Important Documents for International Students

It is important to maintain your legal status while studying at the University of Northern Iowa. Students are required to follow all proper procedures to keep their documents valid while in the U.S.

This includes notifying the Immigration & Advising Coordinator of any changes in address or status.

Immigration & Advising Coordinator

Passport and Entry Visa

Passport

Students should maintain a valid passport at all times. The passport should be valid for at least six months into the future. US federal law does not allow a F-1 or J-1 visa holder to enter the United States or to be employed in the United States if the passport is expired.

Students should contact their consulate in the US for passport renewal information. Most countries allow passports to be renewed up to one-year before the current passport expires.

Entry Visa

The F-1 entry visa stamp is issued by a US embassy or consulate and allows an individual to enter/re-enter the United States. A student's legal F-1 status while in the US is dependent upon their I-20 form being valid. Students must have a valid entry visa stamp in their passport to re-enter the US from overseas.

The J-1 entry visa stamp is issued by a US embassy or consulate and allows an individual to enter/re-enter the United States. A student's legal J-1 status while in the US is dependent upon their DS-2019 form being valid. Students must have a valid entry visa stamp in their passport to re-enter the US from overseas.

Canadian citizens
You are not required to have an entry visa to enter the United States, but need a valid I-20.

Renewed or Changed Documents

When your documents are renewed or changed, please bring the updated document to the Immigration and Advising Coordinator, at the Office of International Engagement in Maucker 113 or email a copy of the updated document to the Coordinator.

Reinstatement of F-1 Status

If you're out of F-1 status, you will need to complete the reinstatement process. There are two options available for students.

Option 1

A student who has violated status may be reinstated to lawful F-1 or J-1 status at the discretion of a USCIS Adjudicator, but only under the limited conditions as follow

The student has not been out of status for more than five months
The violation of status resulted from circumstances beyond the student’s control or that failure to receive reinstatement to lawful F-1 status would result in extreme hardship to the student
The student is currently pursuing, or intending to pursue, a full course of study at the school that issued the I-20
The student has not engaged in unauthorized employment
The student is not deportable on any ground other than failing to maintain status

All decisions on whether to reinstate your F-1 or J-1 status or not are exclusively made by the USCIS and can take a considerable amount of time to adjudicate. The student is allowed to stay and continue to be enrolled in courses until a decision is reached

To apply for Reinstatement, an F-1 or J-1 student must review the Reinstatement Information, gather all additional necessary documentation, and make an appointment with the Immigration & Advising Coordinator

Option 2 | Travel Back Home

The alternative to filing for reinstatement is to travel outside the United States and re-enter the country.

You will receive a new I-20/DS-2019 created specifically to travel
You will regain status prior to leaving the country traveled to and receive a new I-94 upon re-entering the United States
In order to successfully travel and regain status, you must have a new I-20/DS-2019, as well as a valid passport and F-1 or J-1 visa.
Students who received a change of status in the U.S. or whose visas have expired would be required to obtain a new visa at the U.S. embassy or consulate in the country traveled to
Re-entry can put the student back to valid status

Important notice

Re-entry to the U.S. after a status violation is viewed by USCIS as a new entry in F-1 status. This means that you will be bound by the regulations for students arriving for the first time in the United States. Most significantly, this will affect your eligibility for practical training. If you travel to regain status, you will have to wait one full academic year before you will be eligible for practical training (CPT or OPT) or economic hardship employment authorizations.

Form I-94

The Arrival-Departure Record, or Form I-94, is created by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) when exchange visitors arrive in the U.S. The air and sea arrival I-94 form is now electronic, and the land border I-94 form is still paper.

The I-94 form is a record of entry to the US. New I-94 will be issued upon your reentry to the U.S.

On this form, there will be the following information: admission/departure number, immigration status (F-1), date of entry, port of entry, and the length of time that your immigration status is valid. A notation of “D/S” means that your status is valid for “duration of status”, or in other words until you complete your degree. Obtain the most recent copy of the I-94

CBP only stores arrival records for the last five years. You are responsible for keeping copies of your most recent I-94. We suggest keeping .PDF copies of the I-94s for your records.

Learn more on the Customs and Border Protection website.

Grace Period

Grace Period Eligibility

F-1 and J-1 students are automatically granted 60 days grace period after completion of their program.

Please note: Your Iowa driver’s license is invalid during the grace period. Do not drive with an invalid driver’s license.

Change of Address

All F-1 and J-1 students who move are required to update their new address within 10 days of their move. This includes your initial move in when you first arrive at UNI.

Complete the all three steps to change your address

Go into your MyUniverse account and change your address
Complete the international student Change of Address form
Notify your Immigration & Advising Coordinator

Only after you complete these three steps will your address be changed with UNI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). If you fail to complete any of the steps above, your address will not be updated in all areas. It is the student's responsibility to maintain a current address with the University of Northern Iowa and the DHS at all times.

If you have any questions, please email the Office of International Engagement or call 319.273.6422.

Obtaining a Driver's License

Documents needed at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for a Driver's License

Passport
I-20 Form
I-94 (Obtain the most recent copy of the I-94)
Social Security Card if the number was already obtained
Letter from the employer and/or the Office of International Engagement. (If you need one, please send in your request)
For fees and practice tests, please visit: https://iowadot.gov/mvd/driverslicense

Opening a Bank Account

Please follow the link to learn more about procedures of opening bank accounts, documents needed and types of accounts. This information is for your information, you can select any bank to have your accounts. Bank information