New International Students International Student Program Staff F-1 Student Agreement Mandatory Health Insurance Counseling (during next week, per individual appointment) 1 st Semester Student Educational Planning (SEP) Register for classes
International Student Program Staff Trish Gonzalez: International Student Program Admissions Coordinator Contact Information: Email: intlstud@lavc.edu Phone #: (818) 778-5517 Margaret Sarkisyan: International Student Counselor Contact Information: Email: sarkism@lavc.edu (preferred method of communication) Phone #: (818) 947-2648
F - 1 STUDENT AGREEMENT
IMMIGRATION: Maintain Your F-1 Status Review pg. 3 of your I-20: Your I-20 lists all your responsible for meeting the requirements to maintain your F-1 Visa Inform the INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PROGRAM of any change in your: Address Phone number Residency status Enroll in and complete at least 12 units every semester Dropping below 12 units or stop attending school will result in termination of your I-20 You will be out of status and subject to deportation You may not be eligible to return to the US for 3-10 years
Concurrent Enrollment Concurrent Enrollment: While LAVC is your primary school, you may also decide to take courses at other college You must first enroll in at least 6 units at LAVC, at the time of requesting a permission for concurrent enrollment (complete and bring this form to your counseling appointment) Take a letter of permission for concurrent enrollment from your counselor to the other college in order to enroll in classes at their campus Once enrolled at another college, bring proof of enrollment to your counselor at LAVC to show proof of enrollment in order to maintain your I-20 status Must remain enrolled in all units to maintain your status.
Transferring to Another College or University Notice of Intention to Transfer: If you wish to transfer to another college or university, you may to do after successfully completing at least one semester at LAVC. Make sure to apply to the other college/university by their deadlines. Once admitted by the other college or university: Make an appointment with the counselor, complete and bring Notice of Intention to Transfer form and a Letter of Acceptance from the college/university you are transferring to Your SEVIS records will be released to the new college/university at the end of the current semester, and you will receive a new I-20 from that school
I-20 Extension I- 20 Extension: Your I-20 is approved for the duration of 36 months (3 years/6 semesters) If by the end of this period you do not expect to complete your education at LAVC, you MUST request an EXTENTION at least 30 days before your program end date. Your program cannot be extended after the expiration date on your I-20. I-20 may be extended only for medical or academic circumstances: Medical: Documented illness that lead to reduced course load or medical withdraw Academic: STEM (high units) majors required to complete additional prerequisite courses that takes longer time to complete
F-1 STUDENT TRAVEL Proper steps before you travel: Travel Advisement: Before traveling outside the US, you must get your I-20 singed by the LAVC DSO. At least two weeks prior to traveling outside the US. complete and bring the following to request your travel advisement and signature on I-20: I-20/Travel Request form Your I-20, Passport and Visa Make sure you don t have any outstanding (unpaid) fees at the time of requesting travel advisement. If you have an unpaid balance, you will be asked to come back after your payment is made and HOLD is cleared. Register for next semester courses before you travel to reserve your seats in your planned course and guarantee your full-time enrollment. A valid Passport and Visa: Must maintain at all times to be able to travel outside the US. Change of Status : If you were approved for an F-1 Visa through the Change of Status process, you MUST apply for a student visa in your country, if you leave the U.S. in order to be able to come back. So make sure you plan enough time for this.
F-1 Student Employment F-1 is a Student Visa, not a Work Visa You were approved for F-1 Visa because you provide proof that you have the financial stability to pay for the educational and leaving expenses while studying in the US; therefore, F-1 students are not eligible to work. Only in the event of severe economic hardship an F-1 student may apply for employment. Must be enrolled for at least one (1) academic year before you are eligible to apply for employment. You must provide documentation to verify the change in your financial situation that created economic hardship, and therefore, a need to work. There are two types of employment On-Campus Employment Off-Campus Employment
On-Campus Employment Types of Employment Work that takes place at your school, assisting students Student may work up to 20 hours/week while school is in session If you find an on-campus office or program that is able to hire you, you must meet with the counselor to file the required paperwork to obtain a Social Security Number required for all types of employment in the US
Off-Campus Employment Types of Employment The requests are granted on case-by-case bases, depending on the severity of the circumstances. Must be unable to obtain on-campus employment Must meet with an International Student Counselor to initiate DSO authorization in SEVIS Must submit Form I-765 with required fee of $380 to the USCIS (Visit the USCIS Forms webpage to verify current fee) Must provide all the supporting documents as a proof that verifies the claimed economic hardship
Types of Employment Off-Campus Employment Approval Process: Authorization is granted in one-year increments. Student may work up to 20 hours/week while school is in session If you need to continue working, you must reapply to USCIS with recommendation at least 90 days and not more than 6 months before the current authorization expires. You may not work without Form I-766, Employment Authorization Document (EAD).
Optional Practical Training - OPT OPT Optional Practical Training is available to F-1 students upon completion of their program of study if employment is directly related to their major field of study. Allows students to work for maximum of 12 months in the United States Students in STEM majors are allowed to work for up to 24 months Must have completed a certificate or an AA/AS degree to qualify for OPT May apply 90 days prior to, but not later than 60 day after completing their program (Certificate and/or Associate Degree)
APPLYING FOR OPT Complete the Employment Authorization Request and meet with the International Student Counselor to apply for OPT Once the request is created by the counselor, complete and send application and $380 application fee to USCIS within 30 days from the day OPT request is initiated on your SEVIS record If approved, you will receive the EAD card (within 60-90 days) You may then take your EAD card to the Social Security Office to apply for Social Security Number Notify the counselor immediately about type and place of your employment to continue maintaining your I-20 during these 12 months OPT period.
Not Let s Talk About The Academic Stuff.
Counseling and Academic Advisement Meet with the International Student Counselor at least ones every semester: To develop/update your Student Educational Plan (SEP) To confirm your SEVIS registration and status verification To change/update major (if needed) To request extension of I-20 (if needed) To request travel advisement and signature (if needed) To request Concurrent Enrollment at another college To discuss any other issues such as: Need to concurrently enroll at another college Need to transfer to another college Experiencing difficulty in classes Experiencing other unforeseen circumstances beyond your control that are affecting your ability to study or maintain your full time enrollment
Counseling and Academic Advisement Register for your classes early every semester and pay your fees on time. Enroll in and complete at least 12 units each Fall/Spring semester using your registration appointment time. You are not obligated to study during Summer/Winter intersessions (optional). You may take no more than one (1) online course per semester. Pay all fees in full for each semester as soon as you register for classes to avoid a HOLD on your record. REMEMBER a HOLD will prohibit you from: Registering for classes for future semesters Requesting travel advisement and signature Accessing your records Or processing any dealings with immigration Maintain minimum academic standard, a 2.00 or higher grade point average (GPA).
How to Calculate Your GPA Grade points: A = 4 B = 3 C = 2 D = 1 F = 0 Example: Grade GP U Total pnts. English 28 B 3 * 3 = 9 Math 115 C 2 * 5 = 10 Health 11 A 4 * 3 = 12 PE 630 D 1 * 1 = 1 Music 111 F 0 * 3 = 0 15 (un.) 32 (grade pts.) GPA 32/15 = 2.13
LACCD Mandatory Health Insurance IMED LACCD Board Rule 2309.30 F-1 student will be automatically charged with medical insurance fee (IMED) at the time they register for their first class of the semester (Summer/Fall/Spring/Winter) The rates are subject to change every year IMED fees cannot be waived for any reason For example, students that have medical coverage from scholarship funds cannot waive the IMED fee.