104 Holcombe Hall, Fayetteville AR 72701 • tel: 479-575-5003 • fax: 479-575-7084 • http://iss.uark.edu
HELPFUL CONTACTS:
Director / Michael C. Freeman /Associate Director / Audra D. Johnston /
Foreign Student Advisor / Jeremiah Wax /
Foreign Student Advisor / Mykel Wallace /
Asst. Director for Retention / James Flammer /
Asst. Director for Outreach / Cynthia Smith /
ISSLink Coordinator
Front Office Administrator / Steven Sevic
Grace Monk /
BASIC CONCEPTS:
1) FULL-TIME STUDENT STATUS
· All F-1 and J-1 nonimmigrant students are required by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to enroll during the semester they are admitted to the United States and to maintain full-time student status for the academic year (August -May). For DHS, this means:
Þ Undergraduate Students: At least 12 credit hours each semester
Þ Graduate Students: At least 9 credit hours each semester
Þ Graduate Students with 50% GA appt.: At least 6 credit hours each semester
· Graduate students who have completed all required course work, are working on a thesis or dissertation, and are not enrolled in the above hours must present each semester a Reduced Enrollment Request Form completed by their academic adviser and returned to International Students and Scholars by the end of the first week of classes.
· Undergraduate students in their last semester need enroll only in the number of hours remaining to complete their degrees upon approval of the Reduced Enrollment Request Form.
· No more than one course of up to three hours of correspondence, on-line, or distance learning class can count toward the required credit hours each semester.
· Financial problems are NOT an acceptable reason for a reduced course load.
· Fear of earning a poor grade (by itself) is NOT an acceptable reason for a reduced course load.
· Students with language difficulties are expected to enroll in English language support courses.
· Other reasons accepted by DHS for being less than full-time:
Þ Documented medical/psychological condition (requires certification by M.D., D.O., or LCP)
Þ Improper course placement (must be documented by the academic advisor)
Þ Initial difficulty with English language, American teaching methods, or reading requirements (may only be granted during FIRST semester in University of Arkansas classes, and only AFTER attempting to maintain enrollment in a full course of study)
Students planning to enroll in less than the above-required hours must contact International Students & Scholars for authorization. Students enrolled less than full time without ISS permission must be reported to Homeland Security as required by federal regulations.
2) MEDICAL INSURANCE
· All international students are required by University of Arkansas policy (F-1, J-1) and/or federal regulations (J-1) to have major medical insurance coverage for their entire period of stay in the United States. Students will be automatically billed for such coverage on their student account.
3) ON-CAMPUS EMPLOYMENT
· Employment for F-1 students is limited to 20 hours per week during the semester (based on payroll week) and full-time during annual breaks such as spring, summer and winter breaks.
· A 50% assistantship appointment is generally considered to constitute 20 hours of employment per week. Students with a 50% assistantship appointment may not engage in additional on campus employment while classes are in session during fall and spring semesters.
· International students cannot have an assistantship appointment greater than 50% without prior immigration authorization. Otherwise, hourly employment in addition to a 50% assistantship will be considered unauthorized employment and will result in loss of immigration status for the student and ineligibility of the student to continue the graduate assistantship.
· Eligibility for on-campus employment ceases upon a student’s completion of the requirements for his/her degree (which may not be the same date as degree conferral or commencement).
· Students with J-1 nonimmigrant status must have permission from their program sponsors before beginning employment, including on-campus employment. Hourly limits on employment are set by the program sponsor and may differ from hourly limits for F-1 students.
· Students who work on-campus as University of Arkansas employees must schedule an appointment with Human Resources, ADMN 222, 575-2158, to prove employment eligibility and set up proper tax withholding.
· To obtain a Social Security card, students will need a letter from the employing department verifying that they are employed. This letter must be issued on university letterhead, must bear an original signature, and must be stamped by International Students and Scholars. Students who are not employed in the United States are NOT eligible for Social Security numbers.
4) OFF-CAMPUS EMPLOYMENT
· Regulations regarding off-campus employment for international students are very strict and opportunities are limited. Before engaging in off-campus employment students must contact International Students and Scholars to see if work authorization will be possible. Off-campus employment authorization generally requires the student to have accrued at least nine months (one academic year) in full time status and is generally limited to the following:
Þ Employment directly related to the student’s field of study (which in some cases may require the student to gain academic credit for the work performed). ISS may request information from the academic advisor to verify the student’s eligibility for employment authorization in these categories.
Þ Employment for economic necessity due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the student’s control.
Students who do not maintain legal nonimmigrant status are ineligible for both on-campus and off-campus employment. Students who are in violation of nonimmigrant status requirements will be reported to Homeland Security (as required by federal regulations), as well as to University of Arkansas Human Resources.
5) DOCUMENT VALIDITY AND ADDRESS REPORTING
· International students must keep certain immigration documents valid at all times while in the United States, and must report all changes in their living address to Homeland Security. Students holding F-1 or J-1 nonimmigrant status may fulfill this reporting requirement by updating the “immigration” address type through their account in UAConnect.
6) TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES
· Students who will travel outside the United States during their academic program must consult ISS prior to leaving Fayetteville to ensure that they have the proper endorsements on their immigration documents. Failure to do this may result in delays in their return to the United States to resume their academic program. International travel for individuals holding nonimmigrant status in the United States always involves some level of risk, and readmission to the United States is never guaranteed. Some considerations include:
Þ Individuals traveling must be able to legally enter their destination country/countries, which may require them to obtain visas for those countries, depending on each destination country’s policy relative to the traveler’s nationality.
Þ If the student traveling internationally has a United States visa stamp which has expired (or will expire prior to the expected return date), then the student must obtain a new visa stamp from a U.S. consulate abroad prior to returning (there are extremely limited exceptions).
Þ Even if a student has all the appropriate documentation and has been issued a U.S. visa previously, a new visa application could require a lengthy review period, especially if the applicant is subject to “administrative processing.” We have no way to reliably predict the amount of time this review process may take, and no way to expedite it.
Thank you for your role in creating a great University of Arkansas/United States experience!
If you have questions or if we may be of help, please feel free to contact us.