Uscis: International Student Grades And Academic Reporting

International students who wish to study in the United States must obtain a student visa, either an F or M visa. F-1 visas are for academic students, while M-1 visas are for vocational students. To be eligible for an F-1 or M-1 visa, students must meet various requirements, including demonstrating English proficiency, having sufficient funds, and maintaining a foreign residence with no intention of abandoning it. F-1 students are also required to report any changes in name, address, or employment to the Designated School Official (DSO) and may need to submit Form I-983 to USCIS. Additionally, F-1 students seeking employment must obtain employment authorization from USCIS and can participate in Optional Practical Training (OPT) related to their area of study. While there is no explicit mention of grade reporting to USCIS, maintaining academic standards and providing documentary evidence of progress are crucial for visa renewal and continuing one's studies in the United States.

F-1 and M-1 visas

To study in the United States, you will need a student visa. There are two nonimmigrant visa categories: the F and M visas. The F-1 Visa (Academic Student) allows you to enter the US as a full-time student at an accredited college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, or other academic institution, or in a language-training program. You must be enrolled in a program or course of study that will lead to a degree, diploma, or certificate, and your school must be authorized by the US government to accept foreign students. The M-1 visa (Vocational Student) includes students in vocational or other non-academic programs, except for language training.

To obtain an F-1 or M-1 visa, you must meet the following criteria:

• You must be enrolled in an "academic" educational program, a language-training program, or a vocational program.
• Your school must be approved by the Student and Exchange Visitors Program, Immigration & Customs Enforcement.
• You must be enrolled as a full-time student at the institution.
• You must be proficient in English or be enrolled in courses that will lead to English proficiency.
• You must have sufficient funds available for self-support during the entire proposed course of study.
• You must maintain a residence abroad that you have no intention of giving up.

While studying in the United States, both F-1 and M-1 students must attend all classes, maintain normal academic progress, and maintain a full course of study each term. F-1 students may not work off-campus during the first academic year but may accept on-campus employment subject to certain conditions and restrictions. After the first academic year, F-1 students may engage in three types of off-campus employment: Curricular Practical Training (CPT), Optional Practical Training (OPT), and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Optional Practical Training Extension (OPT). Any off-campus training or employment must be related to their area of study and must be authorized by the Designated School Official (DSO) and USCIS before starting work.

Employment authorization

To study as a full-time student in the United States, you will generally need a student visa. There are two nonimmigrant visa categories: the F-1 Visa (Academic Student) and the M-1 Visa (Vocational Student).

F-1 students may not work off-campus during their first academic year but may accept on-campus employment subject to certain conditions and restrictions. After the first academic year, F-1 students can seek off-campus employment through a variety of programs. To complete Form I-9, F-1 students may present a combination of their unexpired foreign passport and Form I-94 indicating F-1 nonimmigrant status.

F-1 students can also seek off-campus employment authorization in cases of severe economic hardship occurring after enrollment in an academic program and after the student has been in F-1 status for at least one full academic year. This authorization is valid for one year. If the job continues to be available, the student must apply for continued employment authorization six or more months before the authorization expires.

F-1 students may also be eligible for off-campus employment through the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Optional Practical Training (OPT) Extension. Students granted employment authorization by USCIS to engage in OPT are required to report any change of name or address, or interruption of such employment to the Designated School Official (DSO) for the duration of the OPT.

Vocational students in M-1 nonimmigrant status may only accept employment as part of a practical training program after they complete their course of study. They must receive Form I-766, Employment Authorization Document (EAD), to begin working and can only work for a maximum of six months of practical training. Students can present their EAD to establish identity and employment authorization for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, purposes.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for an F-1 or M-1 student visa, you must meet the following criteria:

• You must be enrolled in an "academic" educational program, a language-training program, or a vocational program.
• Your school must be approved by the Student and Exchange Visitors Program, Immigration & Customs Enforcement.
• You must be enrolled as a full-time student at the institution.
• You must be proficient in English or be enrolled in courses that will lead to English proficiency.
• You must have sufficient funds available for self-support during the entire proposed course of study.
• You must maintain a foreign residence that you have no intention of giving up or abandoning. This means that you must intend to depart from the United States after your temporary period of stay, such as upon completion of your program of study or termination of your nonimmigrant status.
• You must be able to provide documentary evidence of sufficient funds to successfully study in the United States without resorting to unauthorized U.S. employment for financial support.
• If you are an F-1 student, you may not work off-campus during the first academic year but may accept on-campus employment subject to certain conditions and restrictions. After the first academic year, F-1 students may engage in three types of off-campus employment: severe economic hardship, special student relief, or a STEM Optional Practical Training Extension. Any off-campus employment must be related to the student's area of study and must be authorized by the Designated School Official and USCIS.
• If you are an M-1 student, you may engage in practical training only after completing your studies. Any off-campus employment must be related to your area of study and must be authorized by the Designated School Official and USCIS.

Practical training

International students on an F-1 visa are eligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT) to gain work experience in the United States. OPT is temporary employment directly related to an F-1 student's major area of study. Students can apply for up to 12 months of OPT employment authorisation before or after completing their academic studies. All OPT authorisations must be directly related to the student's major area of study.

To be eligible for OPT, students must be enrolled full-time for one full academic year at a college, university, conservatory, or seminary certified by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) to enrol F-1 students. Students must also have their Form I-983, which outlines their training plan, approved by their DSO and submitted to ICE and/or USCIS.

Once the DSO approves the Form I-983, they will provide a new Form I-20, "Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status," indicating their approval for employment. Students must then apply for work authorisation by filing a Form I-765 with USCIS and paying the required fee. USCIS will notify the applicant of their decision in writing, and if approved, will issue an Employment Authorisation Document (EAD) which the student must wait to receive before starting work. While school is in session, students may only work 20 hours per week.

Students with an F-1 status and employment authorisation expiring before a change of status to H-1B may be eligible for a cap-gap extension. Additionally, students who have earned a degree in certain Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields may apply for a 24-month extension of their post-completion OPT employment authorisation if they meet specific requirements.

Reporting requirements

To study as a full-time student in the United States, international students typically need to obtain either an F-1 or M-1 visa. The F-1 Visa (Academic Student) allows international students to enrol as full-time students at accredited academic institutions, while the M-1 visa is for vocational or non-academic programs.

There are several reporting requirements that international students must adhere to while studying in the US. Firstly, F-1 students are not permitted to work off-campus during their first academic year but may accept on-campus employment under certain conditions. After the first academic year, F-1 students may engage in off-campus employment, but it must be related to their area of study and authorized by the Designated School Official (DSO) and the USCIS. F-1 students who are granted employment authorization by USCIS for optional practical training (OPT) must report any changes in name or address, or interruptions in employment, to the DSO for the duration of their training.

Additionally, students with an approved 24-month OPT extension have additional reporting obligations. DSOs are responsible for maintaining and updating student records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and are required to report any student infractions in a timely manner. Failure to do so can result in disqualification and the withdrawal of the school's ICE SEVP certification.

International students must also fulfil certain application and filing requirements. They must file Form I-765 or its successor, along with the required fee and supporting documents, within specified time frames for employment authorization and OPT extensions. F-1 students participating in CPT (Curricular Practical Training) must provide documentation to establish their identity and employment authorization, including Form I-20 and Form I-94.

While there are specific reporting requirements related to employment and changes in student activities, there is no explicit mention of international student grades being directly reported to USCIS. However, maintaining satisfactory academic progress is a requirement to remain in valid student status, and poor academic performance could impact a student's visa status.

Frequently asked questions