GENERAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE F-1 VISA
F-1 STATUS
F-1 status is granted to individuals who enter the U.S. for the sole purpose of study.
Students must enroll full-time in order to maintain their F-1 status. To request an application or information regarding admission to UT Southwestern, click Graduate School Admissions Information
SEVIS FEE
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has implemented a $200 fee for all F-1 applicants. The fee will be used to cover the cost of the SEVIS system.
For information on the F-1 SEVIS fee, please click here.
OBTAINING AN F-1 VISA
To apply for an F-1 Visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate, an applicant must first obtain a Form I-20 from the school s/he plans to attend. The International Office will issue an I-20 to a prospective student:
- after s/he is accepted into a UT Southwestern academic program and the Admissions Office submits the necessary documents to the International Office, and
- applicant provides evidence of adequate financial support to meet expenses in the U.S.
Please see Applying for an F-1 Visa Abroad and Anticipated Consular Wait Times. To get information on applying for a visa at a specific U.S. embassy click here.
SECURITY CHECKS
Security checks during application for a visa stamp are very common for all people studying or working in scientific fields. They are even more common in specific countries such as China, India, Korea and Middle Eastern countries. While these checks are usually completed within 3 weeks, a few have taken as long as 6 months and there is nothing Southwestern can do to shorten the period of time it will take. Please plan accordingly and let your supervisor know about this possibility.
ENTERING THE U.S.
After you obtain an F-1 visa stamp in your passport, the consular official will return the Form I-20 to you. You will be required to present it with your passport to the U.S. Immigration Service inspector at the port-of-entry. The inspector will date stamp the I-20 and return the carbon copy to you along with the I-94 Departure Record.
Be sure the inspector has noted F-1 and D/S (Duration of Status) on both documents. The "D/S" notation permits you to remain in the U.S. for the period you are pursuing a full course of study or engaging in practical training following completion of studies, plus 60 days to prepare for departure from the U.S. If your dependents accompany you, their I-94s should be noted F-2 and D/S, thereby allowing them to remain in the United States for the same period as the F-1.
You may enter the U.S. no more than 30 days prior to the start date on your I-20.
To re-enter the U.S. after you begin your studies, an International Affairs Office representative must sign the back of your current I-20 before you depart. This signature verifies you are in good standing at UT Southwestern. Failure to obtain this signature could result in problems at the U.S. port-of-entry upon your return. In addition to the signed I-20, you will need a valid passport and visa stamp. Information regarding the renewal of your visa stamp is available in the International Affairs Office.
MANDATORY HEALTH INSURANCE
The University of Texas System requires all international students to maintain health insurance coverage which meets the four standards listed below. Students are required to present proof of coverage before registering for classes.
- Medical benefits of at least $50,000 per accident or illness;
- a deductible (the amount for which you are responsible) not to exceed $500 per accident or illness;
- repatriation-of-remains coverage in the amount of $7,500;
- expenses associated with medical evacuation of the visitor to the home country in the amount of $10,000.
Below are some popular companies that provide medical insurance plans with evacuation repatriation coverage that can be purchased on-line.
- Compass Benefits Group International Student Scholar Health Insurance Plan
- Trawick International underwritten by MEGA LIfe and Health Insurance Company
"Collegiate Care" Insurance Plans brochure (in .pdf format)
Students in the Graduate School who are paid for at least 20 hrs/week
are eligible to purchase UT Southwestern employee health insurance on themselves at minimal cost. Health insurance for dependents may be fairly expensive. You can get some information about coverage and potential costs at www.utsystem.edu/egi/
Graduate students must purchase repatriation and medical evacuation coverage through policies offered at the International Office or the Registrar's Office.
Students in any program who are not paid for at least 20 hours/week may:
- Bring insurance from their home country. In order to satisfy the insurance requirements the policy must be in English and insurance amounts must be provided in U.S. dollars
- Obtain information from the International Office about private insurance policies available to students.
MANDATORY MEDICAL EVACUATION AND REPATRIATION INSURANCE COVERAGE
All International Students are required by law to have Medical Evacuation and Repatriation Insurance Coverage. This coverage is included in the Compass and Collegiate Care Policies mentioned above. If a student has a UT Southwestern employee health insurance policy, they will need to purchase this additional coverage.
Trawick International has the only, cheap on-line registration which covers a student for one year. The 2006-2007 rate is $21. To enroll, click on the link below.
Trawick International Medical Evacuation and Repatriation Coverage Enrollment
(Please note: This link is different from the Collegiate Care link although they look the same)
We also have brochures of the coverage including International SOS at the International Office front desk.
TRANSFERS
In most cases, a program transfer from one academic institution to another is permitted. Prior to issuing an I-20 for transfer, the International Affairs Office will request visa status information from the school the prospective student is attending.
EMPLOYMENT
U.S. law usually restricts F-1 students to working on their own campus and for a maximum of 20 hours per week. Under special circumstances, F-1 visa holders may be allowed limited employment off-campus if authorization is granted by the International Office or the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. Unauthorized employment is illegal and will seriously jeopardize your stay in the U.S.
Students awarded a full assistantship are not eligible to seek additional employment. Students with partial or no assistantship are not usually eligible for off-campus employment. However, if you believe your case warrants special consideration, please contact the International Office.
Optional Practical Training
Upon completing your studies, you may be eligible to engage in Optional Practical Training in your field of study. In order to receive your work authorization when you need it, it is very important that you contact the International Office at least 4-5 months prior to program completion to apply for optional practical training.
DEPENDENTS
F-1 students may bring their spouses and dependent children under the age of 21 to the U.S. if financial resources for their support are adequate. Dependents are issued F-2 visas and may arrive with the F-1 or join him/her at a later date.
Dependents (F-2) are not allowed to work in the U.S., but may attend school. An F-2 may also change status to F-1 without leaving the U.S. Application for a change of status is made to the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. The International Affairs Office can assist you with this process.
SENIOR FOREIGN MEDICAL STUDENT ELECTIVES
A Senior Foreign Medical Student can only be sponsored by an F-1 visa at our institution. This student can only participate in a maximum of two rotations for a total of 8 weeks. Please refer to the Visiting Medical Students for all other relevant forms and information.
Southwestern departments must submit the original application check and a copy of the Visiting Medical Student Registration Form (VMSRF) to the International Office before the visa document (I-20) can be sent to the student.
Please allow a minimum of six weeks to receive your visa documents from us. Senior Foreign Medical Students will also need to take into account the time it takes to issue the visa stamp at the U.S. Consulate. To view current wait times for a particular U.S. Consulate, click here.
