Important End of Semester Reminders

International Student Advising Office Policies

Document Processing Times

For any paperwork that requires our approval, please remember to allow for 7-10 days processing time.

How to contact an advisor?

Email us at NDSU.iss@ndsu.edu.  Before contacting us, please review our advising request procedures here. 

On-Campus Employment Reminders

Familiarize yourself with this reminder about how many hours are allowed during the official work week for F-1 and J-1 students, so that you can avoid any unintended violations of status. 

Work Week Reminder

A work week is considered to begin at 12:00 a.m. on Sunday and end at 11:59 p.m. the following Saturday.  

If you have any questions about your work schedule as it relates to how your work week is calculated, please contact your supervisor and NDSU Payroll. Please note that any violations of this regulation addressing employment will result in negative immigration consequences which include required departure from the United States to pursue reinstatement to F-1 or J-1 status by travel (exit and re-entry to the United States).  For more information in general about on- or off-campus employment and other immigration processes, visit: https://www.ndsu.edu/international/immigration. 

J-1 Students

Due to pre-authorization required for J-1 students, please always be in contact with Melissia Law at Melissia.Law@ndsu.edu prior to engaging in ANY on-campus employment if you are a J-1 student.

Last eligible day for on-campus employment
  • The end date on your SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019 document is the last day you are eligible for on-campus employment.  
  • Working past your program end date is a violation of your immigration status.
    IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
    • Click here to view the important dates by semester on our On-Campus Employment page. Scroll to the "Dates to Watch" header.

    OFF-CAMPUS EMPLOYMENT QUESTIONS

    All questions about off campus employment opportunities should be directed to your international student advisor as eligibility and authorization is strictly regulated.  

    OPT

    If you are an F-1 student planning to graduate, please remember to file for Optional Practical Training (OPT) if you plan to work in a position directly related to your major field of study following graduation.  Also, please note that it can take approximately 3 months for an OPT application to be processed, so you will need to apply as soon as possible if you are graduating.  For more information, please visit our OPT page.

    Program Extensions (of your I-20/DS-2019)

    Please be sure to check the end date of your SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019 immigration document to make sure your document is still valid.  

    If your I-20 or DS-2019 document is expiring and you still require additional time to complete your degree and are eligible for an extension, please be sure to read about extensions and the paperwork our office needs to process those requests.  It is very important to allow for enough time PRIOR to the end date of your document to avoid a violation of your immigration status.  Please remember to allow for 7-10 days processing time. Failure to extend your I-20/DS-2019 prior to the expiration date will result in loss of immigration status.  

    Here is the link to more information about extensions:  

     

    Travel

    Click this link for information about international travel while in F or J status.

     

    Address Updates

    You are required to update us with any physical address change within 10 days of moving to a new address. Updating our office within 10 days is critical to maintain your F-1 or J-1 immigration status. Please visit our Forms page, and complete the Address Update survey, so that we can update your SEVIS record.  

    Note:  This applies for ANY address change.  For example, if you are living in a room in Niskanen Residence Hall on the 1st floor and move to a room on the 3rd floor, that is considered an address change that we need to update that in SEVIS.  You must also be sure to update your address in Campus Connection as well. 

    Transferring your SEVIS record to Another School

    Please see our page about SEVIS transfer-out procedures.

    Registration for Next Semester

    • As you enroll and finalize your spring semester registration schedule, please remember that undergraduate students in F-1 or J-1 student status are required to enroll in a minimum of 12 credits per semester.  See this page for Credit Minimums and reminders about limitations on online courses.
    • If you are in your final semester and plan to graduate at the end of the spring semester, and you have less than 12 required credits remaining to complete your degree requirements, please see this page about the process to request a Reduced Course Load.  
      • Please keep in mind that there are also specific credit minimum requirements for Reduced Course Loads (RCLs) and RCL requests must be reviewed and approved in SEVIS prior to proceeding with a lower course load minimum.

     

    Health Insurance

    What to be aware of as the semester ends
    Cost & Deadlines

    If you are not graduating, familiarize yourself with the health insurance deadlines and premium cost for the upcoming semester(s) so that you are prepared to pay your insurance in full, before the posted deadline: https://www.ndsu.edu/international/iss/insurance/cost.  

    Remember that insurance is charged twice a year.  Once in the Fall, and once in the Spring (for Spring/Summer coverage, combined).

    The new rate for upcoming academic years is not usually available until sometime in June or early July. We will update the cost as soon as the information becomes available.

    Enrollment for the Next Semester
    • Review the enrollment process for the next semester
    • For Spring coverage, current international students who are active in the UHCSR policy will have their coverage automatically rolled over to the next year. For Fall coverage, all students (current and new) will receive an email in August from ECI Services to "opt-in" to their coverage for the next academic year. 
    Top of page