|
FAQs
| Topic |
Question |
| Advisors |
Do I have an advisor who can help me at the ISSO?
Each individual school or college at Boston University
has an advisor assigned to help their students. Students can
meet with their advisors by appointment. Appointments can be
made over the phone or in person at the ISSO. The ISSO also
always has an advisor available to see students in emergency
situations. |
| Directions |
Where is the ISSO located and when are your business
hours?
The ISSO is located on 19 Deerfield Street, on the second floor.
We are in the center of Kenmore Square, and the closest "T"
stop to our office is the Kenmore stop on the MBTA's Green Line.
We are open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday,
with the exception of Wednesday when we are open between 12
and 5. |
| Full Course of Study |
Do I need to register for at least 12 credit hours
during my final semester?
If you need less than 12 credits in your final semester
of study to complete the program, you are not required to register
for more credits than you need. |
| OPT |
Can I change my jobs while engaging in Optional Practical
Training (OPT)?
Yes, you may work for more than one employer and /or change
your employers during the period of authorized optional practical
training provided that each position is directly related to
your field of study and commensurate with your educational level.
|
| OPT |
When should I apply for OPT?
Since it can take up to three months to receive your
OPT card, we recommend that you apply at least three months
before you want to begin working or before your graduation date,
whichever comes first. Please note that you will not be permitted
to return in F-1 status after your graduation date without your
OPT card and if you return in any other status you will lose
your OPT. |
| OPT |
Do I need a job to apply for OPT?
No, but you should be actively searching for one.
|
| Travel |
May I travel during my period of Optional Practical
Training?
Yes. In order to re-enter the United States, you must present
the following at the border: a valid passport, a valid visa,
your OPT authorization card, and an I-20 with a valid travel
signature. Please note: while you are engaged in OPT, travel
signatures are valid for only six months. |
| Travel |
What should I do if I left the U.S. without getting
a valid travel signature?
You should send your most recent I-20 or DS-2019 (IAP-66) to
ISSO along with copies of your passport and visa, and a brief
letter requesting for a travel signature. An ISSO advisor will
sign your document and send it back to you. We recommend you
use FedEx mail. You will have to pay for the shipment by providing
a credit card number, expiration date, and a daytime telephone
number. |
| Travel |
How do I request a travel signature?
To request a travel signature, bring your current I-20
or DS-2019 (IAP-66) to the ISSO along with your passport and
I-94 card at least one business day before you plan to travel.
After you fill out a request form at the front desk, you will
leave your visa document at the ISSO and can pick up the signed
document as early as 10 a.m. the next business day at the ISSO.
|
| Travel |
How long does it take to get a travel signature?
It takes one business day for the ISSO to issue a travel authorization
signature on your I-20 or DS-2019 (IAP-66). If you are a J-1
scholar or you study on the Medical Campus, an ISSO advisor
will sign your document the same day. |
| Travel |
How often do I need to get my I-20 or DS-2019 (IAP-66)
signed for travel?
The ISSO travel signature on the back of your I-20 or DS-2019
(IAP-66) should be no older than 12 months when you re-enter
the U.S. from abroad. If you are re-entering the U.S. from Canada,
Mexico or contiguous territories (the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda,
the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, St. Pierre
& Miquelon, Trinidad & Tobago, the Leeward Islands [Anguilla,
Antigua, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Kitts, and the British
Virgin Islands], the Windward Islands [Dominica, Grenada, St.
Lucia, and St. Vincent] and other British, French or Dutch Territories),
the travel signature should be no older than 6 months. This
6-month rule also applies if you are a citizen of any of these
countries. Travel signatures from ISSO are valid for multiple
entries to the U.S. during the 12- or 6-month period, so it
is only necessary to get a new signature when your current signature
has expired |
| Visa |
Can I renew my visa in the US?
No, you can only get a new visa outside the US at a US Consulate. |
| Visa |
How can I renew my visa?
You should renew your visa by going to a US Consulate in your
home country and making an appointment beforehand. For most
nationalities it is also possible to apply for a new visa at
a US Consulate in another country, such as Canada. However,
if your visa is denied for any reason you will not be allowed
back in the US and will have to return to your home country
to reapply for a visa. In addition, some US Consulates will
not handle third party nationals, so it is wise to contact the
consulate before your trip. |
| Visa |
What do I do if the visa in my passport has expired?
You do not need a valid visa to legally reside in the US. However,
you do need a valid visa to enter the US from abroad, unless
you are entering from Canada, Mexico or the adjacent islands
(except Cuba) after a stay in these countries of less than thirty
days. Please note that nationals from states sponsoring terrorism
(currently Iraq, Iran, Libya, Sudan, North Korea and Cuba) must
have a valid visa even if returning from these contiguous territories.
The adjacent islands include the following: The Bahamas, Barbados,
Bermuda, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Jamaica,
Martinique, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Trinidad and Tobago, The
Leeward Islands (Anguilla, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Nevis, St. Kitts
and the British Virgin Islands), the Windward Islands (Dominica,
Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent) and other British, French
or Dutch territories or possessions in or bordering on the Caribbean
Sea |
| Work |
Can I work off campus?
Not without special work permission, which you can apply
for by making an appointment with your international
student advisor. The most common types of off campus
work permission for F-1 students are OPT and CPT. To
qualify for either one you must have been a full-time
student for at least nine months. |
| Work |
May I work on campus?
Yes. Students are allowed to work anywhere on campus
no more than 20 hours per week while classes are in
session, and full-time while classes are not in session,
such as summer and winter break. When you have been
hired for an on-campus job, you must come to the ISSO
with your documents (passport, visa, I-94, I-20 or
DS-2019) in order to complete a Student Employment
Authorization Form and a Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility
Verification).
|
| Work |
Am I eligible for CPT?
You may be eligible if you have been a full-time F-1 student
for at least nine months and your degree program consists
of a work/study, internship, or cooperative education program.
Your academic advisor should be able to provide you with this
information. You may also be eligible if the employment is
necessary for your thesis or dissertation research. |
|
|
