As international students, we all hope to finish our studies and build successful careers afterwards.
What happens when an international student drops out of college?
When you drop out of college as an international student, you’ll lose your student status and be out of status.
Your student visa will be cancelled as you no longer remain enrolled in your program to maintain your visa status.
You’ll be offered a short grace period (usually between 15-60 days, depending on the country’s immigration laws) to either leave or switch to another visa type.
If at the end of the grace period, you’re still in the country without resolving your status, you’ll be forced out – deported and subsequently banned from entering the country for a period between 1 – 10 years or for life.
Read also: What happens if I don’t get my student visa on time?
In addition, if you’re on any financial aid like scholarships or grants, you’ll lose the aid.
Some scholarships and grants can request repayment because dropping out means you can’t complete the term or program as stipulated in the award terms.
Common scenarios when an international student drops out of college
Upon dropping out, you’ll:
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Lose your student status
To maintain your student status, you’re to remain enrolled full-time in your program.
When you drop out of college, you’ll no longer meet this condition, your school will notify immigration authorities, and you’ll be asked to leave the country immediately.
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Get a grace period
Countries like the U.S. will give you a grace period.
Within this time, you’re expected to leave or change your visa type if you’re eligible for a switch.
Read also: How late can I enter Canada with a student visa?
Your grace period can be between 15 – 60 days.
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Be deported
If you’re still in the country after your grace period, and you haven’t changed your visa status, you’ll be deported.
When deported, you can be banned from re-entering the country in the future.
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Lose funds
When you drop out, the fees you paid and expenses you already made will be gone.
You’ll also lose any funding you have currently ongoing.
Read also: What happens when an international student gets deported from Canada?
If you received a loan, like a student loan or other financial obligations, you have to pay it back.
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Difficult getting future visas
When you drop out of college especially due to visa violations, it’ll be hard for you to get future visas to the same country for academic purposes.
Immigration authorities will scrutinize your past visa compliance when you apply for another visa, whether it’s a student visa or another visa type.
What happens to my student visa if I drop out?
When you drop out, your school will notify the immigration authorities that you’re no longer an active student and they’ll cancel your student visa.
Once cancelled, your visa will be invalid and can’t be used to enter the issuing country anymore.
What should I do if I want to drop out of college?
If you want to drop out of college, first, check if it’s the best decision and explore alternative options like switching programs or taking a break.
Next, speak with your academic advisor or a counsellor to fully understand your options and the potential consequences.
If dropping out is the best decision, notify your college and, if you’re an international student, inform the immigration authorities, as this will impact your visa status.
Read also: What happens if an international student gets pregnant?
Make sure you complete all formal withdrawal procedures, return any school property in your possession, and fulfil all your obligations before you leave for your home country.
What can I do if I drop out of university?
When you drop out of college, you can:
1. Go for vocational training
If I were to drop out of college, I wouldn’t mind going for vocational and technical training programs.
I’ll choose a training program related to my career goals.
Fields like healthcare, IT, hospitality, and skilled trades are all great.
2. You can go for alternative education
This is a good option if you drop out of college due to finance or other impediments that won’t interfere with alternative learning.
You can start with alternative learning like online courses, or community college programs.
Read also: How early can I travel to Australia after being granted a student visa 500?
Even though these options are not as great as what you have in school, you can still learn specific skills through them without the commitment of full-time programs.
3. Transfer to another institution
In some cases, (which depends on the country you are studying in and your reason for dropping out), you can transfer to another college or university.
4. Volunteer and gap year programs
You can take a gap year to engage in volunteer work, cultural exchange programs, or internships that will help you gain valuable experiences.
When you volunteer, you contribute to society while developing soft skills that are highly valued by employers.
FAQs
What happens if an international student is out of status?
As an international student, if you’re out of status, it means you no longer have the legal right to stay in the country and will be asked to leave or be deported.
You must stop any activities tied to your visa, like studying or working and resolve your status immediately if you wish to continue staying in the country.
Read also: 10 disadvantages of studying in Australia for international students.
To fix this, you need to quickly work with your school to see if you can reinstate your status.
Can international students withdraw?
If there is a valid reason, an international student can withdraw from their studies by notifying the school authorities.
Upon completing the withdrawal process, the student will lose their status and need to leave the country.
What are the consequences of dropping out of college in the UK?
The UK is not different from every other country, once you drop out of college, your UK student visa will be cancelled and you’ll lose your student status and have to leave the UK within a specified period, usually less than 60 days.
Is there a grace period for F-1 out of status?
Of course, there is usually a 15-day (or more) grace period for F-1 students if they drop out or otherwise fall out of status.
Within this grace period, you’re expected to prepare and leave the UK or sort out your visa status.
What happens to my student visa if I drop out of the UK?
If you drop out of school in the UK, your school will notify the Home Office that you’re no longer enrolled in school.
Once this happens, your visa will be cancelled, and you’ll be given a specified number of days to leave the UK or be forced out.
Can an F-1 student take a semester off?
F-1 students can take a semester off, but it must be authorized by your school and your leave must be temporary and for a compelling reason.
Without your school’s authorization, you can’t take a semester off as an F-1 student.
Dropping out of college is undoubtedly challenging. When you drop out, you’ll lose your student status and either leave the country or switch visas and remain in the country.