Current International Students

Full-Time Enrollment

As an international student, you are required to maintain a full course load (12 credits for undergraduate students and 9 credits for graduate students) during the academic year (Fall and Spring) to comply with immigration regulations. There are a few exceptions to this regulatory requirement.

• Final Semester:  If you are in your final semester, you may take less than a full-time course load if you have completed all the requirements for your degree.  You must confirm that the program end date listed on your Form I-20 reflects the correct program end date, indicating that you are in your final term. If you need to change your Form I-20 end date, you can follow the instructions in the section below on Graduating Late/Early.
• Pre-Authorized Reduced Course Loads (RCLs) for Academic or Medical Reasons: In rare circumstances, if you are not in your final semester, you may be authorized to drop below full-time.  You must request authorization in advance from CISS. An RCL can only be authorized on a semester-by-semester basis.  You must resume a full course of study in the semester immediately following the permitted period of reduced course load. RCLs may be issued for the following reasons:
  • Illness or medical condition
  • Initial difficulty with the English language or reading requirements
  • Unfamiliarity with American teaching methods
  • Improper course-level placement

Please contact GA_CISS@bentley.edu for further information about the process. 

Do not drop below full-time enrollment without pre-authorization from the CISS.

Attendance and Course Registration Policies

Attendance policies are determined by Academic Services. Please see the Academic Catalog for detailed information on attendance policies at Bentley. Attendance policy violations or failure to register in courses on time may have serious consequences for your F-1 visa status.  If you have any questions about the attendance policy, course registration timeline, or other questions, contact Academic Services. CISS can help with questions about how academic policies or violations affect your visa status.

Hybrid and Online Course Policy

Undergraduate Students:

All undergraduate courses are taught in person. Undergraduate courses are not available in a hybrid modality. All international undergraduate students are expected to attend in-person classes on Bentley's campus. When and if offered, you may count only one 100% online /hybrid course towards your full course of study requirement.

Graduate Students:

Graduate student courses are offered in a hybrid format.  All international graduate students are expected to attend most classes in-person. This means that you can take a full course load in person, or you can take a full course load with a mix of in-person and online courses BUT only one course (3 credits) will count towards the full-time requirement.

You must attend the majority of your classes in person. We recommend that you track your in-person attendance in hybrid courses. You can do so by asking your professors to sign an Attendance Verification Form.

Incomplete Courses

You must complete all work and receive a final grade for any incomplete courses by the end of their final semester of study. If your graduation/degree completion date changes for any reason, you must contact the CISS to modify your Form I-20 to reflect the change.  Refer to the section below on Graduating Late/Early.

Graduating Early or Late

If you are completing your degree requirements before or after the program end date listed on page 1 of your Form I-20, you must follow the steps below to request a modification of your degree program end date:

Step 1:  Schedule an appointment with Academic Services to confirm the academic plan.

Step 2:

• If the Form I-20 program end date needs to be EXTENDED past the date currently listed:
  • Work with an Academic Advisor to complete the Academic Services Certification Form
  • Obtain proof of financial support for the additional time period (bank statement/Sponsor letter, etc.).  If there are questions about dollar amounts and adequate proof of funding, contact GA_CISS@bentley.edu.
• If the Form I-20 program end date needs to be SHORTENED to a date before the the date currently Listed:
  • Apply for Program Completion in Workday to notify Bentley’s Registrar of your plans.

Step 3:  Complete the "Form I-20 End Date Modification Request Form" and submit it to the CISS with the appropriate documents listed above. 

Grace Period

Immigration regulations allow J-1 students to remain in the U.S. for a grace period of up to 30 days following completion of their program to "prepare for departure." You may use the grace period to make travel plans to depart the U.S., pack up your ersonal belongings, take care of final items before departure, or travel within the U.S. 

You are not permitted to leave the U.S. and re-enter the country in J-1 status, transfer to a new program, or extend your program during their grace period.

U.S. Government regulations require all international students in F-1 or J-1 status to report their current local address and permanent address to SEVIS. You can update your addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses in Workday.

Local U.S. Off-Campus Address

• All international students in F or J visa status are required to report to the local U.S. address where they physically live.
• Your Current Address cannot be an address outside the U.S. or a Post Office (P.O.) box.
• If you move to a new physical address in the U.S., you are required to update your local address in Workday within 10 days.

CISS will be automatically notified of this update in Workday, and will report to SEVIS.  You do not need to take any additional action to update your address.

On-Campus Address

If you are living on-campus, yor on-campus address will be automatically added to Workday but you should rview the in formation in your Workday record to verify that it is correct and update your address if you move off-campus. 

Leaves of Absence or withdrawals from Bentley may have implications for your visa status.  Your F-1 status is tied to your studies in the U.S. When you take a Leave of Absence (LOA), in most cases, you will not be permitted to remain in the U.S. Once the Office of Student Affairs approves your LOA, the Center for International Students and Scholars (CISS) will terminate your SEVIS immigration record.  Please see here for further information about taking a Leave of Absence. 

We recommend that you depart the U.S. as soon as possible, and no more than 15 days from when you stop attending classes. If you choose to transfer to another U.S. school during your LOA, CISS will transfer your SEVIS record to the new school, and you may remain in the country to study with that school’s Form I-20. SEVIS transfers must be initiated before your SEVIS record is terminated. Please contact GA_CISS@bentley.edu as soon as possible if you plan to pursue another U.S. program during your leave of absence from Bentley University. 

Work Authorization

 Any Bentley-authorized work (CPT/OPT/on campus) will end when your SEVIS record is terminated or released. A LOA restarts the clock for your one-year in-status requirement for CPT and OPT employment authorization. If you will not be returning for a full academic year after your LOA, you will likely be ineligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT).

Returning from a Leave of Absence

F-1 students may be readmitted at the start of a Fall or Spring term. Before you return to Bentley, you must be officially readmitted to the University.  You must complete a Return/Readmit Form and submit it to the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs. Please refer to the “Leave of Absence” section of the Student Affairs website for further information. 

Once you have been officially approved for return from your LOA, the CISS will contact you to guide you through the immigration process. You will need to complete a “Return From Leave of Absence -I-20 Document Submission” Form and upload copies of your passport ID page and proof of financial support.

The CISS will process the Form and create a new Form I-20 for you.

• Students who have been out of the country for an extended period are encouraged to seek guidance on the visa application process from their local U.S. Consulate or Embassy.
• Students with an unexpired F-1 visa in their passport (even under a different SEVIS number) may not need a new F-1 visa.
• Students with an expired F-1 visa expired, will need to use their new Form I-20 to apply for a new F-1 visa.
• Students who have been studying in the U.S. at another school as an F-1 student during their LOA must complete a Bentley Transfer-In Form with their current school and return it to Bentley CISS. 

CISS will then create a new Form I-20/DS-2019 for you, which you may need to use to obtain a new F-1 or J-1 visa, depending on your particular circumstances.

Please contact GA_CISS@bentley.edu for further details once you have received notice that you have been officially approved to be readmitted.

If you are an international student in F-1 status and have been accepted to another U.S. school, you may be eligible to transfer your Student and Exchange Visitor Immigration System (SEVIS) record to the new school. Once your SEVIS record has been released from Bentley University, the new school will be able to create a new Form I-20 for you. 

SEVIS Record Transfer Eligibility
To be eligible for a SEVIS record transfer, you must:

• Be maintaining status as:
  • An actively enrolled student at Bentley
  • A student on OPT/STEM OPT
  • A student within your 60-day grace period post-graduation or on OPT/STEM OPT
• Be otherwise maintaining status by adhering to the rules and regulations of your F-1 status.
• Be formally admitted to a new degree program at a SEVP-certified school that begins within 5 months of the end date listed on your Bentley Form I-20 or, in the case of OPT/STEM OPT, the date of your transfer.

If you have not yet graduated from Bentley and are taking a leave of absence or finishing your degree at another school, you must also complete a Leave of Absence/Withdrawal form to notify the university of your plans. 

You will not be eligible for a SEVIS record transfer if:

• Your new program does not have a program start date within 5 months of your previous program end date or, in the case of OPT/STEM OPT, your transfer release date.
• At the time of your new program start, you will have spent more than 5 months outside of the U.S.*
• You are on OPT/STEM OPT but have accumulated 90 days (+60 for STEM OPT) of unemployment.
  *Over five months spent outside of the U.S. (non-study abroad) invalidates your Form I-20 and requires that you obtain a new Form I-20 and F-1 visa for re-entry to the U.S.

SEVIS Record Transfer Procedures
To request a transfer of your SEVIS record, you must complete a “SEVIS Record Transfer Form.” You will need to provide the following information and documents:

• A copy of your official acceptance letter from your new school
• The SEVIS school code for your new school
• An exact SEVIS record release date (at least 5 days from the date that you submit the form)
• A SEVIS transfer validation form from the new school (if applicable)

Choosing Your SEVIS Record Release Date
In choosing your SEVIS record release date, you should consider:

• Travel Plans: If you plan to travel after your SEVIS record release date, you must have the new Form I-20 from your new school to re-enter the U.S. in F-1 status. Your Bentley Form I-20 will no longer be valid.
• Work Authorization: If you have been authorized for employment while at Bentley, your employment authorization will end on your transfer release date. Any Curricular (CPT), Optional Practical Training (OPT), or STEM OPT granted while at Bentley will be canceled.
• Grace Periods: If you are in your 60-day grace period following graduation or completion of OPT/STEM OPT, your SEVIS record release date must be within 60 days. If you are withdrawing or taking a leave of absence from Bentley, you must have your SEVIS record released immediately (within a maximum of 15 days). Failure to transfer your SEVIS record promptly may result in violating your F-1 status and/or ineligibility to transfer.

Please note that once your transfer release date has passed, Bentley CISS will no longer have access to your SEVIS record, and your Bentley Form I-20 will be deactivated. If you have questions about your SEVIS record or need to be issued a new Form I-20, you will need to contact the school that has received your transferred SEVIS record.

For detailed information on employment options for international students, go to the CISS "Employment" page.

On-Campus Employment: F-1 students may work up to 20 hours per week on campus while school is in session, and full time during major school breaks.

Off-Campus Employment: All off-campus employment requires employment authorization in the form of Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or Optional Practical Training (OPT). There are specific rules regarding when and how you can apply for these types of authorizations. The CISS offers information sessions on these types of work authorizations throughout the academic year. Please go to the "Employment" tab at the top of this page for recordings of information sessions, and detailed information about eligibility and processes.

Working off-campus without prior authorization is a violation of your immigration status and could result in termination of your visa status, bars against re-entering the U.S., and serious consequences for future visa applications.

The primary purpose of the J-1 visa status is to establish an exchange relationship between the visitors' home country and the United States. The Form DS-2019 is the document that allows an individual to obtain J-1 status in the United States.

J-1 Exchange Visitors at Bentley include exchange students (studying for a semester or academic year based on an exchange agreement between Bentley and your home university), degree-seeking students (studying in the U.S. for the entirety of their degree), and J-1 scholars (including short and long-term research scholars and post-doctoral fellows).

Full-Time Enrollment

International students are required to maintain a full course load (12 credits for undergraduate students and 9 credits for graduate students) during the academic year (Fall and Spring) to comply with immigration regulations.

Attendance and Course Registration Policies

Attendance policies are determined by Academic Services. Please see the Academic Catalog for detailed information on attendance policies at Bentley. Attendance policy violations or failure to register in courses on time may have serious consequences for your J-1 visa status.  If you have any questions about the attendance policy, course registration timeline, or other questions, contact Academic Services. CISS can help with questions about how academic policies or violations affect visa status.

Hybrid and Online Course Policy

Undergraduate Students:

All undergraduate courses are taught in person. Undergraduate courses are not available in a hybrid modality. Accordingly, all international undergraduate students will be expected to attend in-person classes on Bentley's campus. When and if offered, international undergraduate students can count only one 100% online /hybrid course towards their full course of study requirement.

Graduate Students:

Graduate student courses are offered in a hybrid format.  All international graduate students are expected to attend most classes in-person. This means that a student can take a full course load in person, or a student can take a full course load with a mix of in-person and online course BUT only one course (3 credits) will count towards the full-time requirement.

Graduate students must attend the majority of their class sessions in person. We recommend that graduate students track their in-person attendance in hybrid courses. Students can do so by asking their professors to sign an Attendance Verification Form.

Completing Your Program Early or Late

 If you may be completing your program before or after the program end date listed on page 1 of your Form DS-2019:

• Speak with your Academic Advisor for approval
• Contact CISS for modification of your Form DS-2019

Grace Period

Immigration regulations allow you to remain in the U.S. for a grace period of up to 30 days following completion of your program to "prepare for departure." You may use the grace period to make travel plans to depart the U.S., pack up your personal belongings, take care of final items before departure, or travel within the U.S. 

You are not permitted to leave the U.S. and re-enter the country in J-1 status, transfer to a new program, or extend your program during yuor grace period.

U.S. Government regulations require all international students in F-1 or J-1 status to report their current local address and permanent address to SEVIS. You can update your addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses in Workday.

Local U.S. Off-Campus Address

• All international students in F or J visa status are required to report to the local U.S. address where they physically live.
• Your Current Address cannot be an address outside the U.S. or a Post Office (P.O.) box.
• If you move to a new physical address in the U.S., you are required to update your local address in Workday within 10 days.

CISS will be automatically notified of this update in Workday, and will report to SEVIS.  You do not need to take any additional action to update your address.

On-Campus Address

If you are living on-campus, yor on-campus address will be automatically added to Workday but you should rview the in formation in your Workday record to verify that it is correct and update your address if you move off-campus. 

For detailed information on employment options for international students, go to the "Employment" page.  All employment authorization for J-1 student both on or off campus, requires an employment authorization letter from the CISS. 

On-Campus Employment: J-1 students may work up to 20 hours per week on campus while school is in session, and full time during major school breaks.

Off-Campus Employment: All off-campus employment requires employment authorization in the form of Academic Training (AT).  There are specific rules regarding when and how students can apply for these types of authorizations. Please go to the "Employment" tab at the top of this page for detailed information about eligibility and processes.

Working off-campus without prior authorization is a violation of your immigration status and could result in termination of your visa status, bars against re-entering the U.S., and serious consequences for future visa applications.