International Student Services

Change of Status

If you are not a student at Goodwin and would like to become one but you are on a tourist or other sort of visa, you will have to change your status.

When you enter the United States in nonimmigrant status, you do so for a specific purpose, such as study, work, or travel. You may enter the U.S. with one purpose and later change your purpose. When this happens, you may need to obtain a new status. Different visa/status categories allow different activities.

Contact the IPO as soon as you know you must obtain a new status. The process can be challenging, and we want to discuss your options with you. The single best source of information is the USCIS (United States Customs and Immigration Services) web pages. They are the most up-to-date and informed resource for your questions and the IPO encourages students to review their web site, contact them directly with questions and have them as the first source of information. You can always come to the IPO team for further questions.

Additional resources about the Change of Status process are:

• How do I change to another nonimmigrant status?
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services I-539, Application To Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status

Gaining a New Nonimmigrant Status

There are two ways of gaining a new nonimmigrant status:

Option 1: Travel and Reentry

The International Programs Office will frequently recommend this option first to students depending upon home country and other circumstances. Travel and Re-entry means you leave the U.S. with acceptance materials and an I-20 from Goodwin University, apply for a new visa at the U.S. consulate in your home country, and then reenter the U.S. with the new F-1 visa and other relevant documents. You will gain your new status when you are admitted into the U.S.

Advantages

• This process is usually faster than changing status in the U.S.
• You will obtain the visa and the status

Disadvantages

• Possibility of visa processing delay
• Expense of travel

For information about visas, including how to apply, visit our Visas page.

Option 2: Change Status in the U.S.

Submit an application to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for a change of status. This option allows you to change your nonimmigrant status while remaining in the U.S. With this option you may gain the new status but you will not receive a new visa; visas are only issued outside the U.S.

Advantages

• Ability to stay in the U.S. during processing
• Avoid the hassle of a visa application process (for now)

Disadvantages

• Processing can be very slow (six months or MORE), which may jeopardize your ability to begin your new activity, such as studying or accepting a research or teaching assistantship or other campus employment.
• You must stay in the U.S. during processing; exiting the U.S. cancels the application
• You must still obtain a visa stamp to match your status the next time you travel outside the U.S. (except for trips under 30 days to Canada or Mexico)
• The application may be denied, which could require you to quickly depart the U.S.

When deciding which option is best for you, you should consider various factors: upcoming travel plans, application processing times, the expiration date or special conditions of your current status. The regulations of your future status will help determine if it is best to travel and re-enter or apply to change status in the U.S. The following general information explains the process for applying to change nonimmigrant status in the U.S.

Eligibility

You may be able to change status if:

• You are maintaining your current status.
• You are eligible for the new status.
• Your current status does not prohibit change of status in the U.S. See below for restrictions.

You generally cannot change status if:

• Your period of authorized stay has already expired.
• You have otherwise violated the conditions of your current status.

Restrictions

• Individuals in J status who are subject to the two-year home-country residence requirement can change only to A or G status.
• Persons admitted under the Visa Waiver Program (marked "W/T" or "W/B" on the I-94) cannot change nonimmigrant status.
• Persons who hold C, D, or K status cannot change nonimmigrant status.
• A vocational student in M status cannot change to F status.

Application Procedures

1. Contact International Programs Office (IPO) regarding your change of status. You may submit your own change of status application or an immigration attorney can handle your application.
2. Compile the application documents specific to your change of status.
3. Submit your application by mail to the USCIS Dallas Lockbox facility:
   (The online USCIS ELIS application option is no longer available)

USCIS Dallas Lockbox Facility Mailing Address

For U.S. Postal Service
USCIS
P.O. Box 660166
Dallas, TX 75266

For Express Mail and Courier Deliveries
USCIS
ATTN: I-539
2501 S. State Highway 121 Business
Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067

Verify the mailing address listed on the USCIS website prior to mailing your application.

Processing Timeline

Processing times vary, so be prepared to wait three to six months to learn the outcome of your application. Depending on your initial status, you may NOT work or study during this wait period. To review current processing times and your pending case status, visit the USCIS Case Status Service Online.

Approval or denial: USCIS will notify you of their decision with Form I-797 Notice of Action. The I-797 is an important document and should be kept with your passport and I-94 card. The denial letter or approval notice will be mailed to the address listed on Form I-539 in your application. Note that if you change your address, the postal service will not forward mail sent to you by USCIS. Please provide your IPO adviser with a copy of your I-797/Notice of Action and approval notice.

Remaining in the U.S. during processing: You may remain in the U.S. while your application is pending, even if your original status expires during the application processing.

Travel outside the U.S. while application is pending: Do NOT travel outside of the U.S. while your change of status case is pending. If you leave the country, USCIS will consider your application abandoned.

Travel outside the U.S. after application is approved: In order to re-enter the U.S. after a trip abroad (except for brief trips to Canada or Mexico under 30 days), you must visit a U.S. consulate to request a new visa to match your new status. Contact IPO for information about documents and procedures for re-entering the U.S.

Employment eligibility: Do not begin employment, if permitted under the new status, until the change of status is approved.

Applications Pending After the Start of the Quarter: New I-20 Required (for change of status to F-1)

If your Change of Status to F-1 application is still pending after the program start date printed on your I-20, IPO must issue you a new I-20 with a deferred program start date. The I-20 information corresponds to your electronic F-1 SEVIS record. When an F-1 SEVIS record is first created, the electronic record is in “initial” status. The SEVIS database is designed so that an electronic F-1 record will automatically terminate if the record is not “activated” or “deferred” by a certain deadline within the quarter. IPO cannot “activate” the F-1 SEVIS record until USCIS approves your F-1 status application.

Consequently, IPO must "defer" the F-1 SEVIS record program start date to the next available quarter in order to preserve the "initial" electronic F-1 SEVIS record and not jeopardize the pending change of status application. ISS will issue a new I-20 with the deferred program start date; you must submit the new I-20 to USCIS with a copy of your USCIS receipt notice.