International Student F-1 Manual 2015-2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS Statement of Introduction...1 International Student Affairs... 1 Office Hours... 1 International Advisor... 1 How they are assigned... 1 What they can help with... 1 International Student Affairs... 1 What they can help with... 1 Accepted International Students...2-3 I-20 Packet... 2 Acceptance Letter... 2 Embassy Letter... 2 Form I-20... 2 Dependant I-20 s... 2 SEVIS Fee... 2 Payment Instructions... 2 Embassy Visit... 2 What to bring... 2 How to prepare... 2 F-1 VISA... 2 Student VISA... 2 Dependant VISA... 3 I-94... 3 Transfer-in Students... 3 International Students on Campus...3-6 International Student Arrival... 3 Check-in... 3 Immigration documents... 3 Housing... 3 Finance... 3 Registration... 3 Orientation... 4 Important Announcements during the semester... 4 Program Options and Summer Credit Requirements... 4 Immigration Information... 4 How to stay in status... 4 Keep your immigration documents safe... 5 Expiration Dates... 5 Travel Plans... 5 Notification of Intent... 5 Continue Studies at CFNI... 5 Optional Practical Training (OPT)... 5
TABLE OF CONTENTS Transfer-out... 5 Return to Home Country... 6 Withdrawal Process... 6 Employment... 6 On-Campus... 6 Optional Practical Training... 6 Social Security Card... 6 Income Taxes... 6 Remedial English... 6 TOEFL Scores... 6
STATEMENT OF INTRODUCTION Mic a h 4 : 2 a n d m a n y N a t i o n s s h a l l c o m e, a n d s a y : C o m e, l e t u s g o u p t h e m o u n t a i n o f t h e L o r d, t o t h e h o u s e o f t h e G o d o f J a c o b, t h a t H e m a y t e a c h u s H i s w a y s a n d t h a t w e m a y w a l k i n H i s p a t h s. Congratulations on your acceptance to Christ For The Nations Institute. We are so glad God has guided your steps to CFNI in order to be equipped for His Kingdom work. The International Student F-1 Manual is for your use to familiarize yourself with important information about your non-immigrant status. We are here for you in International Student Affairs for any questions or concerns you have but we also encourage you to read and take responsibility for the information we provide in this Handbook. Refer back to it regularly for information but remember that we are trained and available to you for guidance and help in maintaining your F-1 status. All the information in this handbook is just for your reference and is not meant to be taken as legal immigration advice. Christ For The Nations International Student Affairs INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AFFAIRS The International Student Affairs office is located at the Enrollment Services in the Student Center on the Christ For The Nations Institute (CFNI) Campus. Within our office, you will find a team of well-trained International Advisors who are available to guide you during your application process and with general questions after you arrive. The staff at International Student Affairs are specifically trained to help you with your non-immigrant status and any questions you have pertaining to your I-20 and F-1 VISA. International Advisor All Advisors are trained and able to assist you. Your International Advisor can help you in the following ways: Application process Questions about CFNI Information about the campus and Dallas Area Services for International Students on campus Verification Letters International Student Affairs The staff qualified to work with your I-20 are called Designated School Officials (DSO). A DSO is available to you Monday-Friday 8:00am-12:00pm and 1:00pm 5:00pm, on a first come - first serve basis International Student Affairs can help you in the following ways: F-1 questions and benefits Your I-20 Staying in status (Reinstatements and Change of Status processes) Transferring to another school OPT Getting a Social Security Card (for on campus employment) 1 P a g e
ACCEPTED INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS I - 20 P A C K E T Acceptance Letter Proof of your Acceptance to CFNI Embassy Letter Verification of your intention to study, CFNI s qualifications to host International Students and a request that the Embassy grant you an F-1 VISA I-20 Your Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant Status F-1 Dependent I-20 Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant Status F-2 for immediate family members who are not studying After you are accepted to CFNI, we will notify you of your acceptance by email. Six months prior to your expected start date, we begin to prepare the I-20 Packets. Included in this packet will be your Official Acceptance Letter, an Embassy Letter and your I-20. All of these items are necessary for you to take with you to your VISA appointment at your local US Embassy. Once you have your visit with the Embassy these documents together with your new F-1 VISA are required for entry to the United States of America (USA). If you are bringing your family with you, we will provide dependant I-20 s for each non-studying member of your immediate family. Every member of your family that you choose to bring increases the amount of finances you must show in order to be issued the I-20 packet. All details of our financial verification requirements are available on our website (www.cfni.org). S E V I S F E E Also called the I-901 Fee CFNI does not pay this fee for you. Payment Instructions Please visit the following website: https://www.fmjfee.com/i901fee/index.jsp You must have a complete and accurate I-20 to fill out the Form I-901 online and to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee. Important - You must print your receipt after payment and bring this to your VISA interview appointment E M B A S S Y V I S I T Please visit http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1268.html/ for detailed information about requirements to obtain an F-1 VISA. What CFNI provides for your VISA Interview: o I-20- Certificate of Eligibility document issued from a SEVIS approved school o Acceptance Letter- Shows proof of your official acceptance to CFNI o Embassy Letter- A request from CFNI that you be granted an F-1 VISA How to prepare Bring all the required documentation listed on the above website (http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1268.html/ ) and sufficient proof of your intention to return home. An embassy agent s main concern is whether you are going to deceitfully use your F-1 status to immigrate to the USA. For more information on how to prepare for your VISA interview please visit: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1268.html/. F - V I S A S Student VISA F-1 VISA issued by a US Embassy or Consulate in your home country. This VISA allows you to cross the border of the USA when paired with an I-20 from the same school. The VISA may expire before your studies are complete. You are legal to stay in the USA with an expired VISA as long as your I-20 is current. If you travel out of USA with an expired VISA you must return to your home country and get a new one before you will be admitted back into the USA. Dependent VISA F-2 VISA issued for dependent family members of the F-1 student. All dependents must be issued an I-20 form from the same school as the F-1 VISA holder. F-2 dependents may not work or study while in the USA. School aged children may attend primary or secondary school on an F-2 VISA. 2 P a g e
I - 94 This is an admission number assigned at point of entry to the USA. This is a unique number identifying that you have entered the USA legally. The Border Patrol Agent will stamp your visa validating your legal F-1 status. The stamp in your passport should be marked F-1 D/S. There should not be a date listed on your I-94 or visa page of your passport. If your I-94 gets marked with a date you should let International Student Affairs at CFNI know upon your arrival. You will retrieve your I-94 number by visiting https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/i94/. This number is updated everytime you re-enter the USA. T R A N S F E R - I N S T U D E N T S As a transfer student your process will differ from a new student traveling directly from their home country. We still require the same documentation during the application process but we will not issue you an I-20 packet upon your acceptance. Some additional documentation we require from you before acceptance: Transfer Clearance Form filled out by your current school Copy of your current I-20 Copy of any dependent I-20 s Copy of your current VISA Copy of any dependents VISAS Once we receive all these documents and you have been accepted be aware that we will not provide you an I-20 until you arrive on campus and register for classes. If you are intending to travel home before your scheduled start date at CFNI please communicate this so that we can provide you a signed I-20 for your re-entry. If you need to re-interview for a new VISA please communicate this to us and we will provide you with a regular I-20 packet for your Embassy visit. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ON CAMPUS I N T E R N A T I O N A L S T U D E N T A R R I V A L Your arrival date will be found on your Official Acceptance Letter. Please make plans to arrive to CFNI on that date or within that week. Students who arrive after the final acceptable arrival date will not be eligible to enroll for classes and will be asked to return home. If you are having a problem booking flights please inform your advisor or the International Student Affairs Assistant. Check-in During this time staff from CFNI will check your immigration/travel documents. We will give you your username and password for online registration and provide you with a schedule of the week s orientation activities. Immigration Documents You must provide us with the following documents upon your arrival: Passport VISA I-20 I-94 *This includes all dependent family members documents as well. Housing The housing office will set you up with your room/housing assignment and give you keys. Finance The Finance office will assist you with how to pay your student bill for the semester. If you have a USA Credit Card you can pay your student bill online during your registration process and skip this step. Registration Once you have paid your student bill you can register for classes online from any computer with an internet connection. If you have questions about registration please talk with the Registrar s Office for help 3 P a g e
Orientation During the first week you are here there will be several important orientation sessions that you are required to attend. There will be an orientation just for international students; please make this a priority. We will provide detailed information regarding your F-1 status. A N N O U N C E M E N T S D U R I N G T H E S E M E S T E R Please be alert during classes and chapel times for announcement slides that play on the screens in the Institute Building or are announced in the classrooms. It will be through this medium that important meetings, information and deadlines will be advertised. It is your responsibility to know when an announcement applies to you. If you are unsure please stop by International Student Affairs to ask our staff. We also have a website just for you: internationalstudentscfni.wordpress.com When you get on campus you can join our International Student Affairs Facebook page too: www.facebook.com/groups/internationalcfni/ P R O G R A M O P T I O N S A N D S U M M E R C R E D I T R E Q U I R E M E N T We are glad to offer several program options for our International Students. Please see below for a brief overview: 1 Year Programs Certificate of Biblical Studies Summer Credit Required (in the FIRST summer you are here) Advanced Studies Diploma Summer Credit NOT required Majors Available: Marketplace Leadership New Testament Church Leadership Global Missions Youth Children and Family Worship Creative Media Evangelism Biblical Counseling 2 Year Program Associate of Practical Theology Summer Credit required in the first year. 3 year Program Bachelor of Practical Ministry Summer Credit required in the first year. (See Majors above). I M M I G R A T I O N I N F O R M A T I O N Below is an overview of important information for your F-1 Status, it is not comprehensive; please see International Student Affairs for questions. How to Stay in Status 1. Your I-20 must have a current end date. a. When you reach the end date on your I-20 it means your program is finished. 2. You must follow the regulations for your F-1 VISA. a. You must be enrolled full time for all school sessions (semesters or terms) and attend all classes. b. You must not engage in unauthorized employment. c. You cannot attend classes at any other school while attending CFNI; unless you receive written permission. 4 P a g e
Keep your Immigration documents safe Your immigration documents are your only proof that you are in the USA legally. Take very good care of them! They are expensive documents to replace and you must replace them if they are stolen or lost. Please make copies of them and keep originals and copies in a safe place separate from each other. When you are off campus for an extended period of time please take your original documents with you (e.g., if you are traveling around Texas or other states in the USA). Do not leave your documents in a vehicle or in a classroom on campus. If you lose your I-20 please come to Enrollment Services and fill out a Replacement I-20 Request Form and turn it in. We will contact you to pick up your new I-20 within 2 days. Expiration Dates You must be responsible for the expiration dates on your passport, VISA and I-20! Travel Plans Passport renewals can be done from your country s embassy within the USA. If your VISA expires while you are in the USA you do not have to renew it UNLESS you are leaving the USA. VISA renewals have to be done from the US Embassy in your home country. If your I-20 expires it means your program has ended. You should have made other plans prior to your I-20 s expiration. After your I-20 expires you have a 60 day grace period before you must leave the USA. Please keep International Student Affairs informed of your plans. The second page of your I-20 must have a DSO signature if you are leaving the USA. o o Notification of Intent Please request this signature a week before your scheduled departure. During busy times in the office there could be up to a 2 day turn-around for I-20 signatures. Please plan for this! If you do not get your I-20 signed before you leave the country, you will not be able to re-enter in F-1 status and could get turned away by Border Patrol Services. Each semester International Student Affairs will hold a meeting for all International students with an I-20 that expires at the end of the current semester. We will inform you of your options and important deadlines. We will also explain the procedures for each option, as well as answer any questions you have. Below you will find a brief outline of what we share during this meeting. This handbook is not comprehensive therefore we encourage you to attend all scheduled meetings through the semester. Continue to study at CFNI Required documents for extending your studies at CFNI: 1. Notification of Intent form Informs CFNI of your desired Program/Major 2. Proof of Funds a. Original bank statement for required amount OR b. Proof of full scholarship Once we receive these documents we will extend your I-20 for the duration of your new program and contact you to pick up your new extended I-20. This I-20 will replace the previous one and will have a new end date on the first page. Optional Practical Training (OPT) OPT allows the student to work for 1 year in a job that is directly related to their training at CFNI. Most students obtain jobs in churches and other ministries. This is an extended process that we will explain in further detail during the Notification of Intent Meeting. Transfer to another F-1 school Required documents to transfer: 1. Notification of Intent form Informs CFNI that you intend to transfer to a new school. 2. Transfer Status Letter/Form This form comes from the new school you are applying to. We will fill it out and return it directly to the new school via email or fax. 3. Acceptance Letter This letter guarantees us that you have been accepted to the new school. 5 P a g e
Once we receive all the required documents we will set up to transfer your SEVIS account to the new school. This transfer is scheduled for the day after graduation. After that you must contact your new school for your I-20. Return Home Process for completing studies at CFNI 1. Notification of Intent form Informs CFNI of your plans to return home. 2. Request a refund of your Airline Deposit/or Return ticket If you left a monetary deposit for your return flight you must request this from the Finance Office. Please allow at least 2 weeks for them to process the refund. It will be returned to you in the form of a check. If you gave us a return ticket you will request this back from International Student Affairs. Withdrawal process If you are leaving before your program ends you must complete the withdrawal process with your dean. Please see International Student Affairs with questions. Employment As an F-1 student you only have two options for legal employment. 1. On-Campus Employment You can apply for a job on campus at CFNI and work legally up to 20 hours a week during classes and up to 40 hours a week during school breaks. 2. Optional Practical Training (OPT) Optional Practical Training is available for all students who have completed a full year of studies at their current level. OPT is usually completed at the end of the student s program. There is a two-part application process which will be announced and explained in detail at the Notification of Intent Meeting held once each semester. Once approved for OPT you will be able to work legally, up to full time, in a job that is directly related to your course of study at CFNI. Social Security Card If you are offered on campus employment while you are a student at CFNI you must apply for a Social Security Card. The Social Security Number is necessary for the school to process your paycheck. Please see International Student Affairs for more information on how to apply. Income Taxes If you are a scholarship student or obtain on-campus employment you must file an income tax. There are a variety of Accountant Services in the DFW area that can help you file these taxes. Taxes are filed between January and April for the previous year. English Testing If you are from a country that does not use English as an Official National Language your I-20 will indicate that you must take an English Proficiency test upon your arrival at CFNI. We understand many people speak English very well but we will still require you to meet with our Remedial English Supervisor to determine your ability to succeed with or without further English training. TOEFL Scores If you have taken the TOEFL test and have a score of 61 or above please have TOEFL send your scores directly to CFNI. You will still meet with our Remedial English Supervisor so she can review your scores. 6 P a g e