Marian University Pre-Arrival Guide 2022-23
5
Please review all the information on your I-20 to ensure it is correct.
Especially check that the spelling of your name, date of birth, program of
study, and nances are without error. Inform admissions immediately at
SEVIS and Your I-20
SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System), an Internet-based
system, provides tracking and monitoring of international student information. As an
international student, you have a SEVIS record which contains information on what you
are studying at Marian University, the expected dates of your study, and how you are
paying for your studies.
SEVIS enables colleges and universities to issue you an I-20 (“Certificate of Eligibility
for Non-immigrant (F-1) Student Status-For Academic and Language Students”).
It is important to always have an I-20 that is accurate. Should any information need
changing now (either due to error or updates) or in the future, it is your responsibility to
contact GEO for an updated I-20. You should keep all I-20s (even those from prior
United States schools) as you may be asked to provide them during travel or applying
for United States government benefits like employment.
Please check the program end date of your I-20. If you do not expect to graduate on
this date, you will need to request an extension within one month before the expiration
date. In other words, if your I-20 expires in August, you must make your extension
request in July.
After You Receive Your I-20
Once you receive the I-20 and you have confirmed all the information is correct, you
should begin the process of applying for an F-1 visa at your nearest United States
Embassy or Consulate. Internationals students are required to have a valid F-1 visa
during the time of entry into the United States. The only exception is for Canadian
citizens; Canadian citizens prove their F-1 status via their I-20 and do not need to have
an F-1 visa. You may enter up to 30 days prior to your program start date.
If you are currently studying at another school in the United States and you will transfer
your
SEVIS record to Marian University, you are not required to obtain a new visa
unless you are traveling outside the United States AND you do not have a valid visa to
re-enter the United States.
Steps on Applying For an F-1 Visa
We have helpful information on our website to help you with your F-1 visa application.
Visit marian.edu/internationalvisa.
Check your visa to ensure it is accurate and that it matches your passport.
Make sure that your surname and given names are in the correct order.
Errors will cause problems and cannot be corrected aer you arrive in the
United States.
Your Visa
You should have an F-1 student visa in your passport that permits you to enter the
United States (unless you are a Canadian citizen, in which an F-1 visa is not required).
Students will have different visa lengths and end dates depending on reciprocity
agreements between your home country and the United States. Regardless of your visa
end date, your F-1 status is valid for as long as you meet certain obligations to maintain
legal status, which can be found at marian.edu/immigrationregulations. For this
reason, it is not possible to extend or renew that visa stamp while you remain in the
United States. If your visa stamp is expired, as long as you are maintaining F-1 status,
it is not a problem to stay and study unless you want to travel outside the United
States. If traveling outside the United States with an expired visa, you will need to
request a new visa at your nearest United States Embassy or Consulate to return.
In order to maintain lawful F-1 status, you must enroll full time until you obtain your
degree or change to another visa status. Full-time enrollment for undergraduate
students is 12 credit hours during the fall and spring semesters; for graduate students
full-time enrollment is nine credit hours during the same time period. Immigration
regulations do not require summer enrollment unless it is your first term at
Marian University.
Apply for an F-1 student visa.