In addition to enrollment requirements, international students must meet certain other requirements to maintain legal visa status while they are studying at SDSU.
Learn about these other requirements:
All F-1 and J-1 students are required to have the following information in their SDSU WebPortal at all times:
You are required to report any changes to your address, phone number or email within 10 days by updating it in your SDSU WebPortal. Updating your information in WebPortal will automatically update this information in your SEVIS record.
Important: Failure to have an address/phone number/email address, or to update it within 10 days, is a violation of your immigration status.
You are required to have a valid, unexpired passport at all times.
You are also required to have a valid, unexpired I-20 or DS-2019 valid at all times. You can check when your I-20/DS-2019 expires by looking at the program end date on page 1 of your I-20/DS-2019 or, if you are on Post-OPT, check page 3 on the I-20 for Pending or Approved OPT.
You must submit an extension request to the ISC if you do not complete your program of studies at SDSU within the time specified on the I-20/DS-2019. The extension must be completed by the ISC before the form expires on the program end date.
Students applying for an extension of the I-20 must obtain the following forms and upload them to the ISC's online I-20 Extension Request Form at least 7 business days before their I-20/DS-2019 ends. We strongly advise students to submit the documents earlier, in case there are any questions or problems with the documents submitted.
Review the information about Traveling Outside the U.S. before you travel internationally while you are a student at SDSU.
Traveling abroad without the proper documents (passport, I-20/DS-2019, etc.) or without a valid travel signature could make you ineligible to re-enter the U.S.
F-1 and J-1 students are not allowed to work or do an internship off-campus without work authorization. Doing any kind of work for any kind of remuneration without authorization is a violation of your visa status and will result in the loss of your visa status. Unpaid internships also require work authorization.
Please carefully review regulations on employment, speak with an advisor if you have questions, and apply for off-campus work authorization in a timely manner. Keep in mind that CPT can be processed as quickly as 7 business days by the ISC (assuming all forms are correct and the student is enrolled in the CPT course, if required). OPT applications are approved by US Citizenship and Immigration Services and can take 3 to 5 months for them to adjudicate your application.
Find information on employment regulations and how to apply for work authorization for your visa category:
The California State University, including SDSU, requires all international students to maintain adequate health insurance throughout the duration of their visa status. Failing to maintain adequate health insurance will jeopardize your visa status.
SDSU automatically places an F Hold on your registration for the next semester. You will need to satisfy the health insurance requirement before the F Hold can be removed. We recommend you complete this requirement at least 3 business days before your Registration Date.
Students on the J-1 visa are also required to purchase insurance for their J-2 dependents in the U.S.
International students who complete their program of study have 60 days after the posted "last day of semester" date listed on the university approved academic calendar to take action on their immigration record. Some actions include departing the U.S., transferring to another school, or applying for OPT. More detail on some options can be found below. You may always make an appointment with an advisor to discuss your plans.
You must notify SDSU before you:
Always make an appointment with an ISC advisor to discuss your intentions.
Before taking a leave of absence, international students should meet with an international student advisor at the ISC to discuss how it will affect their immigration status. Please read the ISC's Leave of Absence information before meeting with the advisor. A leave of absence involves temporarily terminating your visa status and you must follow certain procedures before leaving and coming back to the U.S.
If you intend to leave your program permanently, you must make an appointment with an ISC advisor to inform us of your departure. We will end your F-1 or J-1 visa status for an authorized early withdrawal. After this, you will be able to re-apply for F-1, J-1, or any other visa status and, if approved, use the new visa to re-enter the U.S.
To transfer to another school, complete the Transfer Out Request Form and upload the acceptance letter from the new school at least 7 business days before you would like your SEVIS record (I-20) to be transferred. If your record is Active and transferable, the transfer will be done and you will be notified. If you have questions about the process or want to discuss the transfer date, you can meet with an international student advisor at the ISC.
If you leave your program without informing the ISC, your status will be terminated for failure to enroll and this will have a negative impact on your future travel to the U.S.