Change to F-1 Status
Eligibility:
- Valid non-immigrant status
- Admittance to St. Cloud State University
- SCSU-issued I-20
Not Eligible:
- Holders of C, D, K and M visas
- Visitors with WT or WB status (Visa Waiver Program)
- J-1 & J-2 non-immigrants with a 2-year home residency requirement
- Non-immigrants who overstayed or violated their status
- B-1/B-2 visitors are not permitted to enroll or attend classes until their F-1 status has been approved.
- F-2 Dependents may not enroll in a degree program until their F-1 status has been approved.
Documentation and Procedures
Please schedule an appointment with the Center for International Studies and bring the following documents:
- Letter of acceptance from SCSU
- Original SCSU I-20 (I-20 should state: Initial Attendance - Change of Status requested)
- Original financial documents indicating availability of funds as shown on I-20
- Completed I-539 form and G1145 form
- Cover letter explaining the circumstances leading to the need for a change of status
- Photocopy of passport (biographic pages, visa stamp, passport expiration date)
- Original I-94 card & original I-94 cards of dependents also changing status to F-2 (If applicable)
- Check for $290 payable to Department of Homeland Security
- Copy of SEVIS fee receipt (more information on paying the fee is available online at www.FMJfee.com).
- If you currently hold dependent status (e.g. F-2, J-2, H-4) also include photocopies of the principle visa holder’s valid status (e.g. I-94, visa, passport identity page, I-20, etc.)
- If you currently hold A-1/A-2/A-3 visa status, Form I-566 must also be completed and properly endorsed by the foreign mission to the U.S. and the Department of State.
After the Center for International Studies verifies your application to ensure its correctness, then you should mail your application to:
For U.S. Postal Service (including US Postal Service Express mail)
USCIS
P.O. Box 660166
Dallas, TX 75266
OR
For Express mail and courier deliveries (e.g. UPS, Fed Ex, DHL, etc.)
USCIS
ATTN: I-539
2501 S. State Highway 121
Business Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067
You will receive a receipt from US CIS in 2-3 weeks. It may take 2-4 months for US CIS to make a final decision. You may track your petition on the following website: https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/caseStatusSearchDisplay.do
If your application is approved, you will receive the I-20 form back from US CIS with the approval stamp and a new I-94 card. If the application is denied, you will receive a letter to depart the U.S. Please bring your change of status notification to the Center for International Studies so that we may update your file in our office.
