Maintaining F-1 Status
Full-time Study
F-1 students must maintain register for and complete a full course load each semester until they receive their degrees, except when the student needs less than a full course load to complete the degree requirements during the final term of study. F-1 students are not required to register for the summer session. Full-time study for international students means a minimum of nine credit hours for graduate students (although some graduate programs at Emory require twelve credit hours), twelve credit hours for professional school students (MD, JD, and Mdiv), and twelve credit hours for undergraduate students. Any deviations from these listings should be discussed with an advisor in ISSS prior to dropping a class. Federal regulations allow a student to be authorized to enroll less than full-time or to withdraw from a class(es) during a given semester in extremely limited circumstances; however, prior approval from an ISSS advisor must be obtained. Please see ISSS's information on Reduced Courseload Authorization for more details.
Employment
Employment authorization in F-1 status is extremely restricted. F-1 students are eligible to work on-campus up to 20 hours per week during the academic year and may work full-time during official university breaks and vacations. Students must receive authorization from ISSS prior to beginning employment on-campus and must also obtain a Social Security Number. Off-campus employment usually requires a waiting period and, in most circumstances, must relate to the academic program. Please see ISSS's section on Employment for more information.
Address Changes
F-1 students must ensure that their U.S. telephone number(s) and local U.S. and permanent home country addresses are always accurate in Emory's records. DHS requires all non-immigrants to update their address within 10 days of any change. To meet these federally mandated requirements, please follow the instructions for updating address changes at Emory University.
Academic Program Changes
F-1 students must notify ISSS of any change in the academic program, including changes in program level, major or leave of absence. Students who wish to transfer to another institution must complete the procedures listed in our section on Transfering from Emory.
Extension of Stay
F-1 students who wish to remain in the United States beyond the expiration date on the I-20 in order to complete their program of study are responsible for requesting an extension. The application for extension must be made before the I-20 expires, but ISSS recommends contacting an advisor at least 30 days prior to the end of the program to ensure timely processing. Please see ISSS's section on Extending Your Program for more information.