The
F-1 Visa
Important
terms and their definitions:
•
USCIS – US Citizenship and Immigration Services;
one of the 3 divisions into which the INS was divided as of
March 1, 2003. The other two are USICE (US Immigration and
Customs Enforcement) and USCBP (US Customs and Border Protection.)
•
F-1 visa – The
visa type for which you will be applying as an international
student (for academic studies in the US.) Once you
have your I-20 Form from Oberlin College, you'll need to apply
for an F-1 entry visa stamp in your passport at the US embassy
or consulate in your home country.
•
SEVIS – stands for Student and Exchange
Visitor Information System – a web-based system
for maintaining information on international students and
exchange visitors in the United States. It's administered
by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), a division
of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the largest
investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
•
SEVIS I-20 – the document that the US school
issues to prove to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS) that a student has been lawfully admitted and is expected
to enroll at the school.
•
Designated School Official (DSO ) – the person
on campus who advises foreign students on immigration matters,
helps them maintain their F-1 status, and acts on behalf of
the USCIS in certain cases when you need permission to travel,
work, etc.
•
Form I-94 – a little white card (usually stapled
to one's passport) that proves when and where the person last
entered the United States. It gets stamped at the US port
of entry.
•
“ A” Number – the number (usually known as the
admission number) the USCIS uses to identify a foreign person
and his/her visa status while in the U.S. This number is on
the I-94 and is also recorded on the SEVIS I-20 when the immigration
officer endorses it.
How do
students maintain legal F-1 status:
•
Register full-time every semester.
•
Work only on campus during the first academic year.
•
Keep your passport valid and unexpired at all times.
•
Make sure your F-1 visa stamp is valid (important for return
to the US after overseas travel).
•
Report all changes in your US address, legal name, and/or
visa status to the DSO and the USCIS.
What information
must be kept and reported through SEVIS:
Oberlin
College must report each semester the following for each F-1
student:
•
Enrollment and registration status
•
Whether or not a student drops below a full-time course of
study
•
Completion of program of study
•
Extension of program of study
•
Change(s) in legal name(s) and/or US address
•
Academic or disciplinary actions taken against the student
• Other
information such as program transfers, changes in level and/or
major of study, employment authorizations, reinstatement,
and/or record termination date and reason.
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