Student and Exchange Visitor Program

I-20, passport, visa, I-94 — what you must keep valid and accessible at all times.

Form I-20
Your Form I-20 is your official Certificate of Eligibility for F-1 student status. You will need it when entering the United States and for many important immigration processes, including employment authorization, practical training, and school transfers.

Keep your I-20 with your passport and do not give it to immigration officials when leaving the United States. Your SEVIS ID is printed in the upper left corner of the form. It begins with the letter "N" followed by 10 digits.

Form I-94
Your Form I-94 is your official record of your arrival into the United States and confirms your lawful F-1 immigration status. After you enter the country, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) creates an electronic I-94 record showing your date of entry. Be sure to print a copy of your I-94 after each time you enter the United States and keep it with your immigration records.

Understand your authorized period of stay and what happens at program end.

Required documents for re-entry, travel signatures and guidelines

We recommend carrying the following documents when traveling:

INSIDE THE U.S.
Government-issued photo ID (driver's license, California REAL ID card, or passport): must be current and not expired If using driver's license,

Copy of your passport photo page and your F-1 visa Copy of your current I-20

OUTSIDE THE U.S.
I-20 with a valid travel signature: less than 6 months old when returning to the U.S.
BEFORE leaving the U.S., you must obtain a travel signature (DSO endorsement) on your I-20 from the International Student Office. Without a valid travel signature, you may not be allowed to re-enter the U.S.

Passport: valid for 6+ months into the future F-1 visa in your passport: valid when returning to the U.S.

Copy of your Foothill or De Anza transcript: unofficial transcript is acceptable

Important Reminders
If your F-1 visa has expired and you are traveling outside the U.S., plan to renew it during summer or winter break to allow enough time for processing.
A valid visa is ONLY required when entering the U.S.
You must apply for a new F-1 visa in your home country before returning to the U.S.
Review the visa requirements and schedule your visa appointment as soon as possible after arriving in your home country.
Many students must complete fingerprinting before the visa appointment.
Bring your financial documents and an official Foothill or De Anza transcript to your visa interview.

F-1 students are required to enroll primarily in on-campus, in-person classes each quarter. 12 Units is considered a full course load per quarter

Only one online class may count toward the required 12-unit full course load.

If you enroll in more than 12 units, any units beyond the initial 12 may be taken online, as long as you continue meeting the in-person enrollment requirement.

Failure to comply with these enrollment requirements may result in the termination of your F-1 status.

How to transfer your SEVIS record to another institution

International students with F-1 status who are transferring from one school to another are required to complete a special immigration transfer process. If you have not yet completed a full academic year at Foothill or De Anza please contact the International Student Programs Office before beginning the transfer-out process to confirm your eligibility.

To transfer out, you must have a letter of admission from the school or university you intend to transfer to, and be certain you will meet any relevant conditions to enroll there. It is difficult to get back a SEVIS record once it is transferred, so you should be certain of your transfer school before you begin the transfer-out process.

Submit a Transfer Out Request Form (email the ISP Office to request this form) along with a copy of your acceptance letter to the International Student Office. Your new school may also give you its own transfer form to be completed by our office; if so, include this form with the items above. Once you submit these documents, our international advisor will review them and verify that you meet the one-year enrollment requirement (or qualify for an exception), are in status, and are eligible for transfer.

Once approved, ISP will enter the name of the school or university you want to transfer to, along with your "release date," into SEVIS. The release date is the official last day of your last quarter as stated in the college schedule, and ISP cannot change your transfer after this date.

After your release date, contact your new school directly to find out its specific procedures for receiving your new I-20, since your new school cannot issue one until it is released by Foothill or De Anza ISP.

If you plan to travel outside the U.S. before beginning classes at your new school, you must use the new school's I-20 to re-enter the country. Using your Foothill I-20 to re-enter when you intend to attend another school is a violation of immigration regulations.

You do not need to apply for a new F-1 visa simply because the name of your new school does not appear on your current, unexpired visa. However, if your F-1 visa has expired and you plan to travel outside the U.S., you will need to reapply for a new F-1 visa before returning to begin studies at your new school.

On-campus work, CPT and OPT

F-1 students at Foothill and De Anza have three main options for working while studying: on-campus employment, Curricular Practical Training (CPT), and Optional Practical Training (OPT).

On-campus employment

On-campus employment allows students to work part-time in campus offices such as the library, tutoring center, wellness center, or police department, starting two weeks into their first quarter.

Students must be enrolled in at least 12 units (with no more than one online class) and maintain F-1 status, and can work up to 19 hours per week.

Students already working on-campus in Spring can continue at up to 19 hours per week through Summer without enrolling in classes; students not previously employed must enroll in at least 6 units in Summer to begin working and should meet with the Immigration Advisor before Fall term.

CPT (Curricular Practical Training)

CPT allows off-campus work directly related to a student's major after completing one year of F-1 study (three full quarters; summer doesn't count).

Students must meet with an International Academic Counselor for an updated Ed Plan and get advance approval from the ISP Office before starting.

CPT work is limited to 20 hours per week.

OPT (Optional Practical Training)

OPT allows off-campus work after completing an Associate Degree or Certificate of Achievement (35+ units), in a field related to the student's major.

Students must first confirm degree completion with an International Academic Counselor, then work with the Immigration Advisor to apply for OPT and receive an I-20 with the OPT recommendation.

The application must be submitted to USCIS during the graduation quarter, and USCIS approval is required before work can begin.

OPT allows up to 40 hours per week.