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Immigration Services
International Student Services provides the following imperative services to all international students on any of Ashland University’s campuses.
Working as an International Student
Attendance Policy
International students at Ashland University are required to attend all of their class sessions in order to keep their immigration status active.
- Students who need to miss classes must contact the International Student Services Office prior to their absences.
- Students who miss classes due to illness must submit a doctor's explanation to the Director of ISS prior to their absence.
- Students may not miss class due to inclement weather. If the weather requires a class session to be cancelled, the professor will communicate that need.
- Students may not miss class due to living outside of Ashland. Students must position themselves so that they can reach their class sessions without strain.
- Students who need to miss multiple classes due to an emergency situation must have a personal conversation with ISS via video chat or office visit prior to their absences to determine the best course of action. Students with emergency situations may qualify for authorized early withdrawal.
- Students who miss class without prior permission of a Designated School Official in the ISS Office may be subject to having their I-20's terminated.
Reinstatement Application
If an international students’ I-20 has been terminated in the SEVIS system for failure to maintain status, he or she will need to take the following steps:
- Report to the ISS office to express wishes to apply for reinstatement.
- Our Designated School Official will recommend the students for reinstatement in the SEVIS system and issue the student a new I-20 to that effect.
- Submit a personal online application at this link: https://www.uscis.gov/i-539
- Pay the associated fee when the website presents the prompt.
- Submit the receipt of your reinstatement application to iss@ashland.edu. After doing so, students may attend classes and engage in university employment while waiting for a reinstatement decision.
- Please note that the actual reinstatement may take from six months to one year to be adjudicated. Note that the USCIS makes all reinstatement decisions.
Alternatively, if students do not wish to wait six-to-twelve months, they may do the following:
- Report to the ISS office to express a desire to leave the country and return on a new I-20.
- The DSO will coordinate with the student to know the timing of when your new I-20 will be sent to you via email.
- The student will need to pay a new I-901 fee in order to return to the country.
- Once the student returns, the new I-20 record will be free of any past failures to maintain status.
Please understand that terminated students will not be permitted to attend classes or work until one of these processes is complete.
Transferring
Students who wish to transfer to another school should supply the following information to the International Student Services Office:
- A written request to be transferred (an email is fine)
- The name of the new school
- The name, phone number, and email of the DSO at the new school
- The school code of the new school
If a student’s I-20 is in terminated status, the Ashland University DSO will contact the DSO at the new school before attempting a transfer. Students in terminated status will need to be helped through the reinstatement process by the DSO at their new school. Some schools may not accept students in terminated status.
Adding a Dependent to an I-20
F-1 students may add their immediate family members as dependents on their I-20’s. In order to facilitate this process, the ISS office will need the following information about the dependent:
- Full name
- Relationship to the F-1 student
- Birth date
- City of birth
- Country of birth
- Country of citizenship
- Address in home country
- Phone number
- Address in the United States
- US phone number
- Copy of passport
Ashland University also requires current proof of financial ability to support dependents listed on an I-20. Please write to iss@ashland.edu to ask for what amount should be shown.
Managing Program Dates
International students are responsible to keep their program dates current. Students who are nearing the end of the program date listed on their I-20’s but who need more time to complete their studies should contact their DSO to have their program extended.
- Write to ISS or stop by the ISS office.
- The DSO will issue an extension application.
- The student should work with the academic advisor to fill out the application with a full explanation of why an extension is needed.
- Students must also show proof of financial ability for the requested time of extension.
- Return the application to iss@ashland.edu.
- The DSO will extend the program dates.
Students who neglect to extend their program dates when needed will have their active status terminated in the SEVIS system.
Graduation
Students who are nearing graduation should contact their DSO to report their graduation.
Graduating international students have the following options if they would like to stay in the United States:
- They may apply for OPT. Please see the OPT information above.
- They may apply for a new academic program at Ashland University. Please write to International Admissions at international@ashland.edu.
- They may apply for a new academic program at another school. Once they have been accepted, they should follow the procedures for transferring as outlined above.
- If they are permitted, they may switch over to a different type of visa status. Doing this will require consultation with an immigration lawyer, as Ashland University DSO’s can help only with university related visa statuses.
- All international graduates get a sixty-day grace period after the day of their graduation. They may travel around the States to sightsee or visit family and friends as they desire.