F-1 Immigration

Your visa (you’ll find it in your government-issued passport) is official proof that you can enter, reside in and (if you travel internationally) re-enter the country of issuance.

Here’s what you need to do to maintain your F-1 visa status while enrolled at RISD:

• When you arrive in the US, provide our office with copies of your valid passport ID page, F-1 visa and I-94 record. We will register you with the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) upon receipt.
• Maintain at least 12 credits in the fall and spring semesters, and three credits during Wintersession. If you want/need to drop below the 12-credit minimum, you must consult an international student advisor first.
• In the event that you change your major, program completion date, name, citizenship, etc., request an updated I-20. You must also inform our office within 10 days of any changes you make.
• Keep your passport valid at all times. Do not at any point let it expire.
• Make sure your I-20 end date matches your academic program completion date. If you need to extend the latter, you must start the process with our office before the I-20 end date.
• Obtain work authorization if you want to legally work and/or volunteer in the US.
• Let us know if you change your address, want to take a leave of absence or transfer to another school.

See our F-1 FAQ for more info

A Social Security Number (SSN) is a unique number issued by the US government in order to track an individual’s financial and earnings information. In order to earn an income in the US, you must have a social security number.

Eligibility for international students

If you have an offer to work in the US, you are eligible for an SSN. Please note that: 

• you cannot apply for an SSN until you are within 30 days of your employment start date.
• you must be physically present in the US in order to begin the application process.

Steps to apply (based on type of job offer)

On-campus employment (non-assistantship)

1. Obtain a completed job offer letter from your employer, on RISD letterhead. We cannot accept any letter that is not on official letterhead.
2. Complete an online Social Security letter request form. Once you submit the form, we will create an immigration status verification letter for you (allow 3–5 business days for processing.
3. Pick up your processed immigration status verification letter upon notification from us that it is ready.
4. To formally apply for an SSN, gather all documents named on our Social Security checklist and bring them to the Social Security Administration office in downtown Providence. Make sure you ask for a receipt.
5. After applying for an SSN, let your supervisor know they can now officially hire you via Workday. At this point you will need to complete the first part of your I-9 form electronically in Workday before receiving instructions to make an appointment with Student Employment to finalize your I-9 and other employment documents. After you complete your paperwork, you will be able to work on campus.
6. In 2–4 weeks you should receive your SSN card, at which point you must make an appointment with Student Employment to show your card in person.

Graduate student assistantship

If you are admitted into a graduate program and offered an assistantship, your department will send you an assistantship award letter along with your other acceptance materials. Before arriving in Providence, discuss the specifics of your assistantship with your graduate program director.

You will receive an email from RISD’s director of academic administration detailing the steps you need to take in order to meet employment qualifications. At this point you need to complete steps 2–6 in the “On-campus employment (non-assistantship)” section above.

Off-campus employment

1. If you are offered a job, obtain a job offer letter from the hiring employer.
2. Apply for curricular practical training (CPT) or optional practical training (OPT) through our office.
3. If the offer is for a paid position and you do not have an SSN, let us know that you need to apply for one. We will email you a list of the documents you will need to apply.
4. Apply for an SSN at your nearest Social Security Administration office. Be sure to ask for a receipt.
5. After 2–4 weeks you will receive your SSN card. From this point forward you will follow your hiring company’s process for completing employment paperwork.

Outside the US while on an F-1 visa

If you travel internationally while on an F-1 visa, you will need the following in order to return:

• your passport, which needs to be valid for at least six months after your return
• your valid F-1 visa
• an I-20 with signed authorization covering at least one year of travel upon your return

Outside the US while on Optional Practical Training (OPT) / STEM OPT

When traveling outside the US while on an OPT or STEM OPT visa, you will need the following in order to re-enter the country:

• your passport, which needs to be valid for at least six months after your return
• your valid F-1 visa
• an I-20 with signed authorization covering at least one year of travel upon your return
• your employment authorization document (EAD/OPT card)

Inside the US

Although you are legally allowed to travel within the US without carrying special documents, we recommend that you carry the following in case you are asked for proof of lawful status at any point:

• your passport
• a current, unexpired I-20

Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean

F-1 visa holders traveling for 30 days or less with an expiring visa to any of the above locations (excluding Cuba) may be eligible for automatic visa revalidation upon returning to the US.* Make sure you are eligible for this provision before leaving the country.

While traveling, you must carry the following documents:

• your passport, which needs to be valid for at least six months after your return
• your valid F-1 visa
• an I-20 with signed authorization covering at least one year of travel upon your return
• your unexpired I-94 record

Note that this provision does not apply if you do not have F-1 visa, your visa has been cancelled or your application for visa has been denied.

* Please contact ISSA before traveling if you are from any of the following countries:

• Iran
• North Korea
• Sudan
• Syria

F-1 visa renewal

You may only renew your visa while outside the US. Please plan accordingly before you travel.

Most embassies and consulates have specific requirements and necessary documents. Go the website for embassy/consulate where you plan to renew to confirm their requirements.

In most cases, you will be required to produce the following:

• a valid passport
• an enrollment verification certificate or letter from the Registrar’s Office
• evidence of financial ability to pay one year’s worth of tuition and living expenses
• I-901 SEVIS fee payment receipt

I-20 update

When you first receive your I-20, confirm that all information on the form is accurate. This includes demographic info as well relevant info listed in your student record (program of study, education level, major(s) and program dates).

If any of the information on your I-20 is inaccurate, request an update right away. If there are any changes to the information included on your I-20, you must request an update by 10 days after the change.

Academic program extension

If you will not complete your degree program by the end date noted on your I-20, you must request a program extension prior to the listed date. Failure to request an extension may result in the loss of F-1 status.

To request an extension, speak with your faculty advisor and the Registrar’s Office, and submit an I-20 update form.

Document shipping

Our office works with University Express Mailing Services (UEMS) to coordinate shipment of your documents if you are unable to pick them up at our office.

To begin using UEMS, set up an account, create a shipping label and pay for shipment. We will then print the label and use it to mail your documents.

If you earn a paycheck, a portion of your pay is deducted and paid to a government entity—typically US federal and state governments—in the form of income taxes. All US citizens must pay income taxes, as well as some citizens of other countries, depending on the country’s tax treaty with the US.

Income tax returns

A tax return helps governments compare your tax liability with how much income tax you paid in the given tax year. If more than what you’re actually responsible for was deducted from your paycheck during the year, you will receive a tax refund. If less than that amount was deducted, you will need to pay the remaining balance.

Anyone who is pay money while in the US must file a tax return. This includes earned income (from wages or self-employment) and unearned income (from bank interest, stock dividends, rental income, etc.).

However, if you are an international student who does not receive any form of income, you need to complete a statement for exempt individuals (Form 8843) to determine if you are responsible for filing a tax return.

International students can use Sprintax, a tax filing software, to file their taxes while at RISD. Federal tax filings are free with a Sprintax code provided by our office; you are liable for the cost of your state tax filing.

Sprintax is available from Feb 1–Apr 18. We will send an email once we make the software available.

Our office is not trained to answer questions about income taxes. Some helpful resources for income tax guidance are:

• Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
• State of Rhode Island Division of Taxation
• Sprintax guide for nonresident tax filing filing

If you receive a phone call demand for money from someone claiming to be an agent of the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or law enforcement, hang up immediately. It is a scam.

These agencies will never threaten you or ask for money over the phone or in an email. Do not give payment over the phone, by wire transfer or in gift cards to any individual who claims to be an official from one of these organizations. The only way you will receive an official request for payment is by mail, printed on government/law enforcement stationery.

You can get more information about common immigration scams from US Citizenship and Immigration Services. You can read about other common scams and frauds at usa.gov.

If you receive a scam call

• do not give the caller your personal or financial information
• ask for the caller’s contact information (name, badge number, telephone number, etc.)
• end the call immediately if they continue to threaten or attempt to intimidate you
• contact our office at issa@risd.edu
• contact the Homeland Security investigations tip line

Scam reporting

Click the links below if you need to report any of the following types of scam:

• Immigrations and Customs Enforcement
• Social Security
• Internal Revenue Service
• internet-based
• all other scams