Kuwait Cultural Office - Washington DC

Special registration now takes place at the port of entry (airport) rather than through annual check-ins at a local immigration office, unless immigration authorities specifically instruct you otherwise.

The AR-11 address-change form is no longer required. Instead, report any change of address to your school’s International Program Office within 5 days — they will update your record in SEVIS on your behalf.

• At the port of entry you’ll be fingerprinted, photographed, and interviewed under oath. Bring a valid, current passport and I-20. The immigration officer stamps both copies of your I-20 and returns page 3 to you.
• If your visa has expired and you’re a continuing student, you’ll need to apply for a new one at the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait after you leave the U.S.
• If you’re transferring schools and entering on a new I-20, make sure your transfer paperwork is complete and the transfer is already recorded in SEVIS before you travel.

If you're subject to special registration, you must depart through a designated Special Port of Departure — failing to do so can result in being barred from re-entering the U.S. Report to an immigration officer at the airport to formally register your departure, and arrive with extra time, since immigration staff aren't always easy to locate.

SEVIS is the electronic database schools use to track international students — academic status, enrollment, and address — and it's accessible to immigration officers and U.S. embassies worldwide. Your school is required to report the following to USCIS:

• Failure to maintain status or complete your degree program
• A change to your (or a dependent's) U.S. address or legal name
• Graduating earlier than your program end date
• Disciplinary action resulting from a criminal conviction
• Failing to register, or dropping below full course load, each term
• Your next semester's start date
• Any other information SEVIS requests through your school's Designated School Official (DSO)

Students are required to pay a $200 SEVIS fee.

• Don't arrive in the U.S. more than 30 days before your I-20 program start date.
• Attend the school listed on your I-20 for at least one term.
• Register with your school's International Student Office as soon as you arrive on campus, and check in periodically to confirm you're in compliance.
• Report any change of U.S. or home-country address within 5 days.
• Maintain full-time enrollment: 12 credits/term (undergraduate); 9 credits/term for Master's students without an assistantship, or 6 credits/term with one; 9 credits/term for Doctoral students without an assistantship, or 3 credits/term with one.
• You may drop below full-time enrollment only once per degree program, for academic difficulty or improper course placement — and only with your DSO's permission, remaining enrolled in at least one class.
• Always carry a valid passport.
• Your I-20 must correctly show your legal name, birth date, program level, and major.
• Don't stay past your I-20's program end date without requesting an extension through your International Student Office.
• On-campus work is capped at 20 hours/week during the term, full-time during official breaks.
• Only one online course per term can count toward full-time enrollment.
• F-2 dependents can't enroll in degree programs; they must change status to F-1 first (non-degree recreational courses are fine as an F-2).
• When transferring schools, provide proof of admission to your new school. Your current school enters a "release date" into SEVIS (usually the last day of your current term); you can change your mind any time before that date. Once it passes, your new school issues a new I-20, completing the transfer.
• The gap between your last day at one school and your start date at the next can't exceed 5 months.
• If you withdraw or are dismissed, you must leave the U.S. immediately.

• Remaining in the U.S. after withdrawing, or after being dismissed or suspended
• Missing the report date shown on your I-20
• Not checking in with your International Student Office within 10 days of first enrolling
• Unexcused absences from class, particularly in Intensive English Programs
• Dropping below full-time course load without prior authorization
• Letting your passport expire
• Working without a valid work permit
• Missing the 5-day window to report an address or name change
• Being convicted of a crime
• Staying more than 60 days after completing your program

Medical situations are handled separately: present a medical excuse to your International Student Office. Across your entire program you're allowed up to 12 months total of reduced course load or absence for medical reasons, but you'll need BCIS permission (through your International Office) for each term affected.

"Out of status" means you've violated the terms of your F or J student visa. Your school is required to report any student who falls out of status to USCIS.