The Registrar's Office

As a non-US citizen, you have been issued a Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant (F-1) Student Status (I-20) form to attend Lake Superior State University. You will be required to pay a one time $200 I-901 processing fee. Below is information about payment of this fee and maintaining your F-1 Student Status. Please read this information carefully.

Foreign/Canadian students enrolled Full Time:   If you are enrolled as a full time student (at least 12 credits), make normal progress towards completion of your degree, and remain full time, you will be considered maintaining F-1 status. As long as you maintain F-1 status, your SEVIS I-20 is valid. You may enroll part-time during the summer semester.

Canadian (commuter) students dropping to Part Time during semester:   If you drop from full time to part time status during the Fall or Spring semester, a new SEVIS I-20 form will be processed for you, valid only until the end of the semester. If you plan to be full time the next semester, you will need to provide new financial information showing the ability to pay for one academic year before receiving a new initial SEVIS I-20 form for the length of the academic program. You will need to keep your original SEVIS I-20 form and bring it with you to the port of entry whenever you process a new SEVIS I-20 form.

Foreign students dropping to Part Time during semester:   Foreign students living in the US must maintain F-1 status and can NOT drop below full time status. If you feel you need to drop to part time, please contact one of the DSO’s in the Registrar’s Office. You may enroll part-time during the summer semester.

Canadian (commuter) students attending Part Time:   If you are enrolled as a part time student (less than 12 credits) you will receive a SEVIS I-20 form valid for the one semester only. You will need to pay your tuition/fees for the semester before receiving the SEVIS I-20 form. You will need to keep your original SEVIS I-20 form and bring it with you to the port of entry whenever you process a new SEVIS I-20 form.

Verifying Attendance:   As a Foreign/Canadian student, you MUST report to the Registrar’s Office within the first 15 days of each semester to verify attendance.

Certification Signature:   Page 3 of your SEVIS I-20 form contains the Certification Signature. Each signature is valid for one year. You will need to bring your SEVIS I-20 form to the Registrar’s Office each year to verify all information is correct and to receive your Certification Signature.

Changes of Major:   Before you will be able to change your major, you will need to provide financial information showing the ability to pay for one academic year for your new program. Once this information is received, your current SEVIS I-20 information will be updated and a new SEVIS I-20 form will be printed for you.

Changes in Address:   You must notify the Registrar’s Office before making any changes to your address as your SEVIS I-20 information must be updated at the same time.

Request Extension of Status for Completion of Degree (Full time Students):   Please check your program completion date (number 5 on the SEVIS I-20 form). If you will need to extend your program completion date, you must contact the Registrar’s Office at least 40 days before the expiration date. If you request an extension after your program end date, you will be considered “out of status” and must file for “reinstatement”, a process that takes approximately three months to accomplish and requires a processing fee.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has implemented a rule requiring F-1 visa applicants to pay a one-time fee of $200 to supplement the administration and maintenance costs of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). All students receiving an initial SEVIS I-20 form will be required to pay this I-901 processing fee.

This I-901 processing fee is required of all foreign students who come to the US for the purpose of pursuing a full course of study in institutions such as colleges, universities and language training programs. It is payable one time for each single educational program in which an F-1 student participates, extending from the time the student is granted F-1 status to the time the student falls out of status, changes status, or departs the US for an extended period of time.

Once the financial information requested has been received and verified, your initial SEVIS I-20 form will be completed. We will mail/give you the completed SEVIS I-20 form. To get the I-901 Fee Remittance form, please go to: http://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/index.htm. You will need to have information from your SEVIS I-20 form in order to complete the I-901 Fee Remittance form. The I-901 processing fee may be paid by internet, or by mail. It can NOT be paid at a US embassy or consulate or at a port of entry. If you pay the $200 I-901 processing fee by internet, your payment is processed immediately and, at the time of payment, you can print a receipt directly from your computer. If you mail your payment, it can take a considerable amount of time for payment to be received and for you to receive a receipt by return mail. You will need to have this receipt when you enter the US and have your Initial SEVIS I-20 form processed. The $200 I-901 processing fee is separate from and in addition to the visa application fee.

If you have previously paid the $200 I-901 processing fee and need to process a new SEVIS I-20 form, bring your new SEVIS I-20 form, the I-901 payment receipt, as well as your original SEVIS I-20 form to the port of entry. The original SEVIS I-20 form may be required for verification that the SEVIS fee has been paid.

The above information is not meant to be used as a complete guide to DHS procedures. Please contact the Registrar's Office if you have questions, or to discuss your individual circumstances.