Reinstatement Procedure:

F-1 Status Students

A student who has failed to maintain status may be reinstated to lawful F-1 status at the discretion of the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), but only under limited conditions.  You must meet with an International Student Advisor to discuss this option. 

Eligibility

Students might be considered eligible for reinstatement if:

• The student has not been out of status for more than 5 months prior to filing for reinstatement.
• The student does not have a record of repeated violations.
• The student is pursuing, or will in the next available semester be pursuing, a full course of study.
• The student has not engaged in unauthorized employment.
• The student is not deportable on any other grounds.
• The status violation resulted from either:
  
  • Circumstances beyond the student’s control

    OR

  • Failure to apply for authorization for a reduced course load that would have been within the International Student Advisor’s power to approve
• Failure to approve reinstatement would result in extreme hardship to the student

Application Requirements

• If you have fallen out of status, you must meet with the International Student Advisor to discuss whether Reinstatement is the best option for you and to discuss the current application procedure.

• Reinstatement is filed with the USCIS California Service Center. Processing time can take several months.

• The current filing fee for Reinstatement is $300.00.  This is not refundable.

Consequences of Reinstatement Application

• If the reinstatement application is approved, the student regains lawful F-1 status.

• If the reinstatement application is denied, the denial cannot be appealed, and the student will begin accumulating days of “unlawful presence”.

• If the student remains in the United States after the denial for over 180 days, he or she will be barred from returning to the United States for three years. 

Return to Maintaining Status