{"id":2590,"date":"2022-04-06T09:53:08","date_gmt":"2022-04-06T13:53:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/?page_id=2590"},"modified":"2025-12-23T10:26:27","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T15:26:27","slug":"change-of-immigration-status-to-f-1","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/change-of-immigration-status-to-f-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Change of Status to F-1"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 id=\"page-title\">Change of Status to F-1<\/h1>\n<div id=\"block-system-main\" class=\"block block-system block-main block-system-main odd block-without-title\">\n<div class=\"block-inner clearfix\">\n<div class=\"content clearfix\">\n<article id=\"node-article-223\" class=\"node node-article node-published node-not-promoted node-not-sticky author-aliuliu odd clearfix\">\n<div class=\"content clearfix\">\n<div class=\"field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden\">\n<div class=\"field-items\">\n<div class=\"field-item even\">\n<p>A student acquires F-1 status using Form I-20, issued by the U.S. school which the student is attending\/planning to attend. Status is acquired in one of two ways: 1) by entering the United States with the I-20 and an F-1 visa obtained at a U.S. consulate abroad (Canadian citizens are exempt from the visa requirement); or 2) by applying to USCIS for change of nonimmigrant status (if the student is already in the United States and cannot travel).<\/p>\n<h3><strong>How to apply:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Make an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/appointments\/?wp_logged_in=true\">appointment<\/a> with an OGE advisor.<\/li>\n<li>Submit the request for the Change of Status I-20 through <a href=\"https:\/\/montclair-isss.terradotta.com\/index.cfm?FuseAction=Security.AngLogin\">My Global Portal<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"prpl-drawer\"><div class=\"prpl-drawer-header\">Change of Status via USCIS<\/div><div class=\"prpl-drawer-content\">\n<ul>\n<li>Gather the\u00a0 following\u00a0 documents\n<ul>\n<li><a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uscis.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/document\/forms\/g-1145.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">G-1145, E-Notification of Application\/Petition Acceptance<\/a><\/li>\n<li>A cover letter (one page) requesting the change of status from your current status to F-1. This letter should include a brief explanation as why you wish to change to F-1 status. You should also provide a checklist of the documentation you are including in your application.<\/li>\n<li><a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uscis.gov\/i-539\" target=\"_blank\">USCIS Form I-539 Application to Extend\/Change Nonimmigrant Status<\/a>, including application fee.<\/li>\n<li>Evidence of financial support (i.e., bank statement, assistantship letter, etc.). This should be the same evidence you have provided for your I-20.<\/li>\n<li>Copy of the admission letter from Montclair.<\/li>\n<li>Copy of your Form I-20 with your original signature in blue ink.\u00a0 Do NOT send your original I-20. USCIS does not require the original and will not return it.<\/li>\n<li>Copy of the receipt indicating payment of the\u00a0<a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ice.gov\/sevis\/i901\" target=\"_blank\">SEVIS fee<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Copies of all of the prior immigration documents you have had. (e.g. DS-2019, F-2 I-20, I-797, paper or print-out of electronic <a href=\"https:\/\/i94.cbp.dhs.gov\/I94\/#\/home\">Form I-94<\/a>, valid passport, visa stamp, EAD card, etc.) showing that you are currently in lawful non-immigrant status.<\/li>\n<li>Copy of the waiver of the 212(e) Two-Year Foreign Residency Requirement (if you were previously in J status and subject to the requirement), if applicable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uscis.gov\/i-539-addresses\">Mailing Address and Where to File<\/a><\/h3>\n<p>It may take USCIS several months\/years to adjudicate an I-539 request, and therefore you should use a return address that will be valid for many months. We do not recommend trying to change your I-539 mailing address once your application has been submitted to USCIS.\u00a0 USCIS does not forward mail!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reminders<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4>If you are currently in F-2 status:<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Individuals in F-2 status are eligible for part time study.\u00a0 However, once your change of status to F-1 is approved, you are required to be enrolled full time. If your change of status has not been approved by the deadline for adding\/dropping classes, your I-20 start date will be deferred until the start of the next semester.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>If you are currently in B1\/B2 status:<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Individuals in B1\/B2 status are prohibited from \u201cenrolling in a course of study\u201d until after USCIS approves their change of status application.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>If you are currently in any other status (e.g., H, J, L, E, etc.):<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>If your current status allows full-time studies in the U.S., you may start classes before your change of status application is approved. However, you are not allowed employment under F-1 status until after your application is approved.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"prpl-drawer\"><div class=\"prpl-drawer-header\">Change of Status via Travel and Re-entry<\/div><div class=\"prpl-drawer-content\">\n<p>The alternative method of changing to F-1 status is through travel and re-entry. In this case, you would depart the U.S. and then apply for an F-1 visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad, preferably the local consulate in your home country. If the F-1 visa application is approved and the F-1 visa is issued, then you can re-enter the U.S. using your F-1 I-20 form and F-1 visa. At the Port of Entry, your electronic <a href=\"https:\/\/i94.cbp.dhs.gov\/I94\/#\/home\">I-94<\/a>\u00a0will be updated to show your status as F-1 and the Admit Until Date as D\/S, which confirms F-1 status.<\/p>\n<p>Please note that Canadian citizens are exempt from the requirement of a having an F-1 visa to re-enter the U.S. in F-1 status. But travel and re-entry are still required for Canadian citizens to obtain F-1 status.<\/p>\n<p>For further information about travel and re-entry and\/or visa applications, refer to the\u00a0<a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/travel.state.gov\/content\/travel\/en\/us-visas.html\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. Department of State<\/a>\u00a0web site and\u00a0Travel Outside the U.S. and Reentry.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Change of Status to F-1 A student acquires F-1 status using Form I-20, issued by the U.S. school which the student is attending\/planning to attend. Status is acquired in one of two ways: 1) by entering the United States with the I-20 and an F-1 visa obtained at a U.S. consulate abroad (Canadian citizens are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":285,"featured_media":1253,"parent":0,"menu_order":26,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2590","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/285"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2590"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2590\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5180,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2590\/revisions\/5180"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}