Visa Regulations  

Overview of Department of Homeland Security Regulations

To maintain legal F-1 student status at UCLA, you are required to:

• Maintain full-time enrollment (eight units per six-week session) and earn a passing grade in all your courses. All courses must be taken for credit and a letter grade.

• Purchase health insurance meeting minimum UCLA requirements for the duration of your studies.

• Conform with regulations for travel outside of the U.S. and keep your passport valid for six months beyond the summer sessions program.

• Accept no off-campus employment without written permission from the Department of Homeland Security; work no more than twenty hours per week on campus while attending school on a full-time basis.

• Notify the International Education Office before you transfer to another U.S. school.

• Leave the U.S. or transfer to another U.S. school within sixty days after the completion of your program.

Full-time Enrollment

In order to comply with Department of Homeland Security regulations for F-1 student visa holders, you must complete at least eight units per six-week period of study. If for some medical or emergency reason you are unable to attend full-time study, you must contact an advisor at the International Education Office immediately. In exceptional and rare circumstances an advisor can approve a course load of fewer than eight units only if you have an illness or other medical condition (substantiated by a physician's statement).

Health Insurance

All international F-1 students are required to purchase a health insurance policy meeting minimum UCLA requirements for the duration of their studies. This is for your protection because medical care in the U.S. is very expensive.

Temporary Travel outside the U.S.

If you plan to travel outside of the U.S., you must meet with an advisor two weeks before you plan to leave. Bring proof of enrollment in eight units to this meeting. The advisor will review your enrollment, I-20 and passport to make sure that you will be allowed to re-enter the U.S.

If your visa has expired or you were only granted one entry on your visa, you will need to renew it in order to re-enter the U.S. You cannot renew your visa in the U.S. It must be renewed at an American consulate outside the U.S., preferably in your home country.

Travel Regulations for Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean Islands
If you visit Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean Islands (except for Cuba) for fewer than 30 days, you will need a valid passport and I-20, but not a valid visa stamp. You will be allowed to reenter the U.S. even if your visa has expired, provided you are in possession of a valid passport and I-20. Also, you should not surrender your I-94 card to authorities when you leave the U.S. Please note that if your visit will extend for more than 30 days, you must have a valid U.S. F-1 visa in order to reenter the U.S. The government of Canada or Mexico may require citizens from your country to have a visa before entering their countries. You may need to pay a visa processing fee to enter these countries. Before traveling to either of these countries, please call the Canadian Consulate, (213) 346-2700, or the Mexican Consulate, (213) 351-6800 for more information.

Travel signatures are only issued to current, full-time students. Please note that once you have completed your courses, you will not be eligible to receive a travel signature. All traveling should be done prior to completion of study.

On-Campus Employment

As an F-1 student, you are eligible to work on campus for up to 20 hours per week, provided that you are in good academic standing with grades of "C" or better. To apply for on-campus employment, go to 219 Kerkhoff Hall. If a department is hiring and is interested in you, a representative will contact you for an interview. Please understand that employment opportunities are limited and you should not rely on a job to support yourself while you are a student here.

Transferring Schools

Contact the UCLA International Education Office, (310) 267-4880, before you transfer to another U.S. school.

Preparing to Leave the U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security requires you to leave the U.S. within 60 days of your program completion date. You may use this time for travel within the U.S., but you must leave the U.S. within the 60-day period.

Example: Your last day of study in Session A is August 1. You have 60 days, until October 1, to leave the U.S. From August 1 to October 1 you may travel within the U.S. but you may not travel to another country (including Canada and Mexico) and return to the U.S.

Commonly Used Immigration Terms

• Department of Homeland Security
  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is responsible for administering and enforcing the regulations related to immigration and non-immigration policies.

• I-20
  The Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant (F-1) Student Status. This document is evidence of your admission to the school which issued the I-20. It is issued so that you can apply for an F-1 visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate. Your I-20 is proof of your status and should be kept with your passport.

• F-1 Visa
  A Non-Immigrant student visa. This is an entry visa issued to "bona fide students qualified to pursue a full course of study" at an academic or language institution authorized to admit international students. The visa is issued at a U.S. embassy or consulate. It indicates the date of issue and date of expiration. If you have not yet completed your program and the visa has already expired, you do not have to renew it until you leave the U.S. and plan to return. F-1 visas are not renewed within the U.S.

• B1/B2 Visa
  The visitor's visa for business (B1) or pleasure (B2). This visa does not allow you to attend school on a full-time basis.

• I-94 Card
  The arrival/departure document in your passport, commonly known as the "white card" . This is issued at the port of entry when you present your I-20 to the Department of Homeland Security officer. The arrival portion is kept by Department of Homeland Security and the departure portion is stapled on the F-1 visa page in your passport to show your status.

• D/S
  Duration of Status. This is written by Department of Homeland Security on the I-94 card and indicates that your stay is valid for the duration of your program and as long as you attend school on a full-time basis.

• WT
  Visa waiver (green I-94). This I-94 does not allow you to attend school on a full-time basis or remain in the U.S. past the date indicated on the card.

• In Status
  You are considered "in status" if you are attending school on a full-time basis. For UCLA Summer Sessions this means eight units per six week session, making satisfactory progress toward completing the coursework and keeping your health insurance current.

• Out of Status
  When you fail to meet F-1 visa requirements, for example, by attending school less than full-time, or UCLA requirements you are considered out of status and may lose your right to study at UCLA or to stay in the United States.

• Reinstatement
  To return to F-1 student status, you may apply for reinstatement, a procedure whereby you will be required to explain to an Department of Homeland Security officer why you failed to comply with the F-1 regulations.

Document Processing

Documents are processed by the UCLA International Education Office, (310) 825-4101. Always bring your passport and I-20 with you to your appointment and allow five working days for new documents to be produced.