KEY TAKEAWAYS

International Students must maintain FT enrollment each semester. Grad students must take at least 9 credits of which 6 credits must be on-ground. Undergrads must take at least 12 credits of which at least 9 credits must be on-ground. Online courses are strictly limited. See below for the last semester reduced courseload rule.

Summer is an optional term so these limits don’t apply. UNLESS the student is completing all remaining requirements during a summer term, in which case it is no longer an optional term and these limits do apply.

Internships are courses, not jobs. See the CPT rules below. For an internship to count as an on-ground credits, the employment must be on-site within a reasonable commute of about 100 miles from campus. Remote internships are possible but will be counted as online credits.

THE ROLE OF ACADEMIC ADVISORS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

International students (F-1 or J-1 visa-holders) depend on their academic advisors for a variety of administrative processes apart from course selection. While the Center for Student Success provides excellent assistance to undergraduate students, most of our international students are graduate students who require guidance from their advisors, especially if this is their first time studying in the U.S. The following are processes international students undergo with the Office of University Immigration Services (UIS) which require the Academic Advisor’s approval. Each of these are explained in more detail in the resources accessible from the main menu on the UIS myCharger landing page. Also find there a brief summary of F-1/J-1 visa regulations.

Authorization to Be Less than Fulltime

All F-1 students are required to enroll full-time in the fall and spring semesters (at least 9 credits grad, 12 credits undergrad). There are some specific circumstances in which a student may be eligible for a reduced course load. In all cases, the student must be approved by UIS and request a change of enrollment classification from the Registrar. The student must submit the UIS Authorization for Less than FT Form and upload the corresponding evidence. 

1.  Last Semester with Fewer Credits Remaining:   This is the most common reason, but there can only be one last semester. The student should do a degree audit with their academic advisor to confirm they are taking all remaining requirements to complete their coursework in the semester. The student should ask their academic advisor to confirm using the UIS Advisor Approval Form to indicate how many credits are remaining and the student’s projected completion date. UIS will accept an email from the advisor in lieu of the form.

PLEASE NOTE:  UIS discourages the student from saving a required internship for their last semester as the only 3-credit course. In such a scenario the student is still limited to working less than 20 hours per week, and for the internship to count as on-ground, it will have to be on-site within a reasonable commute of about 100 miles. This is probably not what the student is thinking about the internship employment. It is better for them to complete their requirements promptly by doing the internship earlier and then apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT) which is the kind of employment they desire.

2. First Semester Academic Difficulties:   The F-1 visa regulations allow a reduced course load during the first semester for unfamiliarity with English or for difficulty adapting to the U.S. education system. This authorization must be recommended by the student’s faculty if advising the student withdraw from a course. They should also refer the student to other support services. 

This is not a solution for non-attendance. If the student is not attending, faculty should confront the student early in the semester so the student realizes attendance is required (which may be different in the education system they come from) and that they will be dropped from the course if they don’t attend, which will in turn affect their visa status.

PLEASE NOTE: This reduced course load authorization reason is only available during the student’s first semester, and the student and their academic adviser should consider this a one-time possibility when other solutions are not enough. In subsequent semesters, the advisor should refer the student to support services early because the student will not be able to drop below a FT load of credits.

3.  Medical Reasons:  To be authorized for a reduced course load for medical reasons, the student must submit evidence in the form of medical documentation to the Accessibility Resources Center (ARC) and request an accommodation. A medical reduced course load can be for all or some credits but can’t surpass a total of 12 months. Students are encouraged to return home if the illness or injury will require substantial time. The UIS will work with ARC regarding a medical reduced course load that requires dropping courses or taking courses remotely during recovery.  If the Advisor hears of a student struggling with physical or mental health issues, they should refer the student to the Health Center, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), and/or ARC. They may also submit an alert in Navigate.

Shorten or Extend their I-20/DS-2019 Program End Date

At the time of admission to the University, a program start date and a program end date was entered into the student’s SEVIS Record and appears on their I-20 based on the average time need to complete a Bachelors, Masters, or Doctoral degree programs. These appear on the I-20 in the Program of Study Block. Students may be able to complete program requirements in less time or may need more time. It is the student’s responsibility to communicate with the UIS if their program end date needs to be changed. UIS asks for the Academic Advisor to confirm the number of credits remaining and the student’s projected completion date to be sure the student is not missing something. This can be done by completing and signing the Advisor Approval Form which the student will submit with their request to UIS.

1. Shorten Program:  If the student will finish their program sooner than the program end date on their I-20, they should do a degree audit with their academic adviser and make sure they are completing all requirements. The UIS recommends the student request to shorten their program when they register for their last semester courses.

2. Extension: If the student needs more time to finish their program, they must request an extension from the UIS well in advance of the I-20 program end date. The SEVIS database functionality will not accept the extension after the end date has passed. They should do a degree audit with their academic adviser to stay on plan to complete all requirements. PLEASE NOTE:  UIS can’t extend an I-20 for non-required courses, for zero-credit courses, or for the purpose of completing INCs.

Enroll in an Internship and Get CPT Authorization

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is a type of employment authorization for experiential learning integral to the degree program, such as an internship. CPT must be curricular. It does not stand alone as a means to employment. The F-1 visa was issued to be a full-time student; hence U.S. Immigration (USCIS) is very strict about employment on the F-1 visa. It is the students’ responsibility to understand the regulations regarding employment and to obtain the necessary employment authorization before beginning work. Although the rules may seem restrictive, our policies are careful to protect the student from inadvertently creating problems with USCIS now or in the future.

For any and all kinds of curricular practical training, paid or unpaid, the student must have CPT authorization added to their I-20 prior to beginning work. 

Eligibility and Restrictions:

• To be eligible to apply for CPT, an undergraduate student must have been at the University for one full academic year (2 semesters). Graduate students may be eligible after one semester, which would allow a summer internship for a student who started in the Spring. UIS encourages internships during a summer term because the student can work more than 20 hours per week, may travel somewhere else in the U.S., work remotely, and take fewer credits or online credits.
• Students must not be on probation or carrying INCs from a previous semester. In such cases, students must first improve their academic standing.
• Students must be enrolled in a full course load, including the internship course during a regular semester (9 credits for graduate students, 12 credits for undergraduate students). The only exception is when authorized for less than full-time enrollment in the final semester. 
• Only 3 credits of online study can be counted toward full-time study, but if the student is authorized for a reduced course load of only 3 credits in the final semester, these must be on-ground. To be counted as on-ground, an internship must be on-site within a reasonable commute of about 100 miles from campus.
• During the regular semester, CPT cannot exceed 20 hours per week. Fulltime CPT (more than 20 hours per week) is only permitted during the summer session with few exceptions. If the student is completing all remaining requirements during a summer term, then it is no longer an optional term and the regular semester limits apply.

• The student must enroll in the internship course each term that a student performs the internship. Something must show on the transcript to match the CPT dates.
• CPT may be required for internships that involve on-campus positions or research if the student is earning course credits. In this way the internship hours may be counted separately from the other student employment hours subject to the 20-hour per week maximum. 
• CPT authorization is needed for an internship whether or not it is a paid position.

The Application Process:

• The student should meet with the academic advisor about when it is appropriate in the degree program curriculum to do an internship.
• When the student has located an internship, they must start the internship approval process in Charger Link. The Career Development Center can be helpful in the process of preparing for and searching for an internship.
• The Academic Advisor approves the internship in Charger Link.
• The student uploads a copy of the approved Charger Link form and the offer letter to the UIS CPT Request Form to request the authorization added to their I-20
• Unfortunately, the SEVIS database functionality does not permit backdating the CPT start date, so the student must complete this request process in advance of their employment start date.

All UIS forms can be found here.

If after reviewing this information they have further questions, academic advisors may contact the UIS at 203-932-7475 or by email at uis@newhaven.edu.