Current Students & Scholars

Once studying at YU, F-1 students will need to maintain thier student status. This means that by law students must:

• Register for full-time courses each semester (12 credits for undergraduate, 9 credits for graduate programs)
• Maintain a valid unexpired passport and SEVIS Form I-20
• Update your local U.S. address within 10 days of any change
• Not work without authorization from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• Obtain a travel signature on Form I-20 from the Director of International Students each year

Once in the US studying or teaching at YU, J-1 scholars and professors will need to maintain their exchange visitor status by:

• Register as a full-time student or scholar (students & scholars only)
• Check in the OISS office within 10 days of arriving in the US
• Obtain travel signature on DS-2019 every 6 months
• Maintain required health insurance coverage during stay in the US
• Depart the US no more than 30 days after program end date

Travel Information

International students who are registered full-time must obtain a travel signature on their SEVIS I-20 once a year from the Office of International Student & Scholars (OISS). Students will be delayed or even barred from entering the country if they do not have a valid I-20 with a signature on page page 3 dated within one year. If students are travelling with an expired student visa (non-Canadians only), they will need to apply for a new student visa before they can enter the US again. Students should contact the ISSS office for more information about applying for a student visa while in the middle of a degree program. It is not possible to get a student visa from within the United States. F-1 students who are maintaining legal status can travel to Canada, Mexico and the adjacent Caribbean Islands without a valid student visa, however you must have a valid I-20 with a travel signature and a valid passport. For a full list of the adjacent Caribbean Islands go to www.ice.gov  

Exchange Visitors must obtain a travel signature every six months in order to travel back into the US when travelling abroad. The OISS has office hours at the Wilf, Beren, and Cardozo campuses of Yeshiva University. J-1 students, scholars, and professsors should contact the OISS to obatin a travel signature within 15 days of arriving in the US at OISS@yu.edu Exchange visitors must have a valid J-1 visa (non-Canadians), a valid passport and an unexpired DS-2019 form.

Travel Information for F-1 Students on OPT 

OPT students must have a valid SEVIS I-20 with OPT on page 3 and a travel signature dated within 6 months, a valid passport, a valid work authorization document, and if possible proof of employment. Students are advised not to travel if they do not have a valid student visa in their passports. OPT students should also not travel if they do not have employment.

Semester Reminders:

• Obtain a travel signature on your Form I-20
• Obtain permission to work if you are participating in paid internships (CPT)
• Notify the director during your last semester for OPT instructions
• Notify the director when leaving the U.S. for longer than five months
• Notify the director if you are studying in the Israel Program
• Register by 20th day of classes (or you will be reported to DHS)
• Register for thesis and dissertation hours