Table of contents:
Stay Legal in the United States
SEVIS registration requirements for International Students
Registrar and Bursar’s Offices have moved
1. You must be a full-time student. At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute full-time
means registering for 12 credit hours. The only exempts to registering for 12
credit hours is:
a. Teaching Assistants can register for 9 credit hours
b. Full-time Co-op is considered full-time
c. Registering in Absentia is considered full-time
d. If it is your last semester you need permission from my office, and the office
of Academic Advising if you are an undergraduate or the Graduate Education Office
if you are a graduate student.
2. ADDRESSES in the Student Information System (SIS)
a. You must list an address in your home country as your permanent address in
SIS.
b. List your apartment address as your School off-campus address in SIS.
c. Do not use your department address it is against the law
d. If you live on-campus the Office Residence Life will enter your School on-campus
address in SIS.
e. Remember if you change your address you must notify the Registrar’s
Office and the ISSS Office within 10 days of moving. It’s the law.
3. If you want to travel outside the United States
a. Your I-20/DS-2019 must be signed for travel
b. You must have it signed within the past 12 months if you are traveling
4. Do not let your I-20/DS-2019 expire. Both documents have an end date or completion of studies date. This end date must be extended before the date. If you wait to extend it until after the date you will have to apply for reinstatement and it will cost $195.00.
SEVIS requires many items of information from students and universities. One very important item that is required is the ISSS Office must notify SEVIS every semester telling them who is registered.
Classes start at Rensselaer on January 18, 2005. No later than February 16, 2005 the ISSS office must notify Department of Homeland Security who is enrolled. If you are not enrolled full-time or been given permission to be part-time by my office before February 16, 2005 Department of Homeland Security will be notify and you will be considered out of status in the United States. This is very important.
The Registrar’s Office is now located in Academy Hall on the second floor. The Bursar’s Office is located in Academy Hall on the second and third floor.