring break, summer vacation, Thanksgiving break, and winter vacation). During fall break, winter break, and spring break, if an international student in F-1 status would like to work more than 50 hours in a bi-weekly pay period, Student Employment requires the student to submit an exception request form for approval.
Students can work full-time during the summer term. The official Student Employment Summer Term does not require an exception request, but please see the Student Employment Summer calendar as dates may be different from the school calendar. Please consult the hiring department or Student Employment for more information.
International students working in the U.S. must obtain a Social Security Number (SSN) in order to be properly reported in the CU Boulder (or their off-campus employer's) employee system and to be able to properly file a tax return. While it is possible to begin working on campus and to be paid initially without an SSN, all international students working on campus must receive a SSN as soon as possible. An SSN does not provide an international student with work authorization. In order to work, an international student must either have a qualifying on-campus job or be authorized for off-campus employment. An SSN alone is not work authorization.
To apply for a SSN through the Social Security Administration for on-campus employment, a student must have a qualifying employment offer (documented in an official offer letter) and a letter from ISSS. Please review the Applying for Social Security Number (SSN) handout for additional information.
To request an SSN letter for on-campus employment from ISSS, please complete the appropriate SSN request via MyISSS AFTER you have completed your Immigration Check-In Form AND the Immigration Essentials Course Grade Submission Form, which is part of the immigration check-in task. (Access via your MyISSS Portal)
- 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 an international student in F-1 or J-1 status, 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 students in F-1 status are eligible to apply for only after they have completed one full academic year (fall and spring semester) in active nonimmigrant status:
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 required internship 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.
Students in J-1 status, please see the J-1 Employment webpage.
Travel
Please contact ISSS to discuss your specific situation.
No, travel signatures are valid for up to 12 months. You need to make sure you have a valid travel signature on page 2 of your I-20 that was signed within the last 12-months from the time you seek entry into the U.S. If you do not have a travel signature or your travel signature will be older than 12-months at the time of your re-entry into the U.S. you will need to request a new travel signature from ISSS.
You will need to complete the I-20 Reprint Request Form (available in MyISSS portal) to request a travel signature.
- Current I-20 or DS-2019 with Valid Travel Signature
- Valid Passport: Must be valid 6 months beyond the date of re-entry to the U.S.
- Exception: Certain countries can re-enter the U.S. up to the expiration date.
- Valid Visa
- Exception: Citizens of Canada do not require a visa
- Exception: If eligible for Automatic Visa Revalidation after travel to Canada, Mexico, or Adjacent Islands.
- If using the Automatic Visa Revalidation provision, travel with your I-94 (printed copy of your Electronic I-94 or paper I-94).
- Current Financial Support Documentation
- e.g., bank letter, financial guarantee, scholarship letter, affidavit of support
- Must show funding for expenses noted on I-20 or DS-2019.
- I-901 SEVIS Fee Receipt
- If you do not have your original receipt, you can print a copy from the I-901 fee website.
- Unofficial Transcript and/or Verification of Enrollment Indicating Full-Time Status Every Semester printed from the Buff Portal