Department Resources

Full Course Load Requirements for International Students

Federal regulations require that students in F-1 and J-1 status be registered for a full-time course load for the duration* of each fall and spring semester. International students are not required to meet any enrollment requirements during the summer semester if it is not their first semester in the US. Students who begin study in the US in a summer semester must be enrolled full-time during that summer semester as their first semester in the US. Failure to be registered as a full-time student is a violation of the F-1 or J-1 non-immigrant status and can result in the loss of F-1 or J-1 benefits (including employment eligibility both on and off-campus), the loss of immigration status, and may require the student to depart the United States or risk arrest and deportation.

*NOTE: Because international students must maintain full-time enrollment for the duration of the semester, withdrawing from a class resulting in active enrollment below full-time is a violation of the students immigration status even though they still appear full-time in the UW record with a grade.

Academic Level Minimum Full-time Course Load Requirements:

• Exchange Students (Undergraduate) 12 credits per semester; at least 9.0 credits must be main/on-campus

• Exchange Students (Graduate) 9 credits per semester; at least 6.0 credits must be main/on-campus

• Undergraduate Students (Bachelor's Level) 12 credits per semester; at least 9.0 credits must be main/on-campus

• Graduate Master's Level 9 credits per semester; at least 6.0 credits must be main/on-campus

• Graduate PhD Students 9 credits per semester; at least 6.0 credits must be main/on-campus

Counting Distance/Online Courses Toward Full-time Course Load Requirements:

Students may count up to three credits per semester of distance or online courses as part of their full-time enrollment. Students can take additional distance/online courses if they choose to do so, but they will not count as part of the full-time course load.

Concurrent Enrollment at Another School:

An F-1 student may be concurrently enrolled in two different schools at the same time as long as the total enrollment for both schools equals a full-time course of study. The majority (at least 50%) of their coursework each semester must be enrolled at the school that issued the Form I-20 for the student. Students on UW-issued documents who take any course(s) from a school other than UW must submit a Concurrent Enrollment Agreement form to ISS and if the credits will count as part of their full-time enrollment they must also submit proof of enrollment to ISS as described on the CEA form.

Exceptions to Full-time Course Load Requirements

There are some very limited exceptions to the full-time course requirement including: initial difficulties with the English language or reading; unfamiliarity with American teaching methods; inappropriate course placement; and a documented medical or mental health situation that prevents full-time study.

All exceptions require documentation and must be approved in advance by International Students and Scholars (ISS) before the start of the semester, or before a student drops/withdraws from courses that reduce their enrollment to less than full-time. ISS must note the approval in the student's electronic immigration SEVIS record prior to the student dropping below full-time on the UW record. Failure to receive approval from ISS before falling below full-time enrollment will put a student's immigration status in jeopardy.

Undergraduate or graduate students in their final semester prior to official graduation, and graduate students who are finishing all required coursework listed on the program of study (with the exception of the final thesis or dissertation) are allowed to enroll less-than full-time in their final semester. Students who believe that they will graduate at the end of the current semester should consult with ISS staff to discuss their situation and see if it meets the requirements for part-time status in last semester. ISS staff will work with students to collect the required documentation for their particular situation.

Other Visa Types and Enrollment Requirements

The requirements discussed above apply to students on the F-1 an J-1 student visas. Students on other visa types may have different enrollment requirements/limits. Questions about enrollment requirements or limits can be directed to ISS staff. Note: It is common to have dependents of F-1 visa holders register for classes at UW. These students usually hold an F-2 visa and are limited in their enrollment and employment opportunities. F-2 visa holders can be degree-seeking and can earn their degree at UW while in F-2 status. F-2 visa holders can NOT enroll full-time at UW or in combination with enrollment at another institution. F-2 visa holders can NOT be employed in the US. This includes UW graduate assistantships. F-2 visa holders who want to enroll full-time or be able to receive a graduate assistantship or other student employment will attending classes should contact ISS to discuss changing their status to F-1.

 Direct all enrollment questions to ISS staff at uwglobal@uwyo.edu or 307-766-5193.

 

 

On-Campus Employment

International students on the F-1 and J-1 student visa are allowed to work no more than 20 hours per week total during the fall and spring semesters. These students are allowed to work more than 20 hours per week during the official spring, summer, and winter breaks.  F-1 and J-1 student visa holders may be allowed to work more than the allowed hours if they have an approved internship or other type of additional work authorization.

If an F-1 or J-1 visa holder works more than 20 hours in any one week, their immigration record must be TERMINATED and they must depart the US.  They may be able to re-enter the US to regain status and return to UW, but this can be risky.  Because of the seriousness of this rule, campus employers and supervisors must be aware of these regulations and are asked to assist international students in making sure they do not exceed the employment hours limits.  Supervisors should be careful not to ask international student employees to stay late or cover shifts that would put them over their work limits.

F-1 visa holders do not need any documentation from ISS to be hired on campus.  J-1 student visa holders must submit a completed J-1 Student Work Authorization form to ISS and receive a permission letter before they can be hired on campus.

Internships and Off-Campus Research

F-1 student visa holders with the opportunity for off-campus internship, paid or unpaid, should review the information for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and download the CPT application form on the ISS Student Resources page.

General CPT Requirements:

• Internship must be directly related to the student’s MAJOR area of study and be an integral part of their established curriculum
• Student must received academic credit for the internship (exceptions for Pharmacy, Law, and other programs with accreditation conflicts)
• Internships may start prior to the date of the semester, but must end by the last day of finals of the academic semester so that a grade can be assigned on time
• Student must review the CPT Workshop Slides on the ISS Student Resources page prior to completing the required application forms
• CPT application forms must be completed and signed by the student, the employer, and the supervising UW faculty or advisor

J-1 student visa holders have a similar opportunity for off-campus internship called Academic Training.  J-1 student vise holders should contact ISS for information.

Graduate Students who must participate in thesis or dissertation research off-campus may be required to receive CPT or Academic Training approval before they can participate in that research.  Students should contact ISS prior to beginning off-campus research for more information.

Severe Economic Hardship Work Authorization

Severe Economic Hardship is work authorization approved by the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) that allows off-campus employment if jobs on campus are either unavailable or insufficient, and a student is facing hardship that is caused by unforeseen circumstances beyond the student's control. Authorization is granted by USCIS for periods of up to one year at a time, and may be renewed. Students interested in applying for Severe Economic Hardship work authorization should schedule an appointment with the ISS staff to review eligibility requirement and application process.

 

For more detailed information: Student Employment: An Overview of International Student Employment

 

Applying for a Social Security Letter

All students who are employed in the US must apply for a social security letter.  This includes those on graduate assistantships.  Students working on campus must receive an employer letter from the department in which they work.  This letter cannot be written by UW Human Resources.

The SSN application process for students can be found under “Social Security Number: How to Apply” on the ISS Student Resources page

SSN employer letter – Employers must use this template and it MUST be on department letterhead.  REPLACE the red lettering at the top of the template with your department logo, etc.

The J-1 Exchange Visitor visa might not be the best visa choice.  Scholars who are seeking to come to the US for employment purposes, rather than the exchange of knowledge and culture as described above, should seek an employment visa.  The J-1 visa does not allow participation in a tenure-track position.  The J-1 can sometimes require the Exchange Visitor to return to their home country for two years after their J-1 appointment before they can return to the US on an H1B or other status with immigrant intent.  Departments hiring for a tenure-track position, hiring a scholar who intends to remain in the US by changing to a different visa status at the end of their UW appointment, or those with an employment-focused position should consult with UW Human Resources about the possibility of sponsoring an H1B employment visa before requesting documents for a J-1 visitor.

The purpose of the Exchange Visitor Program, in part, is to foster the exchange of ideas between Americans and foreign nationals and to stimulate international collaborative teaching, lecturing and research efforts. The exchange of professors and research scholars promotes the exchange of ideas, research, mutual enrichment, and linkages between research and educational institutions in the United States and foreign countries. It does so by providing foreign professors and research scholars the opportunity to engage in research, teaching and lecturing with their American colleagues, to participate actively in cross-cultural activities with Americans, and ultimately to share with their countrymen their experiences and increased knowledge of the United States and their substantive fields.

Adapted from www.j1visa.state.gov :

Student Intern

This category is for graduate or undergraduate students who want to participate in an official internship inside the US, as part of their required curriculum in their home country.  The website information for the Student Intern category is under construction.  Faculty who want to supervise a J-1 Student Intern on campus should email ISS to request the necessary forms.  This section will be updated with online forms and information soon!

Research Scholar

This category is for a foreign national who enters the United States for the primary purpose of conducting research, observing or consulting in connection with research projects at research institutions, corporate research facilities, museums, libraries, post-secondary accredited academic institutions, or similar types of institutions. A research scholar may also teach or lecture, unless disallowed by the sponsor.

The research scholar’s appointment to a position shall be temporary, even if the position itself is permanent.

Incidental lectures or short-term consultations are permitted with the approval of the responsible officer so long as they are directly related to the objectives of the participant’s program, and do not delay the exchange program’s completion date.

Research Scholars must:

• Not be a candidate for a tenure track position;
• Not have participated in and completed a research scholar program within the last 24 months preceding the beginning date of their new program’s commencement;
• Not have participated in a J-Visa program for all or part of the 12-month period immediately preceding the start date of a research scholar program unless they meet one of the following exceptions:
• The participant is currently in a research scholar program and is transferring to another institution in the United States to continue their current J-1 program;
• The participant’s prior physical presence in the U.S. on a J-visa program was less than six months in duration; and
• Any prior participation was as a short-term scholar.

Duration of participation.  A professor or research scholar may be authorized to participate in the Exchange Visitor Program for the length of time necessary to complete his or her program, provided such time does not exceed five years. The five-year period of permitted program participation is continuous and begins with the initial program begin date documented in SEVIS or the date such status was acquired via a petition submitted and approved by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as documented in SEVIS and ends five years from such date.

 

Short-Term Scholar

Professors, research scholars and other individuals with similar education or accomplishments travel to the United States on a short-term visit for to lecture, observe, consult, train or demonstrate special skills at research institutions, museums, libraries, post-secondary accredited academic institutions or similar types of institutions.

Short-Term Scholars must:

• Be a professor or research scholar or someone with similar education and or experience in their country of residence.

Duration of participation. The short-term scholar shall be authorized to participate in the Exchange Visitor Program for the length of time necessary to complete the program, which time shall not exceed six months. Extensions beyond the duration of participation are not permitted under this category.

 

Professor

The exchange of professors promotes the exchange of ideas, research, mutual enrichment and linkages between research and academic institutions in the United States and foreign countries. The professor category is for a foreign national who enters the United State for the primary purpose of teaching, lecturing, observing or consulting at accredited post-secondary academic institutions, museums, libraries or similar types of institutions. A professor may also conduct research, unless disallowed by the sponsoring organization.

Professors must:

• Not be a candidate for a tenure track position;
• Not have participated in and completed a professor program within the last 24 months preceding the beginning date of their new program’s commencement;
• Not have participated in a J-Visa program for all or part of the 12-month period immediately preceding the start date of a professor program unless he or she meet one of the following exceptions:
• The participant is currently in a professor program and is transferring to another institution in the United States to continue his or her current J-1 program;
• The participant’s prior physical presence in the U.S. on a J-visa program was less than six months in duration; and
• The prior participation was as a short-term scholar.

Duration of participation. A professor or research scholar may be authorized to participate in the Exchange Visitor Program for the length of time necessary to complete his or her program, provided such time does not exceed five years. The five-year period of permitted program participation is continuous and begins with the initial program begin date documented in SEVIS or the date such status was acquired via a petition submitted and approved by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as documented in SEVIS and ends five years from such date.

Download and Complete (including ALL signatures)

• J-1 Exchange Visitor Sponsoring Department Information form
• Campus Notification of Intended J-1 Exchange Visitor Appointment form

Collect the following from the Exchange Visitor:

• Completed J-1 Exchange Visitor Information form
• Scan of Passport - For exchange visitor and all dependents who will accompany them to the US. Dependents are limited to spouse and children (under age 21).  Other family members cannot come to the US as a dependent of the Exchange Visitor.
• Proof of English Proficiency - Per federal regulation the Exchange Visitor must have “sufficient proficiency in the English language, as determined by an objective measurement of English language proficiency, successfully to participate in his or her program and to function on a day-to-day basis.”. Exchange visitors from English speaking countries do not need to provide proof of English proficiency.

• English test minimum score: TOEFL 525 or 71 iBT; IELTS 6.0; CET6 430; DuoLingo 100
• English3 J-1 Interview minimum score of 3 (ISS will receive results directly from E3)
• Completion of an English as a Second Language program or a degree from a university where instruction is completely in English.

• Proof of Financial Support (if not fully covered by UW) - At least $2000 per month for the exchange visitor and at least $850 per month for each dependent, for the duration of the initial UW appointment.
• Scan of Previously Issued Forms DS-2019

Additional Considerations

Health Insurance

All Exchange Visitors and dependents (spouse or children) must maintain health insurance that meets federal minimum requirements for the duration of their stay in the US.  Cost of insurance is not included in the estimated financial support outlined above. Exchange Visitors will be provided with health insurance requirements and a non-exhaustive list of insurance companies that provide health insurance that meets the federal regulation.  NOTE: UW’s benefited employee health insurance does not meet the federal requirement. Exchange Visitors hired as benefited employees are required to purchase an additional secondary health insurance policy that meets the federal requirement.

Housing

Housing in Laramie can be difficult for visiting scholars to secure. Due to a lack of readily available information and assistance for finding housing in Laramie, the sponsoring faculty/department should plan to assist incoming J1 Exchange Visitors in finding adequate housing.  ISS does not have resources available to assist exchange visitors in searching for housing in Laramie.

 

UW Sponsoring Faculty/Department is required to:

• Screen and select qualified foreign nationals to further education, research and exchange initiatives
• Monitor the visitor’s stay in the United States, ensure that they are progressing in the work being performed or the research being conducted
• Ensure that visitors are involved in cross-cultural programs where they can learn about the United States and its people. A cross-cultural activity is “an activity designed to promote exposure and interchange between exchange visitors and Americans so as to increase their mutual understanding of each other's society, culture, and institutions." Faculty/Department should:
• Offer or make available to exchange visitors and the accompanying spouses and dependents, if any, a variety of appropriate cross-cultural activities. The extent and type of the cross-cultural activities will be determined by the needs and interests of the particular category of exchange visitor. The Department of State encourages sponsors to give their exchange visitors the broadest exposure to American society, culture and institutions; and
• Encourage exchange visitors to participate voluntarily in activities that are for the purpose of sharing the language, culture, or history of their home country with Americans, provided such activities do not delay the completion of the exchange visitors' program
• Report any serious problem or controversy involving the exchange visitor to ISS with 24 hours of notification/discovery (Report incident online):
• Exchange Visitor Death
• Exchange Visitor Missing
• Exchange Visitor Serious Illness or Injury (e.g., brain injury, severe burn, major surgery, communicable disease, serious mental health incidents, condition requiring hospitalization of 48 hours or more, etc.)
• Litigation (related to an exchange visitor’s UW program, in which UW or an exchange visitor may be a named party)
• Lost or stolen immigration documents (i.e., passport and visa)
• Incident Involving the Criminal Justice System (e.g., arrest, charges, law enforcement, etc.)
• Theft of intellectual property or violations of export controls
• Sexually-Related Incidents or Abuse (an incident or allegation involving sexual exploitation, harassment or abuse)
• Negative Press involving an exchange visitor’s UW program
• Foreign Government Involvement (including embassy officials)
• Other Situations Impacting Exchange Visitor Safety (e.g., natural disasters, civil unrest, outbreaks of violence)

• Report early completion of objectives or termination of appointment to ISS. Sponsoring faculty are required to report to ISS if an Exchange Visitor’s appointment is voluntarily or involuntarily ended prior to the Program End Date given on the Form DS-2019.  ISS is required to update the Exchange Visitor’s record in the immigration system in a timely manner.  Failure to report early termination/completion to ISS could result in UW being in violation of federal immigration regulations.  Report an Exchange Visitor’s early termination/completion to ISS

 

Reference: US Department of State - www.j1visa.state.gov

Submit your request to ISS online: Complete the survey and upload all required forms and documents listed above.

ISS will review the forms and documents, contact the sponsoring faculty for any questions, and issue the immigration Form DS-2019.  The Form DS-2019 will be emailed to the exchange visitor and sponsoring faculty. Email will include next steps for the exchange visitor to take to apply for visa, prepare for travel to the US, and how to officially check-in with ISS upon arrival to the US.

NOTE: ISS will issue a W# for Exchange Visitors who will not be hired by UW. W# issuance by ISS does not create an email/access.  Faculty should follow these instructions to request email/system access for the scholar early to allow time for processing before the scholar arrives. Scholars who are hired by UW will receive email/access via the standard hiring process after their arrival to campus.