Change to F-1 status

An F-1 student is a nonimmigrant who is pursuing a full course of study to achieve a specific educational or professional objective at an academic institution in the US. Once the educational objectives have been achieved, the F-1 student is expected to return to his or her residence abroad.

Change of Status through USCIS

• If you choose to apply for your change of status through USCIS (refer to the detailed steps below), you may not depart the U.S. while your Change of Status application is pending as it is considered abandonment of the application and will result in USCIS denying your application.
• Until you can submit to the ASU ISSC the formal evidence of USCIS’s approval of your F-1 status, you will not be eligible for any employment under the F-1 status.
• The change of status application through USCIS can take multiple months. Please see USCIS processing times for more information on the current average processing times.
  • Due to this long processing time, you may consider the travel and re-entry option (refer to the detailed steps below)
  • You may have to defer to the following academic term if your change of status application has not been processed by the original program start date listed on the I-20 (this also requires a deferral of your I-20).
• If you are interested in Premium Processing for your application, please visit the USCIS Premium Processing webpage for details.
• Please keep in mind that the Change of status process through USCIS does not give you a visa. If you plan to travel after approval, you would need to apply for the visa before traveling back to the U.S.

Review of Social Media: Please note that USCIS will review all applicants’ social media content as a part of the adjudication process. This could include anything you have posted, shared, reacted positively to, etc. Certain content may have a negative impact on your benefit request. Please see this April 9, 2025 USCIS announcement for more information as to what specific content may cause issues.

For detailed instructions on completing the online application with USCIS, please refer to the Self-Guided Change of Status I-539 Application Review Canvas course.

Disclaimer: The information provided in the Canvas course is general guidance and should not be construed as formal legal advice. ISSC cannot guarantee the approval of your application to USCIS nor be held liable for the outcome of your application.