Immigration Advising and Support

The majority of international students at Anderson University enter on an F-1 student visa. As an international student on an F-1 visa in the United States, you need to maintain your F-1 status by following the requirements set forth by US Homeland Security. The main regulations are:

1. maintaining a full course of study,
2. not working in the US without proper approval (see employment section for more information),
3. enrolling in an adequate US health insurance plan,
4. maintaining satisfactory academic progress, as well as informing the Center for Global Engagement of your address change, major change as well as changes in your financial status.

The advisors in the Center for Global Engagement are experts in immigration and international student advising, and can help you with any questions you have regarding maintaining your status.

Requirements

Undergraduates

All F-1 international undergraduate students (students taking classes to achieve a bachelors degree) need to take a full course of study (at least 12 credits) each traditional semester. Students can take 9 credits of traditional courses and one on line class, however we recommend that you take a minimum of 12 credits of traditional coursework and any additional classes can be on line. F-1 international status in the United States requires full time enrollment each semester. International students in F1 status, cannot take all online courses, since they are required to attend traditional (in person) and/or hybrid courses. International students on an F-1 visa also cannot take Adult Studies or hybrid courses unless they have already met the minimum full time enrollment for legal F-1 status. Undergraduate international students can take the summer off as their annual break and do not need to register for the summer.

Graduate Students

F-1 international students enrolled in a graduate program need to maintain continuous enrollment for each semester that totals 6 credits of coursework per semester. This would be three credits of hybrid course work for each term within the semester.

In addition, the F-1 status requires that international students who are legally in the US are here to reach their educational goal of obtaining a degree. International students in the MSBA, PMSBA, MSCS, MSITM, and MSCM do not get an annual summer break because the program requires continual attendance.

Please note: International students issued I-20s for F-1 status cannot take all online courses. They can take online courses in addition to the 6 credits of hybrid required to maintain status each semester.

Your faculty advisor will assist you with which classes you must enroll in each term. If you have any questions about full course of study requirement, the Center for Global Engagement can assist you with immigration support.

International students who are in F-1 status must maintain satisfactory progress while attending Anderson University. Under F-1 regulations if you do not do so, your legal non-immigrant status can be impacted. The Center for Global Engagement monitors your academic progress, registration and grading each semester to help insure your compliance. However, if you feel that you need additional assistance in a course or tutoring, please feel free to contact our office for help. The Center for Global Engagement works collaboratively with all university offices on campus. With our dedicated faculty, we can assist you if you have any academic issues or concerns. It is important to maintain good standing at Anderson University so that you also maintain your F-1 status.

Helpful Resources

• Center for Student Success

When accepted, all international students on an F-1 visa are issued an I-20 with an estimate of the time frame required to complete their academic program. If you need an extension of the time required to complete your degree, you must contact the the Center for Global Engagement at the earliest opportunity, as soon as it is known that an extension of time will be necessary for your studies. You cannot permit your I-20 form to expire under any circumstances.  A program extension might also be necessary if you need additional time for adding/changing a major, or other reasons. Please see the Center for Global Engagement to discuss your options. Working together with your faculty advisor, we can evaluate your situation and issue you an I-20 with additional time if you meet immigration requirements. The Center for Global Engagement monitors your status each semester, however you must request a program extension before your I-20 expires. Program extensions can only be made under certain conditions. Speak with the Center for Global Engagement for more information and assistance. Please do not let the program end on you I-20 expire. You will be out of legal status if this happens!

All F-1 undergraduate students are required by immigration regulations to maintain a US health insurance policy. Anderson University will include the price of the insurance on the tuition bill each semester. The cost of the insurance is $876.00 per semester for the 24/25 academic year. Medical insurance is mandatory for all undergraduate international students and any graduate international athlete, graduate or research assistant are charged this fee along with their tuition and fees. The medical insurance for F1 students cannot be waived and is required for all students. Medical insurance is important for all international students because the medical system in the United States is not socialized. For those students who have medical insurance from your home country, you are still required to purchase and maintain a health insurance plan purchased from a company within the US. Hospitals and doctors in the United States do not have to honor international insurance plans, even if you are fully covered by your home country’s insurance plan. Therefore, all undergraduate international students must pay for this health insurance, which will be included in their tuition bill each semester. There are no exceptions to this policy since all F-1 undergraduate students are required to have medical insurance for immigration compliance. Anderson University also has a comprehensive Health Service office called Thrive, which services the entire campus with minor ailments. Therefore, for any minor illness or sickness, the professionals at Thrive can normally help you. However, medical insurance is required to cover doctor’s visits and other medical treatments. Even if you have medical insurance from your home country, you will be billed for mandatory health insurance at Anderson University while you are enrolled at Anderson University. There are no exceptions to the mandatory health insurance policy for undergraduates and graduate athletes, graduate assistants or research assistants. For fall 2024 coverage is from 7/1/24 to 12/31/24 and for the spring semester coverage is from 1/1/25 to 6/30/25. Graduate Students- All international students on an F1 visa who are athletes, graduate assistants, or research assistants must purchase the international heath insurance fee. All other graduates are not required to purchase the insurance but need to purchase their own insurance policy for F1’s while in the US.

Contacts:

For medical insurance inquires, questions, and claims assistance, please contact:

W. Ed Duvall, MS, AT, CWPC

Executive Director of University Wellness

1-864-231-5540  |  Email 

For international student support and university partners:

Dr. Ann Margaret J. Themistocleous, Ph.D., PDSO

Director, Center for Global Engagement

1-864-231-2141  |  Email 

For student account and billing inquiries, please contact:

Tracy Brown

Director of Anderson Central and Student Accounts

1-864-231-2860  |  Email 

Anderson University is proud to offer on-campus employment opportunities to the international community on campus. International students who are in legal F-1 status can work legally on campus part-time while school is in session. They can work full-time, on campus, when school is not in session. This means that they can also be employed by third party contractors on our campus. However, you cannot work over 20 hours a week on campus while school is in session. For information on working on campus part-time as a student aide, you can contact Student Employment here. Employment on campus is not guaranteed, however we do have a wide variety of jobs for international students, but they are based upon your finding an available position on campus.

The Center for Global Engagement does not recommend first semester students to work on campus since it takes time to adjust to college life as well as American culture. Students who are hired to work on campus are required to visit the Center for Global Engagement for employment approval. All employment on campus needs to be approved and monitored by the Center for Global Engagement. In addition, once you do get a job on campus, you can then apply for a social security number.

Social Security Number

Only international students in F-1 status who have been hired and approved for legal employment on campus can receive an approval to apply for a US Social Security number. The Center for Global Engagement assists you with the required documentation and forms to apply. You cannot get a social security number without first applying and being hired for a job on campus. (Unfortunately, there are no exceptions to this policy since it is a federal regulation and not Anderson University policy.)

Off-Campus Employment: Optional Practical Training

As an international student at AU in F-1 status, you cannot work legally off campus without approval. US Homeland Security allows each international student up to one full year of legal work in the US upon graduation. This is called OPT (Optional Practical Training), and the Center for Global Engagement can assist you. You need to meet all requirements to be eligible for OPT like being in continuous legal F-1 status for a full year.  From time to time students request “pre-completion OPT” which allows them to use their OPT before they graduate, however this is not normally recommended because the time you use on pre-completion OPT is deducted from the OPT once you graduate. You cannot apply earlier than 90 days before you graduate. 

The Center for Global Engagement understands all immigration regulations surrounding OPT and can assist you with your OPT application. International students should meet with the Center for Global Engagement to discuss OPT four months before graduating in order to prepare their application for an EAD card (Employment Authorization Document) so that they can work legally in the United States for a year after graduation. We will assist you with the application, required approval, and help answer any questions you have. 

Curricular Practical Training

Some academic programs allow the opportunity for you to work legally off-campus in an approved internship. Normally, for undergraduate international students this is done in your junior or senior year as part of an internship class. Working together with your faculty advisor and the Center for Global Engagement, we can properly assist you with the CPT application, and approval process. F-1 international undergraduate students must be in legal status for at least a year before they can apply for CPT. Graduate students in the MBA program have the opportunity to take part in CPT when their internship has been approved by their academic advisor and must also be registered for the internship course.

The Center for Global Engagement will help you with any questions regarding the CPT internship option. In addition, when working on approved CPT, you cannot work more than 20 hours a week while school is in session. You can also only work during your approved CPT dates. You cannot begin working in any internship (paid or unpaid) without approval and counseling by the Center for Global Engagement. We must review your status, the internship, obtain approval by the faculty member, and review the registration for the affiliated course before we approve the internship (paid or unpaid).  All internships must be approved by both a faculty mentor/advisor together with the final approval of the Center for Global Engagement. On an F1 visa, internships are required, by law, to be academic in nature and affiliated with an internship course. There are no exceptions to this as it is a federal regulation. The Center for Global Engagement can assist you with the CPT application and registration process. We understand that interning is an integral part of your academic career and offer expert immigration counseling on CPT options. It is helpful for you to ask your academic advisor if your program (major) has an internship option available to you. Graduate CPT- Some programs require internships. You should check two make sure your program offers an  internship class if you wish to obtain experiential learning in your field. You need approval from faculty in order to work in an approved internship and authorization from the Center for Global Engagement.  

*Please be advised that if you use up to a year of CPT you can lose your eligibility of the full one year of OPT after graduation. Normally, for undergraduates CPT is approved for one semester so that you do not lose your eligibility for OPT.

Economic Work Necessity

From time to time, an international student’s financial situation might change because of job changes of sponsors back home, a financial crisis in their home country or varying circumstances which are out of their control. For those international students in legal F-1 status for over a year, the Center for Global Engagement can help you apply for legal employment off-campus called Economic Work Necessity. Please note that you will have to show sufficient proof of the hardship as part of your application for economic work necessity. The Center for Global Engagement will assist you apply for the program and review the documents to evaluate if you meet the conditions to apply for the program. The application is sent to US Homeland Security for approval, and it can take anywhere from four to six months for approval. However, if approved for the program, you can work legally off-campus, part-time when school is in session, and full-time when school is not in session (for example during the summer or winter break). The Center for Global Engagement will assist you if you believe you might be eligible for this program. It is designed for students who are in legal status (of over a year) who have demonstrated financial need. If approved for Economic Work Necessity, your approval does not impact your application in the future for the one year of legal work after graduation (OPT).

International students in F-1 status are required to complete a travel authorization request before travel commences. This allows the Center for Global Engagement to review your status and check essential documents so that you do not have problems with re-entry to America and AU. 

In order to travel and return to the US, we recommend maintaining your passport so that it is at least 6 months current; you have a valid F-1 visa; and your I-20 must form has not expired and has the correct information on it; that you have maintained legal F-1 status by enrolling full time, and have continually made satisfactory academic progress. 

In addition, you also must obtain a signature by the Center for Global Engagement’s PDSO or DSO for approval. This signature informs Immigration and Customs Enforcement that your file has been reviewed and your legal status has been evaluated by the Center for Global Engagement. 

In addition, remember that if you are traveling to a country other than your home country for any reason, you might need an additional visa to enter that country. We can help make your travel home, or to another country a simple one. Visit the Center for Global Engagement any time or email your questions to us at international@andersonuniversity.edu. We are here to assist you with trained immigration and international advisement. 

Re-entry Issues

Pre-Departure

If you have any travel questions or concerns you should visit the Center for Global Engagement before you depart the country. (We are located next to the bookstore.) You can also email the Director, Dr. Ann-Margaret J. Themistocleous, Ph.D., PDSO, at athemistocleous@andersonuniversity.edu or call at 864-231-2185. All F-1 international students are required to complete a travel authorization form before departure and have their I-20 signed and immigration documents reviewed to assist them have a smooth re-entry process.  

Issues or Concerns at Port of Entry to the United States

If you are an F-1 student who are trying to enter the US and are detained, please remain calm and understand that US Homeland Security oversees legal entry into the US. They want to help ensure that you enter the US in legal F-1 status.

Meeting with the Center for Global Engagement before international travel can help prevent re-entry issues since we check all your travel documents, as well as your legal F-1 status. You can reach the Director of the Center for Global Engagement via email at athemistocleous@andersonuniversity.edu to assist you with any questions or concerns that you have regarding international travel.

If the inspector detains you, and if it is not a serious issue, they might be able to allow you to enter the US with an I-515 form. Or, they can contact Anderson University directly. At that time the Campus Safety 864-231-2060 will contact Dr. Ann-Margaret J. Themistocleous, Director the Center for Global Engagement who is the PDSO (Primary Designated School Official for Anderson University).  We are here to help and are ready to assist you with understanding the travel regulations and F-1 status regulations.

All international students are required to file taxes each year. International students who work on campus, and even those international students who have not worked in the United States, are required to file.  While the Center for Global Engagement, cannot assist you with the completion of your tax forms, we can refer you to agencies that can help. Taxes are required each year, on or around April 15. 

The process to apply for graduation (ceremony and degree conferral) is below:

1. Apply for graduation here. Application deadlines can be found for each semester under the Important Dates section here.
2. Once your graduation audit is complete, you will receive an email stating that you are on track for graduation. 
3. If you are wanting to receive your degree, but walk in a later commencement ceremony, you must first complete the graduation application, then email graduation@andersonuniversity.edu to request. Approval is not guaranteed.
4. If you are planning for family members to attend the ceremony, please note that invitation letters are not required for visa applications and that we do not provide these letters.

Instead, you can send your graduation audit email to your family and friends who planning to attend the ceremony as documentation of your graduation semester. This can be used in place of an invitation letter if needed. (Letters of invitation are not required by the US Embassy for a tourist visa or reviewed by them for processing.)