All international students who are in F-1 and J-1 visa status must follow a set of immigration regulations as outlined by the U.S. government in order to maintain their international student status. The following set of rules and regulations is a guide to properly maintaining international student status at USC.
Full Course of Study
International students must be registered for a full course of study during fall and spring semesters:
- Undergraduate students – 12 units
- Masters graduate students – 8 units
- Ph.D. graduate students and graduate students with a graduate/teaching/research assistantship - 6 units
Online Courses: Only 3 units or one online course per semester is applicable to the full-time enrollment total.
Audit Courses: Audit course units are not applicable to the full-time enrollment total.
On-Campus Employment
On-campus employment is limited to 20 hours a week when school is in session during fall and spring semesters and 40 hours a week during University vacations and summer vacation. Freshmen should note that they are not authorized to begin on-campus employment until their second semester at USC. Please review the on-campus employment page for more details.
Off-Campus Employment
In order for international students to work off-campus, they must obtain the proper work authorization through OIS and/or the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS).
For F-1 students, off-campus work authorization options are:
For J-1 students, off-campus work authorization option are:
Maintaining Valid Immigration Documents
I-20/DS-2019: International students must be aware of the expiration date on their I-20/DS-2019. If it is not possible to complete their academic program by that date, students must request a program extension before the expiration date on the I-20/DS-2019. Students who do not file a program extension in a timely manner will be considered out of status.
Passport: Students should keep their passport valid at all times. If the passport will expire soon, student must renew it through the embassy or consulate of their home country. More details are available here.
Change of Local Address
Students who change their local address must report the change to OIS within 10 days of moving by submitting the change of local address form.
Grace Periods
International students have a set of grace period regulations that are appropriate to their visa status. F-1 students who complete an academic program or OPT have a 60-day grace period and J-1 students who complete an academic program or AT have a 30-day grace period. More details on these grace periods are available on here.
F-1/J-1 students who have received prior authorization to withdraw from classes have 15 days to depart the U.S. after the withdrawal date. Students who withdraw from classes without prior authorization are not eligible for a grace period.