After Calvin (Immigration)

You can transfer your SEVIS record to a graduate school and keep your F-1 status. It is okay if your visa has expired—you only need a valid visa to enter or reenter the U.S. 

If you have been accepted for an in-person graduate program at Calvin, you will automatically receive an updated I-20. Watch your inbox for questions from the immigration coordinator about your OPT and travel plans.  

Online programs do not enable you to maintain F-1 status. You may enroll in online graduate programs, but you will need to either depart the U.S. or seek a change of status. 

After graduation, international students may apply for OPT , which allows them to live and work in the U.S. for one year. Students with a qualifying STEM degree may apply for an additional two years of work authorization, giving them a total of three years.  

Other options for remaining in the U.S. may be pursued before or after OPT. The most common categories are H1-B, R-1, TN (for Canadian and Mexican citizens), and permanent residency (“green card”). It is strongly recommended that you work with an immigration attorney if you seek any of these statuses, since Calvin’s immigration office cannot guide you through the application process. See www.uscis.gov for more details.  

If you are departing the U.S. after graduation, you must leave no more than 60 days after the end  of your final semester. You may not come and go from the U.S. during the 60-day grace period. Once you depart, you no longer have F-1 status.