LTU ALERT:
For Thursday 02/06/25, the campus will be closed until 12 noon today due to the severe weather. All classes scheduled after 12 noon will take place as scheduled. Students should check Canvas for details on classes.
For Thursday 02/06/25, the campus will be closed until 12 noon today due to the severe weather. All classes scheduled after 12 noon will take place as scheduled. Students should check Canvas for details on classes.
Life as an international student means balancing the requirements of the United States immigration regulations with that of the LTU academic policies. We are here to help you make sure that you can make the most of out of your time at LTU while staying in good standing with all the requirements necessary to maintain your student status.
| SEVIS | A U.S. government database that is maintained by school officials who work with international students. Each international student has a record in SEVIS. |
| I-20 | Certificate of eligibility for F-1 status issued by the school to the student via the SEVIS system. |
| DS-2019 | Certificate of eligibility for J-1 status issued by the program sponsor (usually the school) to the student visa the SEVIS system. |
| I-901 fee | A fee that is charged by the U.S. government for each SEVIS record. It must be paid by the student every time a new SEVIS record is created. |
| Visa | Entry document issued by the U.S. Department of State through an American embassy or consulate. Your visa gets you into the U.S. |
| Visa status | The status held by the person in a particular visa category. Maintaining your visa status keeps you in the U.S. |
| I-94 | Document issued by Customs and Border Patrol agents to a foreign national when entering the United States. It proves lawful admission to the U.S., designates the visa category in which the person entered and indicates the duration of that visa status. |
| IP | Abbreviation for Office of International Programs. |
Throughout your time at LTU, you will probably get updated I-20s or DS-2019s. Please keep any updated documents that we give you.
If you obtain any other new documents (new passport, visa or I-94), please provide a copy to IP. You can stop by the office and we’ll make a copy, or you can scan it and email it to us – whatever is easiest.
If you lose a document, notify us immediately. Please note that we cannot replace most of the documents, but we can usually help you figure out how to get them replaced.
ALWAYS keep your passport updated. By U.S. law, you must always maintain a valid passport “6 months out.” This means that if you get within 6 months of your passport’s expiration date, you need to contact your embassy to get it renewed.
We do not recommend putting immigration documents into baggage that will be checked on the airplane. Always keep these documents in your carry-on bags.
You may travel anywhere within the United States while you are here. No additional documentation is required to travel within the U.S. We do recommend carrying your documents with you for identification purposes when traveling within the U.S. Keep them in a safe place.
If you wish to travel outside the U.S., you will need a valid passport from your home country, a valid U.S. visa, a current I-94, and an I-20 for continued attendance with a current travel signature on page 3. You should contact the International Programs staff to verify that your documents are in order.
If you want to travel to Canada, please note that it is a separate country. You will need to obtain a visa from the Canadian government to enter Canada. Contact the International Programs Office for more information.
International students must maintain full-time enrollment, however, online classes have a different impact on this requirement.
Regulation: 8 C.F.R 214.2(f)(6)(i)(G) 3.20.7 Distance Education Limits:
No more than the equivalent of one on-line/distance education class (or 3 credits) per session may count towards the “full course of study” requirement.
Thus:
International students can take more than 3 credits of online learning after they have met the required credit hour amounts.
For example, a graduate student is maintaining status with the following scenario:
3 credit on-ground course + 3 credit online course = full-time status. If a student wants to take additional online courses during this semester, it is allowable since they have met the status requirements.
Hybrid courses are considered online courses when counting towards enrollment requirements.
If a student takes additional credit hours above the minimum enrollment requirement, then additional online courses are allowed.
If the student’s course of study is in a language study program, no on-line or distance education classes may be counted toward the full course of study requirement.
Immigration regulations require that all non-citizens report their residential addresses within 10 days of their entry to the United States and subsequently report any change of address within 10 days to the immigration authorities. This requirement applies to all non- U.S. citizens who intend to stay in the United States for more than 30 days.
F-1 students who have graduated and have Optional Practical Training must also report the employer’s address and change of address in addition to their residential address.
The U.S. Government takes these requirements very seriously.
The Office of International Programs is able receive address changes submitted to other University offices automatically. You may update your address by submitting the update through Bannerweb or by submitting a Name and Address Change form to the Office of the Registrar.
Dependents are defined as a spouse or an unmarried minor child (under 21 years of age) of an F-1/J-1 student. If the dependent is outside of the U.S. then they must obtain an F2/J2 visa, if they are in the US please view the Change of Status page.
F-1 students may invite a spouse or unmarried children to join them in the US by the providing following documents to OIP.
The Office of International Programs will prepare a dependent I-20 marked “for use by dependents”. The dependent(s) will then use the I-20 to apply for an F-2 dependent visa at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their home country.
If the F-2 dependent changes his or her status successfully to an F-1, the F-1 principal visa holder must have his/her name and dependent expenses removed from the form I-20.
When you enter the United States in nonimmigrant status, you do so for a specific purpose, such as study, work, or travel. You may enter the U.S. with one purpose and later change your purpose. When this happens, you may need to obtain a new status.
We understand you are making big decisions and we are here to help you find the information you need.
Call: 248.204.3160
Text Line: 248.450.0116
Monday – Friday:
8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Use Your Cell Phone as a Document Camera in Zoom
From Computer
Log in and start your Zoom session with participants
From Phone
To use your cell phone as a makeshift document camera