Graduate Program - Other Information

International Students and Scholars

SEVIS stands for Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) "Student and Exchange Visitor Information System" that requires Iowa State’s International EducationServices to monitor the academic and immigration status of international students, scholars and their dependents.

SEVIS provides harsh penalties for students who fail to follow visa rules and regulations. International students must therefore be informed of their responsibilities under SEVIS.

As the academic year winds down and students turn their thoughts to graduation or registration for summer and fall classes, international students need to remember a few things:

1. Graduate students not on assistantship must register full-time each fall and spring semester. If students have a DHS-recognized reason for registering for fewer than nine credits, they must complete a Request for Reduced Courseload form and submit it to the International Education Services prior to registering for less then a full-time load or dropping below full-time registration.

International students are not required to register for summer classes if they were registered in the spring and will be registered for the following fall semester.

However, students who will graduate during the summer must complete a Request for Reduced Courseload form unless they register for at least five credits.

2. International students who pass their final oral exam before the first day of classes must register for at least one credit in the semester in which they graduate or they must leave the U.S. no more than 60 days after they pass their final oral exam.

3. Every end of the academic year, the International Education Services stipulates the last day on which international students graduating that spring and not continuing for another degree at Iowa State may legally work. This date usually coincides with the last day of the final examination week. It is not legal for international students to work past the last day of class for their program of study without a post-graduation work permit known as OPT (Optional Practical Training) for F-1 students or AT (Academic Training) for J-1 students. F-1 students interested in OPT should read the information found at http://www.iastate.edu/~internat_info/Current_Students/forms.html. J-1 students will find forms and instructions for AT at http://www.public.iastate.edu/~internat_info/forms/visa/J-
1AcademicTrain.pdf.

4. Graduating students who wish to apply for OPT or AT must complete their applications prior to the last day of classes in their last semester. This means that students seeking OPT or AT authorization tied to a spring graduation must complete their applications before the last day of the final exam week. The SEVIS system will not accept OPT or AT applications received from spring graduates after the last day of final examinations.

More information is available at the International Education Services Web site.

Did you know?

The Reading Room has a media room with a DVD player, VCR, telephone, typewriter and an audiocassette player.