Reinstatement of F1 Status

GENERAL INFORMATION

Students who fail to maintain their legal student status in the United States and wish to correct their status can seek reinstatement of their F-1 student status. Students may fall out of legal status for many different reasons including but not limited to failure to enroll, failure to maintain academic progress, unauthorized part time enrollment, etc. The SEVIS record of a student who has fallen out of legal status must be "terminated" for the appropriate reason. A student who is "out of status" is not eligible for any benefits of the F-1 status. IESC assists F1 students with the process of reinstating their legal immigration status. Reinstatement applications must be submitted to USCIS within five months of termination.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

To be eligible for a reinstatement of your F1 status, students should be enrolled in the current semester at CSUN and/or be eligible to enroll in the following semester. IESC will issue you a new Form I-20 for the reinstatement of your F1 status.

PROCEDURE

A Reinstatement can be obtained through one of the following procedures:

OPTION A- Reinstatement by Travel and Re-entry to the U.S.

This option requires the student to travel outside the U.S. and re-enter with a new, Initial Attendance I-20. Once the student re-enters the U.S., his/her F1 clock will start all over again. Any time accrued as an F1 student under the previous SEVIS record will be lost, and student will not be eligible for F1 benefits until s/he has met the eligibility requirements for that benefit. The Initial Attendance I-20 will be issued for the next semester at CSUN. Student cannot re-enter the U.S. until 30 days prior to the start date printed on the I-20. Please arrange travel plans accordingly.

F1 Visa/ Renewal
Students must have a valid F1 visa for their re-enter to the U.S. Student must contact the U.S. Embassy in his/her home country to inquire about the validity of his/her F1 visa, even if the current visa has a future expiration date. Information on F1 visa applications and U.S. embassies is available at www.travel.state.gov. Please verify F1 visa application requirements, processing times and other information specific to your individual case with the U.S. Embassy in your home country.

SEVIS I-901 Fee
Please verify whether you need to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee when applying for your F1 visa renewal. Information on the SEVIS I-901 fee is available at www.fmjfee.com/i901fee. If required to pay the fee, remember to print 2 copies of the payment receipt: one for your records, and one for the visa interview.

Required Documents for Initial I-20 Issuance

Please submit the following documents to an FSA for I-20 issuance:

  • Original Affidavit of Financial Support available online at http://www.csun.edu/anr/intl/apply/index.html (for continuing students)
  • Original Bank Statement verifying the funds from the Affidavit of Financial Support (for continuing students)
  • Student letter of explanation. Please state clearly and concisely, the circumstances that caused you to fall "out of status." Please type your letter and include your full name, CSUN ID number, the date, and your signature.

OPTION B- Reinstatement Application by Mail

Students may choose to remain in the U.S. and apply for a reinstatement of their F1 status. Upon verification of eligibility to continue in their academic program at CSUN, IESC will issue a Reinstatement I-20, which means that you are attempting to correct the same SEVIS record. All reinstatement applications are subject to approval by USCIS. The California Service Center may take 2-4 months to adjudicate your application. It is important that you submit your application in a timely manner, especially if you are applying for the reinstatement in your final semester and intend to apply for post completion Optional Practical Training (OPT).

Student is expected to remain in the U.S. until the decision of the reinstatement application has been made. Student is also expected to otherwise maintain his/her F1 status (i.e. register in full-time units) while the reinstatement application is pending.

All correspondence is done via mail. There is no interview process for this procedure. Please ensure that complete, accurate information is submitted for review.

Required Documents for issuance of Reinstatement I-20

STEP 1 Documents

Please bring the following documents to your mandatory meeting with a FSA.

  • Proof of admission to CSUN (for new students)
  • Completed form I-539. Please download the application form from www.uscis.gov.
  • Original Affidavit of Financial Support available online at http://www.csun.edu/anr/intl/apply/index.html
  • Original Bank Statement verifying the funds from the Affidavit of Financial Support
  • Student letter of explanation. Please state clearly and concisely, the circumstances that caused you to fall "out of status." Please type your letter and include your full name, CSUN ID number, the date, and your signature.

Please allow 3-5 business days for an FSA to review and process the request.

STEP 2 Documents

Please bring the following documents to IESC for review by a FSA prior to mailing to the appropriate USCIS Lockbox Facility. Your FSA will give you a letter of explanation for the Reinstatement application, put your application packet together, and give you mailing instructions.

  • Official transcripts from all schools attended. Please keep these records in the original, sealed envelope.
  • Copies of pages 1 & 3 of I-20s from all schools attended (highly recommended)
  • Copy of valid Passport
  • Copy of F1 Visa
  • Original I-94 Form- The original I-94 card will be mailed back to you.
  • I-539 Application Fee: Check or Money Order for $290

    • Payable to the "Department of Homeland Security"
    • Write your SEVIS ID# and "for Reinstatement" in memo section of the check.
  • Letter of support from previous school (if you fell out of status at another school)

Please note:

  • Student is not eligible for F1 benefits until his/her status has been corrected.
  • Consulting with an immigration attorney of your choice is highly recommended.
  • IESC does not require ANY fees for the services it provides to international students. No fees, under any circumstances, shall be submitted to IESC. If a student is submitting an application to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a check payable to "Department of Homeland Security" will accompany the student's application. Advisors' responsibilities are limited to reviewing the check for accuracy and returning to the student who will mail the application directly to USCIS.

Please contact IESC at (818) 677-3053 or email a Foreign Student Advisor for questions and/or clarifications.

COLLEGE NAME OF ADVISOR EMAIL
Engineering and Computer Science Brenda Acosta brenda.acosta@csun.edu
Business and Economics Patricia Marquez patricia.marquez@csun.edu
Health & Human Development;
Science and Math;
Humanities		 Hanna Lee hanna.lee@csun.edu
Art, Media, & Communication;
Social and Behavioral Science;
Education		 Liat Tamsut liat.tamsut@csun.edu

Rev 05/16/2011 HL

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