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What do I do if I Fall "Out of Status"? or
Reinstatement: What is it? How can i do it?

How can you "fall out of status"?

  1. If you do not carry a full course of studies. Undergraduate students are required to carry a minimum of 12 units per term; Graduate students are required to carry a minimum of 9 units per term
  2. If you enter the United States on the I-20 of one university (or language school) and enroll in a different university (or language school)
  3. If you transfer and do not take your I-20 in to the Designated School Official within 15 days after you begin your first day of classes
  4. If your I-20 expires (you must secure an extension before it expires)

If you fall out of status, how do you get "reinstated"?

You have two choices:

A. Leave the country and return to the U.S. with a new I-20 from ULV. You must go to your home country to do this, not to a third country.

Be certain that:

  1. Your Visa is Valid
  2. Your Passport is valid
  3. You have a new I-20 for initial attendance.

When you return to the U.S. be ready to show:

Remember that when you return to status, you must be in status as a full time student for one academic year (2 semesters or 3 terms) before you qualify for the benefit of Optional Practical Training.

B. Apply for reinstatement.

To do this, you will need to do the following:

  1. Write a clear and full description to explain what happened and why you fell out of status. If it is not your fault, carefully explain what happened. If it was your fault, take responsibility. Also include the following:
    1. explain that the status violation resulted from either:
      1. Circumstances beyond your control (how) and
      2. Why you will experience extreme hardship if the application is not approved.
    2. A list of all dates you entered and departed the United States.
    3. A list all of the names and addresses of all schools you have attended in the U.S., your immigration status at the time, dates of attendance, program of study, and degree certificate issued.
    4. Submit evidence of your first entry into the U.S.
  2. Fill out Form I-539 available from http://www.uscis.gov/ The instructions are pages 1-7, the form is pages 8-11.
  3. Make a photocopy of all I-20s that you have been issued as well as your passport front page, your I-94, and your visa.
  4. Request an official transcript from the Registrar's Office. It must be in a sealed envelope and addressed to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
  5. Submit documentation that demonstrates your ability to pay for your studies and support your living expenses.
  6. Include a copy of all change of status and extension of stay notices issued to you by Immigration and all documents regarding reinstatement of student status.
  7. Make a photocopy of the front and back of your Form I-94 and the copies of the forms I-94 of each F-2 dependent.
  8. Sign item 11 of a new I-20, issued to you for reinstatement.
  9. Pay the I-539 application fee of $200 by check to "Department of Homeland Security."