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Change of Status to F-1

Overview
Documentation Needed
Where to File
Important Things to Remember
Traveling and Reentering the U.S.

Overview

A person of any non-immigrant status except C, D, K, or M (and in some cases J), and except those who entered the United States under the terms of the Visa Waiver Program, can apply for a change to F-1 status if s/he has maintained lawful non-immigrant status up to the time of application. In addition, those with J status with the two-year home country physical requirement may not change status in the U.S. unless a waiver has been granted.

Documentation Needed

A cover letter, if you desire, indicating that you are applying for change of status and the supporting documents (see below) included in the application
Entire original SEVIS I-20 from U-M with your signature on item #11
Receipt indicating payment of the SEVIS fee
Copy of the admission letter from the University
Evidence of financial support (i.e., copy of bank statement, assistantship, etc.). If you have been offered an assistantship from the department, you may request USCIS to expedite your change of status application and include a copy of the assistantship offer letter. There is no guarantee that your application will be expedited.
Complete USCIS Form I-539 Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status and submit the appropriate fee.
Copies of all of your immigration documents (e.g. DS-2019, I-20, I-797, latest I-94 card, valid passport, visa stamp, if applicable).
Copy of the waiver (if you were subject to the Two-Year Foreign Residency Requirement while in J status), if applicable.

Where to File

You should mail your application to the USCIS Service Center having jurisdiction over where you live in the U.S. If you live in Michigan, you should mail your application to:

USCIS California Service Center P.O. Box 10539 Laguna Niguel, CA 92607-1053

If you live elsewhere in the U.S., please refer to the USCIS Form I-539 instructions for the correct USCIS address.

The U.S. Postal Service is the only service that delivers to a P.O. Box address. You may want to use the U.S. Postal Service “delivery confirmation” service. Please note, if you move, USCIS mail will NOT be forwarded to your new address. We recommend that you make a copy of this application for your own record.

If your change of status is pending with USCIS and you later decide to leave the U.S., your change of status is considered to have been abandoned.

Important Things to Remember

Source: 8 CFR (Code of Federal Register) § 214.2(f)(15)(ii)

F-2 spouse may not engage in full time study unless they apply for and USCIS approves change of status application.
Part-time study for F-2 spouse is permitted only to the extent that it is “vocational or recreational.”
F-2 children may only engage in full-time study at the K-12 level (kindergarten through twelfth grade).

Source: 8 CFR § 214.2(b)(7) and §248.1(c)

If you are currently in B1/B2 status, you are prohibited from “enrolling in a course of study” unless you apply for and USCIS approves your change of status application.

Traveling and Reentering the U.S.

The alternative method to becoming an F-1 Student is through traveling and re-entering the U.S. In this case, you must apply for the F-1 visa at a U.S. consulate abroad. Applying at the local consulate in your home country is recommended. F-1 status may be granted upon re-entry to the U.S. with a valid F-1 visa and I-20 (Exception: Canadians are exempt from visa requirement). Depending on your situation, you may prefer to leave the U.S. to obtain a visa instead of submitting I-539 request. For further information refer to the U.S. Department of State web site and Travel Outside the U.S. and Reentry. If you would like to discuss the risks and benefits or have questions about your options, please call the U-M International Center to schedule an appointment with an advisor.

Last reviewed: 5/07