New Student Frequently Asked questions
Immigration Check-In
The Immigration Check-In Form is available in the MyISSS portal under the Arrival & Immigration Check-In tab.You will find instructions here: Accessing the F-1 Student Immigration Check-In E-Form in the MyISSS Portal.
- International students in F-1or J-1status shouldcomplete the check-in formassoon aspossible upon admission into the United States and no later than the start date of classes.
- Students who are transferring their F-1 SEVIS record to 91PORN must complete the check-in form within 15 days of their F-1 program start date as reflected on the Form I-20.
Please refer to the Printing a Copy of Your I-94 & Obtaining an I-94 Correction Իdzܳ.
ISSS encourages you to complete the International Student Orientation Course in Canvasbeforeclasses begin and you become busy with your schoolwork.
All new international students in F-1 or J-1 status are required to arrive to 91PORN the day before the mandatory in-person International Student Orientation to ensure they can attend the entirety of the required programming. Please refer to the Late Arrival Policy to understand your latest date of arrival.
If you are unable to arrive at 91PORN by these required dates, work with International Admissions to discuss deferring your I-20 program start date:
- Undergraduate students should contact:intladm@colorado.edu
- Graduate students should contact:intlgrad@colorado.edu
Immigration Documents
Yes, you should keep a copy of every I-20 you receive. It is important to keep a file of all I-20s issued to you as they document status maintenance and may be requested for future immigration benefit applications (e.g., H-1B).
Please note: I-20s are issued electronically, so be sure to save and back up digital copies securely.
Yes. After your change in major is processed by the Office of the Registrar, ISSS will update your I-20 information in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and issue you an updated I-20 via email reflecting your new major.
Each time you enter the U.S. you should check your electronic I-94 record and make sure the information is correct. If the information on your I-94 is incorrect, you will have to contact Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for a correction as soon as possible. Please review thePrinting a Copy of Your I-94 & Obtaining an I-94 Correction handoutfor more information.
The visa stamp in your passport is an entry document and only needs to be valid when you enter the US. This means your F-1 student visa, the stamp in your passport, is allowed to expire while you are in the U.S., as long as:
- Your I-20 remains valid,
- Your passport remains valid, and
- You are maintaining your F-1 immigration status.
"Status" refers to the legal category under which an international visitor is admitted to the U.S., and maintaining status is what allows you to remain in the U.S. legally—even if your visa has expired.
If your visa has expired and you travel outside the U.S., you will need to renew your visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad in order to re-enter. In general, you cannot re-enter the U.S. with an expired visa (with the exception of Automatic Visa Revalidation).
Please review the Visa Renewal Information for Students and Scholars handout for more details. Note that U.S. visas cannot be renewed from within the U.S.
I-20s are issued electronically, so first check your email for the I-20 you are missing. If you cannot locate it, you can request a replacement by completing the I-20 Reprint Request Form (available in MyISSS portal). ISSS will process your request in 2-5 business days.
If you lose your passport, you should take the following steps as soon as possible:
- Apply for a replacement passport through your home country’s embassy or consulate in the U.S.
- Report the loss to the local police and obtain a police report documenting the incident. Be sure to keep a copy of this report for your records.
If your U.S. visa was inside the lost passport:
- Contact the U.S. embassy or consulate that issued your visa to report it as lost or stolen.
- Important: If you report your visa as lost or stolen and later recover your passport, the visa stamp in that passport will no longer be valid for re-entry into the U.S. You will need to apply for a new visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad before traveling back to the U.S.
Maintaining my Status
F-1 and J-1 regulations require students to inform ISSS of a change of address within 10 days of moving. You will report your change of address using the Buff Portal. Please see Updating Your Address in Buff Portal for instructions on how to update your local address.
Each fall and spring semester a hold is placed on the records of students in F-1 status to prevent them from dropping a class without prior permission from ISSS and unintentionally falling below full-time enrollment, a violation of status. This hold does not affect a student's ability to add a class or drop classes related to future semester enrollment.
If students in F-1 status wish to drop a class after the hold has been placed on their record, they must contact an ISSS advisor to request permission to drop the class(es). If dropping the class(es) will not result in under-enrollment, then the ISSS drop hold will be removed for 48 hours in order to allow students to drop the approved class(es).
Students must receive permission from ISSS to drop below Full-time enrollment before dropping to part-time. Students can only receive permission to drop below full time enrollment for one of the following reasons.
Academic Reduced Course Load - Immigration regulations allow one Academic Reduced Course Load (RCL) per degree-level if a student has a valid academic reason for dropping below full-time. Please see the Academic Reduced Course Loads for further information, including the acceptable reasons for an Academic RCL.
Medical Reduced Course Load - ISSS may authorize a reduced course load or, if necessary, no course load, due to a student's temporary illness or medical condition for a period of time not to exceed an aggregate of 12 months per academic degree level. Please see the Medical Reduced Course Loads for further information, including the eligibility requirements for a medical RCL.
Final Semester - If a student needs less than full-time enrollment credit hours in their final semester to complete their degree program, then the student only needs to enroll in the credits needed to finish their program. Students must submit a Confirmation of Final Semester (available in MyISSS portal) to request part-time enrollment. In-person credits are always required in a student's final term, even if the final term occurs in the summer.
Academics
You may qualify for an Academic Reduced Course Load (ARC). Please review the eligibility requirements for an Academic RCL and contact ISSS for assistance.
If you are not eligible for an Academic RCL, ISSS encourages you to seek additional academic assistance.
Please review theISSS Academic Success Resources.
- As a first-year student, you may have the opportunity to seek help from an academic coach provided by your college or department.
- Additionally, if you are struggling in a specific course or courses during your time at 91PORN, there may be free tutoring resources available for you.
- Please contact your 91PORN academic advisor for further information on coaching or tutoring resources.
You may qualify for a Medical Reduced Course Load (RCL). Please review the eligibility requirements for a medical RCL and contact ISSS for assistance.
Yes, but courses taken for no credit (such as auditing a class) DO NOT count towards a student’s full-time enrollment requirements.
Classes must be taken for a grade, pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory to count toward the full-time requirement. Classes taken for no-credit will not count toward the full-time enrollment requirement.
Please see theAcademic Culture and English Language SupportԻWriting Centerresources available to you such as English courses, tutoring, and writing assistance. Othe on-campus resources for English language support can be found on the ISSS English Language Resources for Non-Native English Speakers.
Health and Wellness
Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS)offers confidential, on-campus mental health and psychiatric services. Students who paid the mental health fee are eligible for a variety of CAPS services.
- CAPS can help with a concerns relating to academics, cultural adjustment, anxiety, body image, depression, roommate or relationship problems, substance use, and more.
- CAPS offers Process Therapy Groups and workshops, in addition to individual counseling sessions.
- If CAPS cannot offer what you need, they provide a list of other . (Note: The cost of seeing an outside provider may not be covered under your insurance plan.)
Additional Resources
- AcademicLiveCare is a free telehealth platform that allows students to schedule and attend mental health and medical appointments remotely. This service is free regardless of your health insurance plan.
- Peer Wellness Coaching is a free service that allows students to meet with a trained peer to discuss and create goals related to stress management, time management, relationships, academics, self-care, and more.
As a 91PORN student, you have access to a wide range of Medical Services on campus to help you feel your best.
91PORN primary care services encompass a wide range of offerings, including preventative care, physicals, and dedicated attention to acute illnesses and injuries, all designed to support and enhance your health and well-being.
Appointments can be scheduled using the
91PORN offers diverse health and wellness services and programs-- counseling, fitness classes, medical services and more. Check out these 91PORN health and wellness resources.
Employment
To be eligible for on-campus employment, international students in F-1 or J-1 status must:
- Be maintaining their nonimmigrant status;
- Be enrolled in a full-time course load or authorized equivalent in the current term or, in the case of summer or winter vacation, have not completed their degree and are enrolled full-time (or an authorized equivalent) in the next required term.
On-campus employment refers to employment where a student is hired by a unit or department of the 91PORN campus and paid by 91PORN. Students who have questions about whether a job is considered on-campus should consult ISSS.
To search for available on-campus jobs, please review the Student Employment website. International students in F-1 or J-1 status are not eligible for on-campus jobs classified as “work study,” as such positions are subsidized by federal financial aid for domestic students.
International students can work on-campus up to 20 hours a week while school is in session during the fall and spring semesters. If a student has multiple on-campus jobs, the total hours worked for all jobs cannot exceed 20 hours a week while school is in session.
International students can work on-campus full-time (more than 20 hours) during official school breaks (spring break, summer vacation, Thanksgiving break, and winter vacation). During fall break, winter break, and spring break, if an international student in F-1 status would like to work more than 50 hours in a bi-weekly pay period, Student Employment requires the student to submit an exception request form for approval.
Students can work full-time during the summer term. The official Student Employment Summer Term does not require an exception request, but please see the Student Employment Summer calendar as dates may be different from the school calendar. Please consult the hiring department or Student Employment for more information.
International students working in the U.S. must obtain a Social Security Number (SSN) in order to be properly reported in the 91PORN (or their off-campus employer's) employee system and to be able to properly file a tax return. While it is possible to begin working on campus and to be paid initially without an SSN, all international students working on campus must receive a SSN as soon as possible. An SSN does not provide an international student with work authorization. In order to work, an international student must either have a qualifying on-campus job or be authorized for off-campus employment. An SSN alone is not work authorization.
To apply for a SSN through the Social Security Administration for on-campus employment, a student must have a qualifying employment offer (documented in an official offer letter) and a letter from ISSS. Please review the Applying for Social Security Number (SSN) handout for additional information.
To request an SSN letter for on-campus employment from ISSS, you must first complete the following required check-in tasks:
- Immigration Check-In Form (Access via your MyISSS Portal)
- Immigration Essentials Course Grade Submission Form, which is part of the immigration check-in form. (Access via your MyISSS Portal)
- Title IX Certificate Submission form (Access via your MyISSS Portal)
After completing the above tasks, submit a SSN request viaMyISSS Portal:
- Request for SSN Letter for On-Campus Employment (including Fellowship/Assistantship)
As an international student in F-1 or J-1 status, you are in the U.S. on a student visa, not a work visa, therefore, you must receive special work authorization for off-campus employment.
Below are the types of off-campus employment authorization that students in F-1 status are eligible to apply for only after they have completed one full academic year (fall and spring semester) in active nonimmigrant status:
Curricular Practical Training (CPT): Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is a temporary employment authorization for an “alternative work/study, internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required internship or practicum which is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school.” CPT can only be authorized prior to your degree completion for a work experience that is in your major field of study and considered to be “an integral part of an established curriculum.”
To be eligible for CPT, you must meet one of the following requirements:
- Be enrolled in an internship course for credit that counts towards your degree. (Enrollment in the course must be concurrent with the training. For example, if the internship is in the summer, you must be enrolled in the internship course during the summer) or
- Your degree must require an internship and that requirement is clearly documented in .
You must also apply for CPT authorization and can expect a processing time of 2-3 weeks. Please see the F-1 Curricular Practical Training page on our ISSS website for more information, including other CPT eligibility requirements.
Optional Practical Training (OPT): Optional Practical Training (OPT) is defined by the regulations as “temporary employment authorization for practical training directly related to a student’s major field of study.” You can be authorized for OPT before you complete your degree program (pre-completion OPT) or after you complete your degree program (post-completion OPT). The standard processing time for OPT authorization is 2-5 months. Please see the F-1 Pre-Completion OPT and Post-Completion OPT pages on our website for more information.
Students in J-1 status, please see the J-1 Employment webpage.
Travel
ʱcontact ISSSto discuss your specific situation. We also recommend reviewing thefollowing websites,TravelԻPrinting Your Electronic I-94.
No, travel signatures are valid for up to 12 months. You need to make sure you have a valid travel signature on page 2 of your I-20 that was signed within the last 12 months prior to your entry into the U.S. If you do not have a travel signature or your travel signature will be older than 12 months at the time of your re-entry to the U.S., you will need to request a new travel signature from ISSS.
To request a travel signature, complete the I-20 Reprint Request Form (available inMyISSS portal).
- Valid Passport: Must be valid 6 months beyond the date of re-entry to the U.S.
- Exception: Citizens ofcertaincountriescan re-enter the U.S. up to the expiration date of their passport.
- Unofficial Transcriptand/orVerification of Enrollmentindicating full-time enrollment every semester printed from theBuff Portal.
- New Students
- Immigration Documents
- Applying For Your Student Visa
- Health Insurance and Immunizations
- Entering the U.S.
- Completing Immigration Check-In
- Undergraduate Student Arrival
- Graduate Student Arrival
- Exchange Student Arrival
- Sponsored Student Arrival
- Late Arrival Policies
- New Student Frequently Asked questions
- Resources & Support
- Administrative Processing
- Current Students