The F1 student visa comes with specific rules that you must follow.
One of these rules is that you must stay enrolled as a full-time student in your program.
Before you get the visa, you’ll convince the visa officer of your genuine intention to study in the USA.
To fulfil this, you must attend school, participate in tests, classes, assignments and other academic activities.
If after getting the visa, you fail to attend school, you won’t be allowed to remain in the country.
How long can an F1 student stay in the U.S. without attending school?
An F-1 student visa holder cannot legally stay in the U.S. for an extended period without attending school or maintaining fulltime enrollment in school.
When you stop attending school without proper authorization from your school authority and you aren’t transferring to another school, you’ll be considered out of status immediately.
And, upon becoming out of status, you’re expected to leave the country – and go back home.
With an F1 visa, there is no grace period for students who are out of status due to non-attendance.
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If you are not attending school, your F1 status will be in violation.
Generally, you cannot stay in the U.S. for an extended period without being enrolled in classes.
However, if you are taking a break (such as during summer vacation), you can remain in the U.S. as long as you are continuing your studies in the next term and your school’s Designated School Official (DSO) is aware of your situation.
If you’re not attending school due to a medical leave or another valid reason, you must inform your school and ensure you comply with immigration regulations.
If you’re out of school for an extended period without an approved leave or transfer, your F1 status will likely be canceled, and you’ll be asked to leave the U.S.
When you’re on an F1 visa, you must leave the U.S. as soon as you stop attending school unless you’re on an approved leave or you transfer to another school.
It’s safe to say that if you’re not attending school, your F-1 visa will terminated.
ALthough, if you’re on an F1 visa and have completed your program or officially withdrawn from school, you can remain in the U.S. for up to 60 days (referred to as the grace period).
Generally, if you are out of status due to not attending classes without authorization, you’ll leave the USA immediately but if you have completed your program or if you withdraw from your program, you can stay in the country for up to 60 days.
How long can an F1 student be out of status?
An F1 student can be out of status for up to 5 months before their SEVIS record is terminated.
If more than 5 months pass and you’re still out of status, you’ll leave the U.S. and can only regain your status if you apply for a new visa.
If you’re out of status and don’t want to leave the U.S., contact your Designated School Official (DSO) to reinstate your status within 5 months.
What happens to an F1 visa if I don’t attend the school?
When you’re issued an F1 visa, the authorities expect you to attend school according to your program schedule.
When you stop attending school, you have violated the conditions of your F1 student visa and the visa will subsequently be terminated.
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Your school will inform immigration authorities that you’re no longer an active student and the authorities will terminate your visa.
What happens if your F1 visa is terminated?
When your F1 visa is terminated, you’ll be out of status, meaning you have lost the legal right to stay in the U.S. and will leave the country as soon as possible.
Without legal status, you cannot stay in the U.S. anymore.
If somehow you still stay in the US without status, you’ll be deported and possibly banned from returning to the country in the future.
In addition, when you’re out of status due to not attending school, you’re expected to stop working.
Plus, you can’t travel in or out of the US legally.
Read also: How to report a student working more than 20 hours.
As a student, if you have any issues that will stop you from attending school, you should talk to your school’s DSO (Designated School Official).
Generally, if you stop attending school on an F1 visa, your school will notify the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) of your non-attendance, which will make them terminate your SEVIS record.
Your presence in the U.S. will be declared unlawful from the date of termination unless you have a grace period or another visa option.
In rare cases, you can get a 15-day grace period if you notify your DSO before leaving school.
I have an F1 visa how long can I stay after graduation?
As an F-1 visa holder, you can stay in the U.S. for up to 60 days after graduating.
This is called the grace period. During this time, you’ll prepare to leave the U.S. or make plans to stay legally through other visa options.
You can apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT) if you want to stay longer.
If you apply for OPT and it is approved, you can stay in the US for up to one year (or longer for STEM graduates who can extend).
OPT application has to be done before your grace period ends. If you get OPT, your grace period starts again after your OPT ends.
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You can also transfer to another school or start a new program.
If you do this, your F-1 status will stay active. But if you don’t do anything by the end of the 60 days, you must leave the U.S.
How to stay compliant if you’re unable to attend
If you’re unable to attend school, you should:
- Request a leave of absence: Contact your DSO to apply for a leave of absence due to personal or medical reasons.
- Transfer schools: If you wish to change institutions, talk to your DSO.
- Change visa status: If studying is no longer viable, you can change your visa status (e.g., to a tourist visa).
Read also: International students in Australia cannot change courses under the new law.