Current Students

Tips for Maintaining Your Student Visa Status

• Read and respond to all emails from ISSS!
• Enroll in a full-time course load. Undergraduate students must take at least 12 credits per term and graduate students must take at least 9 credits to be considered full-time. Students who are not able to register full-time must meet one of the less than full time criteria.
• Do NOT work without the necessary employment authorization. Working without authorization is considered a serious violation of F-1/J-1 status. Note that "work" can mean a lot of different things, including anything that earns income. Visit our employment page to learn more.
• Consult ISSS's travel information for the latest U.S. travel requirements and information before traveling outside of the U.S. Students must make sure that all of their travel documents are unexpired and valid and that they have valid travel signature on their I-20/DS-2019 form.
• Connect with ISSS before going on vacation, taking a leave of absence, withdrawing from a course, or withdrawing from Drexel.
• Make sure you do not have any holds on your account. You can check for holds in DrexelOne. Holds can prevent you from registering for classes and using Drexel resources such as the library, etc.
• Update ISSS of any changes you make, such as moving to a new address or changing your major, within 10 days.

For more information about maintaining your student visa status, please visit our maintaining status page.