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| General F-1 FAQ |
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| Who is my International Advisor? |
| You designated International Affair advisor is listed under the Advisor section on your Student First Portal |
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| Concurrent Enrollment |
| What are the requirements for concurrent enrollment? |
| In order to maintain an active F-1 status, students must be enrolled in a full-course load of study at Westcliff University. F-1 students can take up to 3 credit course at another U.S. institution per semester, while maintaining valid visa status and enrollment at Westcliff University. Additionally, the class schedule at the other school should not affect their attendance and academic performance at Westcliff University. Students must have approval from the International Affairs office to enroll at another school while enrolled at Westcliff University. |
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| How do I request for concurrent enrollment and what is the process? |
Required Documents:
1) Submit this Concurrent Enrollment Request Form at least 2 weeks before the semester starts.
2) Upon enrollment with the other school, complete the following form - Concurrent Enrollment Documents Submission - to provide evidence of enrollment at concurrent school/institution (i.e. class schedule, class registration form, etc.) |
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| F-2 I-20 |
| Could you please provide me with the information about the F2 visa for my dependents (i.e., wife, husband, child, etc.)? |
In order to add an F-2 dependent onto your Form I-20 record, you will need to complete the following forms and provide supporting documents as listed below:
1) Complete the Request to Add F-2 Dependent I-20 Form
2) F-2 dependent passport (for at least six months)
4) Complete WU Affidavit of Support Form
5) Updated bank statement (within 3 months) covering the cost and expenses for both F1 and F2
6) Proof of family relationships: marriage certificate/ birth certificate (English translation needed) |
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| Withdrawing from Westcliff University |
| I would like to transfer out to another SEVP institution, what is the process to transfer my I-20 out? |
1) Please meet with your Student Services advisor to discuss your request to withdraw from Westcliff University and transfer out.
2) Your student services advisor will have you complete some forms including Program Withdrawal Request Form to initiate the withdrawal process. You will be prompted to upload the Acceptance Letter from the new school. NOTE: Only complete the withdrawal form if you are prepared to be immediately withdrawn from your classes and have your SEVIS status terminated upon submission. |
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| I would like to withdraw from the University (i.e., returning home, etc.), what is the process to withdraw from the University? |
1) Please meet with your Student Services Advisor (SSA) to discuss your request to withdraw from Westcliff University.
2) Your SSA will have you complete some forms first to initiate the withdrawal process.
3) Upon completion of the process with Student Services, you will have to complete the Program Withdrawal Request Form. |
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| Change of Status |
| My H1B visa was approved. What are my next steps? |
| Make sure you received the I-797A, and please upload it when you complete the Change of Status Form so that we can update your record accordingly. |
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| Travel/Vacation Request |
| I'm planning to travel internationally, what is the process? |
| Please complete this form and submit all required documents to the Student Services and IA departments at least two weeks prior to your intended departure date. |
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| F-1 Annual Vacation |
| How can I request for an annual vacation? |
F-1 students must submit an Annual Vacation Application at least 3 weeks prior to the start date of the semester. Late applications will not be accepted. Vacation approvals can only be given from the start of a given semester once per year:
Fall Semester Session 1
Spring Semester Session 3
Summer Semester Session 5
Please click on the link here: Annual Vacation Request Form
Please be sure you are logged into your Westcliff University email account when accessing the link. Only Westcliff university accounts are given permission access for the digital form. Students will be notified of when the application is open via Mailchimp. |
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| Request for Evidence (RFE) |
| I received an RFE from USCIS for my OPT or H1B. Can you please help me with some of the requests? |
| Please submit your request for assistance for the RFE using the following link: request form. Please note that this form is ONLY for documents that International Affairs can provide, some RFE requests may include materials that come from other departments. |
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| When will I get the documents? |
| It will take about 10-14 business days for processing. |
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| How can I get my other documents that the International Affairs office cannot provide me with? |
1.Student ID Card - contact administrativesupport@westcliff.edu
2.Enrollment Verification and Official Transcripts - Click here
3.Proof of Tuition/Receipts - Log into your SIS to find your receipts. Open Student Self-Service & Inquiry Form -Student Account Section for additional inquiries.
4.Syllabi and course descriptions - Log into GAP to find syllabi from your courses. If you no longer have access to any of your courses please contact your Student Services Advisor.
5.Program description can be found on our website and the university catalog
6.Copies of Form I-20 - You should have these saved in your archives (physical/electronic). We do not provide old Form I-20s to students. |
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| OPT & STEM OPT |
| How do I apply for OPT/STEM OPT? |
| IA teams holds OPT and STEM OPT workshop every 2nd Thursday of the month. Please subscribe to Mailchimp to receive registration open notification. Subscribe here: https://westcliff.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9c645668a2a1c58bc22ecbe05&id=cd360cfd34 |
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What are the OPT Application Stages?
- Stage 1: Student Request OPT Recommendation I-20 from the University (I-20 valid for 30 days).
- Stage 2: Student files application with USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services).
- Stage 3: If approved, student starts working and report employment on SEVP portal.
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| When can I apply for OPT ? |
| You can start requesting OPT Recommendation I-20 as early as 90 days before the program end date on page 1 of your I-20. To request OPT I-20, please submit the Post-Completion OPT I-20 Request and Checklist form. |
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| When can I apply for OPT ? |
| You can start requesting STEM OPT Extension Recommendation I-20 as early as 90 days before the expiration date on your EAD. To request STEM OPT I-20, please submit the 24 month STEM OPT Extension I-20 Request and STEM OPT Checklist form. |
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| Where can I find the OPT and STEM OPT Check List? |
| Please check out the OPT Checklist and STEM OPT Checklist under the Knowledge Base section. |
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| If I'm on CPT, am I eligible for OPT? |
| You can apply for CPT for a full-time position, however, students must have less than 12 months of full-time CPT throughout the duration of their program in order to maintain eligibility for OPT after graduation. |
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| What do I do if my OPT employer changes? |
| You can update your employment information through your SEVP Portal Account, but please also complete the Post-Completion OPT Employer Add Form and include your employer details so we have it on file and can update your portal accordingly. |
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| What is the maximum time to be authorized for OPT? |
| For Post-Completion OPT, it is a maximum of 1 year (specifically 364 days) that can be granted depending on USCIS processing time. However, USCIS can use their discretion to approve a different range. |
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| How do I qualify for STEM OPT? |
| To qualify, you would need to have obtained a STEM degree (or STEM concentration), participate in Post-Completion OPT, and be employed with an employer who is E-verified and the position is related to your STEM Program. |
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| What if I qualify for STEM OPT? Is this a different application I would need to do? |
| Yes, if you do qualify for STEM OPT extension, you would have to apply using another application form (you cannot apply for the STEM OPT Extension earlier than 90 days before your OPT end date). To begin the process, submit the 24 month STEM OPT Extension I-20 Request and STEM OPT Checklist form linked here (also located on the University Forms website): 24-Month STEM OPT Extension I-20 Request and STEM OPT Checklist |
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| I received an email from SEVP regarding the STEM OPT validation report. What should I do to get my report validated in SEVIS? |
| Please complete STEM OPT Validation Report together with supporting documents indicated on the form. |
| Payment Form |
| Click here to make payment to Westcliff University (i.e., Tuition, CPT, ID Card etc): https://www.westcliff.edu/payment-form/ |
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| Misc Inquiries |
| How do I subscribe for WU email newsletters? |
| Mailchimp Subscription Link. |
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| What tax forms does the school provide to students? |
| The school will provide a 1098-T form for filing purposes, which will be available to all students who have provided an SSN on their SIS account. To provide SSN, please use the Update Contact Link on the University Forms Webpage. Each year, you can request the 1098-T form on the GAP front page or notice on Student First portal when it is open |
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| How do I collect my Form 1098-T? |
| It is available for download in your SIS portal under Profile>Documents. If you have any further questions, please refer to the 1098-T section under Finanical Aid on the Student Self-Service&Inquiry Form |
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| I would like to get Social Security Number (SSN), what are the steps? |
In order to be eligible to apply for a Social Security Number (SSN), you must be employed. F-1 students who want to engage in an internship/employment opportunity must also (1) ensure the job is related to their program of study, (2) be enrolled in an internship course, and (3) apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT). CPT is work authorization for F-1 students who want to engage in an internship/employment while enrolled full-time in an accredited degree program.
Please check the Student Resource Center link and look at the Student Resource Booklet for further details regarding the SSN application process. |