Hello International Students! It’s time again for some helpful reminders from the Office of International Education. Please read the following carefully and remember to come meet with an advisor if you have any questions about your immigration status.

Please do not reply to this email!

I-20 / DS-2019 Extension:

• If you have an I-2O or DS-2019 that expires on December 31, 2016 and you need more time to complete your degree, you must file a request to extend your I-20 / DS-2019.  The I-20 / DS-2019 extension process can take 10 business days.  Students who do not get their I-20s / DS-2019s  extended prior to expiration will be considered in violation of their F-1 status / J-1 status.  Save yourself time and money by applying for the extension early.

Travel Plans?

• If you’re planning to travel outside the US during the Winter break, make sure that you have valid documents and that you have a travel signature on page 2 of your I-20 (F-1 students) or page 1 of your DS-2019 (J-1 students).
• If you are completing your program in December 2016 and plan to travel after 12/16/2016, please contact us during advising hours to discuss your travel plans.
• If you’re applying for a new visa, here are some helpful reminders.

Document Check-up:

Traveling or not, the end of the semester is a good time to review your documents and make sure that all documents are valid.

· Passport- All international students are required to have a valid passport while in the US.

Check the expiration date your passport to make sure that yours is still valid. If your passport is nearing expiration, contact your country’s Embassy or Consulate General for instructions on extending the validity of your passport.

· I-20 or DS 2019- All international students must have a valid program document while in the US.  For F-1 students that is the I-20 and for J-1 students that is the DS-2019. Check to make sure that your I-20 / DS-2019 indicates the current degree level, field of study and an expected date of completion that has not expired.  Students who do not get their I-20 / DS-2019 extended prior to the expiration will be automatically out of status with the immigration service (USCIS) and ineligible for work including GTAs and GRAs.

OPT/CPT advising made simple!

· If you’ll be completing your program in Fall 2016 and have questions about post-completion OPT, our series of OPT advising videos is now available online at: http://www.uta.edu/oie/?page=services&service=opt_links you can also watch our (brand new!) series on CPT at: http://www.uta.edu/oie/?page=forms&form=cpt_forms

Students who have applied for Post-completion OPT based on December completion:

   • Do not begin to work until you actually have received your employment authorization document from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and only from the authorized date forward. Also if you have on campus employment, that must end by 12/16/2016 (the current semester end date).

Students who wish to apply for Pre-completion OPT for Spring 2017:

· Please be aware that USCIS processing time for OPT requests is 60-90 days, so if you would like to apply to work on pre-completion OPT in Spring 2017 it is in your best interest to do so as soon as possible.  Please visit us during advising hours if you have any questions about pre-completion OPT.

Spring Enrollment:

· As always, International Students must be enrolled fulltime for each required semester. Please note that only one online course may be counted towards your fulltime enrollment requirement each semester.

If Spring 2017 will be your final semester:

· If you will be completing the requirements for your academic program in Spring 2017, you are required to enroll full-time for the Spring 2017 term OR submit a full-time enrollment waiver for “final semester.”

· Your enrollment cannot be only online in your final semester; you must have at least one course on campus at UTA. 

If you have questions about your documents or status, please plan to visit the OIE during advising hours, which are listed on our website at http://www.uta.edu/oie/?page=services&service=advising

Best regards,

The Office of International Education