Your U.S. immigration status is the immigration category in which you are admitted to the U.S. Your status should reflect your principal reason for being here, your U.S. permissions for study and work, and how long you are able to remain in the U.S.
To better understand F-1 Student Immigration Status, let’s review your immigration documents, SEVIS record, and the key rules you should know to remain in the U.S. in good standing.
If you are in the U.S. in another immigration status (such as B-2 visitor, or H-1B temporary worker), your permissions and length of permitted stay will differ.
Your Immigration Documents
As an F-1 student, your immigration status is reflected by documents like your passport, Form I-20, F-1 Visa and more.
Your SEVIS Record
The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is a secure database used by U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Department of State (DOS) to track international students and exchange visitors in the U.S. All U.S. schools authorized to sponsor international students or exchange visitors use the SEVIS database.
Maintaining Your F-1 Status
Students in F-1 status are admitted to the U.S. for “D/S” (duration of status). This means that your permitted stay in the U.S. depends on your staying in compliance with F-1 regulations.
Name Standards
While Emerson students are able to use a college recognized name (nickname) or preferred name (updated name) for many functions, most immigration systems (including SEVIS) and legal documents require you to use the full legal name reflected on your passport.
Acronyms You Should Know
The Office of International Student Affairs (OISA) has put together a list of acronyms that you may come across frequently when updating your legal documents, immigration status, etc.
