International students who are enrolled in Global and International Studies might have requirements to study abroad to satisfy the graduation requirement. Or some international students might want to participate in the study abroad programs and be exchange students for different universities outside the U.S. like in Europe, Asia, or Africa to experience different cultures and to travel!
As F-1 student visa holders, can international students study abroad in countries other than the U.S.? What would be some U.S. immigration regulations that international students who plan to study abroad in a third country keep in mind during the planning and participating in the study abroad program?
This blog post will look at relevant immigration regulations for international students who would like to study abroad. Students will be able to learn how to plan their study abroad if they don’t want to apply for new visas after studying abroad and what are their responsibilities while studying abroad.
Contents
- Eligibility to study abroad
- What needs to be done in SEVIS to study abroad
- What to keep in mind: 5-month rule
- Benefits of studying abroad
Eligibility to study abroad
Immigration regulations for studying abroad are not clear but StudyintheStates.com which is one of the federal official websites for international students clarifies that international students can participate in the study abroad program.
As an F student in the United States, you may have the option to study in other countries while enrolled at a U.S. school.
CAN INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES STUDY ABROAD?
Also, 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10) mentions that international students can satisfy the “full academic year” for CPT or OPT by participating in the study abroad program. It is worth noting that there’s a condition to this rule that the student should have spent at least one full academic year before they go to study abroad:
Practical training may be authorized to an F-1 student who has been lawfully enrolled on a full time basis, in a Service-approved college, university, conservatory, or seminary for one full academic year. This provision also includes students who, during their course of study, were enrolled in a study abroad program, if the student had spent at least one full academic term enrolled in a full course of study in the United States prior to studying abroad.
8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)
Therefore, just like international students would have to be enrolled full time at least for a full academic year before they apply for Curricular Practical Training or Optional Practical Training, foreign students would have to meet the “full academic year” requirement to go to study abroad.
Now for students who meet the “at least one full academic year” requirement, the next step is to work with the study abroad coordinator to see what kind of programs that students can apply for. Other than figuring out which program to apply for, it is also important to confirm if the credits can be transferred back to the home country. Please note that international students must meet the “minimum number of credits” requirements even when international students are studying abroad.
Another StudyintheStates.com webpage says international students must be enrolled full time (12 credits for undergraduate students, usually 9 credits for graduate students) when they study abroad:
You still must enroll for and receive the necessary number of credits for a full course of study at the school
MAY I PARTICIPATE IN A STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM?
What needs to be done in SEVIS to study abroad
One thing worth noting is that the home university’s DSO (the university that issued the student’s current Form I-20) will have to register students who are studying abroad in SEVIS. By doing so, international students can maintain their valid SEVIS records even when they are studying outside the U.S. This means, that if there are any changes to the student’s name, address, email address, phone number, etc, students must report to the home university’s DSO.
When DSOs register the student in SEVIS, there should be a button to click to note that the student is participating in the study abroad program (The student will be engaged in study and/or research abroad). DSOs might also write the Remarks saying the student is pursuing the full course of study while participating in the authorized study abroad program.
Now we are going to look at one of the important points to keep in mind when international students consider participating in the study abroad program.
What to keep in mind: 5-month rule
F-1 student visa holders are subject to what is commonly called the 5-month rule. The 5 month rule regulates international students to limit their time outside the U.S. to 5 months. In other words, if students are outside the U.S. for more than 5 months, they will need to be re-issued I-20 and pay the SEVIS fee again. To learn more about the 5-month rule, click the following blog post.
Related blog post: F-1 student visa 5 month rule affected by COVID-19
With newly issued Form I-20, students would have to be enrolled in another 1 year to be eligible for CPT or OPT. Basically, the one-year clock starts from the beginning for students who are issued new I-20s. Therefore, to avoid going out of status with current Form I-20, international students are highly advised to complete the study abroad in 5 months and come back to the United States.
If you leave the United States for more than five months and are not able to remain enrolled at your U.S., SEVP-certified school, you will not be able to maintain your student status. To resume your studies in the United States, you will need to seek readmission in initial status, which includes obtaining a new Form I-20 and paying the I-901 SEVIS fee again. To seek readmission, please speak with your designated school official.
CAN INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES STUDY ABROAD?
Benefits of studying abroad
Technically, international students are already “studying abroad” in the U.S. as they came out of their home country and are studying in a different country. Having said that if there are international students who would like to participate in their university/college study abroad program, I would encourage them to do so. There are many pieces of research that support the positive relationship between participating in the study abroad program and having a successful college life.
I believe studying abroad is one of the best ways to explore the city, country and different continents in a safer way. As a student, you would be able to meet many students across the globe and the friendship could maintain longer than you imagine. Another benefit of studying abroad is that you can experience different things which can ultimately lead you to find what you like and what you are good at for your career.
To sum up, international students can study abroad in different countries given that they were enrolled in at least one full academic year and that they are going to be enrolled full time. While participating in the study abroad, students should keep in touch with the home university’s DSO so they can continue to be registered in SEVIS. To avoid going out of status after 5 months of staying outside the U.S., international students are advised to come back to the U.S. within 5 months.
All other important F-1 visa rules can be found on the F-1 visa page. To learn more about OPT and STEM OPT rules, go to OPT and STEM OPT pages respectively.
