Visa Requirements and Regulations

Students must be sure to plan to arrive no more than 30 days before the Program Start Date on their I-20. 

Students who arrive before the 30-day window automatically become out of compliance with their F-1 visa and must leave and re-enter the country before the beginning of their Program Start Date. 

All F-1 students must be sure to maintain full-time enrollment in order to stay in status with their respective visas. Failure to be enrolled in the appropriate number of units by the Add/Drop deadline will result in the termination of your visa.

• Undergraduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 units per semester.
• Graduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 units per semester. There is an exception for MBA students who choose the 2-year program. Students in this program must be enrolled in at least 6 units per semester.

Students in their last semester of their program who are certain they will graduate at the conclusion of that semester can request a Reduced Course Load. See below for more information on that process. 

As per your F-1 visa and the California State University's Chancellor's office, every F-1 student must hold valid Health Insurance for each day they are in the United States and are active in their academic program. This is to ensure you can access health services and not pay excessive fees for treatment. 

Sonoma State has 3 insurance plans that their students can choose from. Please visit our Health Insurance, Healthcare website for more information. 

Working while on an F-1 visa is highly regulated in the United States. F-1 students must be very clear about where they can work, how much and for how long before they pursue employment. 

Our International Student Employment website provides all the details on all employment options F-1 degree-seeking students have. Your International Student and Scholar advisor can answer any questions you have. 

These are possible employment opportunities for F-1 degree-seeking students:

• On-Campus employment
• CPT (not always guaranteed, highly regulated)
• OPT (available post-graduation, must apply)

Students who wish to leave the country before their Program End Date need to be sure to have a valid Travel Authorization signature on their I-20 before they leave the United States. 

The Travel Authorization signature communicates to US Customs and Board Security that you are in good standing in your academic program and should be allowed to reenter the United States. 

Please book an appointment with your International Student, Scholar advisor to have your I-20 signed. 

Travel Authorization signatures are vaild for up to 12 months. 

One of the requirements of your F-1 visa is that you must report any change of address as soon as you move. Please click here to notify your DSO that your address has changed. Also, be sure to update your MySSU with your change of address. 

• If you need to change your major or minor, please review this website for how to go about the process.

• F-1 students are required to report any changes in their academic studies (aka major or minor). Please be sure to fill out this form once your change in Program of Study has been finalized so your I-20 can be updated appropriately. You can verify that the change has gone through by checking your MySSU. 

Due to the fact that your visa is tied to your studies, the United States asks that once you formally request a Leave of Absence, you must leave the US within 15 days. You can request a Leave of Absence for your F-1 Visa by submitting this form. 

Your DSO will the put your SEVIS record in Terminated status, as the process requires.

Students in degree programs must also submit a Leave of Absence form for the Registrar Office's records. 

If you plan to return to the US within 5 months of your Leave of Absence date, please inform your DSO at least 4 weeks prior to your expected return. They will then file a request with the SEVIS team to reactivate your I-20. Your DSO will send you a copy of your reactivated I-20 once it has been processed. 

If you remain out of the US for more than 5 months, you will need to be issued a new I-20. Therefore, you must submit a new Financial Affidavit and necessary bank documents.

Please also keep in mind the expiration date of your current visa. If your visa is still valid for the date you'd like to reenter the US, you should be cleared to enter, even if you have a new I-20. If your visa expires while you are away, you must be sure to get a new one before you return to the US. 

To read more information about what a Leave of Absence entails, please visit this Study in the States website. 

If you are aware that you need to study past your Program End Date on your I-20, you need to be sure to fill out this form before your current Program End Date. 

You will need to provide a written explanation about why you need to extend your program. You will also need a letter of support from your academic advisor addressing that the extension is necessary in order for you to successfully complete your program of study. 

• Students in degree programs may enroll in less than the minimum number of units required as long as it is the last semester of their program, and they are sure they will graduate at the end of that semester. 
• The Reduced Course Load must be recorded by your DSO in SEVIS.

If you would like to participate in a Reduced Course Load, please fill out this form to ensure it's documented properly. 

As an F-1 student who is not participating in OPT after they complete their degree, you are allowed to remain in the United States for up to 60 days past their Program End Date. 

Within those 60 days, you are allowed to transfer your I-20 to another institution or apply for OPT. 

If you remain in the country past 60 days and have not transferred your visa or applied for OPT, then you are considered in violation of your visa, which may impact your ability to re-enter the United States under a different non-immigrant or immigrant classification in the future. 

If you depart the United States after your Program End Date and before your 60-day grace period, it is seen as fore-fitting your grace period and you will not be allowed to re-enter the United States with your F-1 visa. It may be possible to re-enter on another visa such as a tourist visa but Sonoma State cannot provide support on that piece. 

Students must be sure to plan to arrive no more than 30 days before the Program Start Date on their I-20. 

Students who arrive before the 30-day window automatically become out of compliance with their F-1 visa and must leave and re-enter the country before the beginning of their Program Start Date.

All F-1 students must be sure to maintain full-time enrollment in order to stay in status with their respective visas. Failure to be enrolled in the appropriate number of units by the Add/Drop deadline will result in the termination of your visa.

• Undergraduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 units per semester.
• Graduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 units per semester. 

As per your F-1 visa and the California State University's Chancellor's office, every F-1 student must hold valid Health Insurance for each day they are in the United States and are active in their academic program. This is to ensure you can access health services and not pay excessive fees for treatment. 

Sonoma State has 3 insurance plans that their students can choose from. Please visit our Health Insurance, Healthcare website for more information. 

Working while on an F-1 visa is highly regulated in the United States. F-1 students must be very clear about where they can work, how much and for how long before they pursue employment. 

Semester at Sonoma students can seek On-Campus employment but are not authorized for any other employment opportunities. Visit our International Student Employment website to learn more about On-Campus employment

Students who wish to leave the country before their Program End Date need to be sure to have a valid Travel Authorization signature on their I-20 before they leave the United States. 

The Travel Authorization signature communicates to US Customs and Board Security that you are in good standing in your academic program and should be allowed to reenter the United States. 

Please book an appointment with your International Student, Scholar advisor to have your I-20 signed. 

Travel Authorization signatures are valid for up to 12 months.

One of the requirements of your F-1 visa is that you must report any change of address as soon as you move. Please click here to notify your DSO that your address has changed. Also, be sure to update your MySSU with your change of address. 

Students must be sure to plan to arrive no more than 30 days before the Program Start Date on their DS-2019. 

Students who arrive before the 30-day window automatically become out of compliance with their J-1 visa and must leave and re-enter the country before the beginning of their Program Start Date. 

J-1 students must be sure to maintain full-time enrollment in order to stay in status with their respective visas. Failure to be enrolled in the appropriate number of units by the Add/Drop deadline will result in the termination of your visa.

• Undergraduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 units per semester.

As per your J-1 visa and the California State University's Chancellor's office, every J-1 student must hold valid Health Insurance for each day they are in the United States and are active in their academic program. This is to ensure you can access health services and not pay excessive fees for treatment. 

Sonoma State has 3 insurance plans that their students can choose from. Please visit our Health Insurance and Healthcare website for more information. 

Working while on an J-1 visa is highly regulated in the United States. J-1 students must be very clear about where they can work, how much and for how long before they pursue employment. 

Our International Student Employment website provides all the details on all employment options J-1 students have. Your International Student and Scholar advisor can answer any questions you have. 

These are possible employment opportunities for J-1 degree-seeking students:

• On-Campus employment
• Academic Training

Students who wish to leave the country before their Program End Date need to be sure to have a valid Travel Authorization signature on their DS-2019 before they leave the United States. 

The Travel Authorization signature communicates to US Customs and Board Security that you are in good standing in your academic program and should be allowed to reenter the United States. 

Please book an appointment with your International Student, Scholar advisor to have your DS-2019 signed. 

Travel Authorization signatures are valid for up to 12 months. 

One of the requirements of your J-1 visa is that you must report any change of address as soon as you move. Please click here to notify your DSO that your address has changed. Also, be sure to update your MySSU with your change of address. 

As an J-1 student, you are allowed to remain in the United States for up to 30 days past their Program End Date. 

If you remain in the country past 30 days then you are considered in violation of your visa, which may impact your ability to re-enter the United States under a different non-immigrant or immigrant classification in the future. 

If you depart the United States after your Program End Date and before your 30-day grace period, it is seen as fore-fitting your grace period, and you will not be allowed to re-enter the United States with your J-1 visa. It may be possible to re-enter on another visa such as a tourist visa but Sonoma State cannot provide support on that piece. 

Please also note that you are not authorized to study or work after your Program End Date and doing so would violate your J-1 visa status.