Announcements from the OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENT & SCHOLAR SERVICES (OISSS)

Optional Practical Training (OPT) Video Series

OISSS has recorded a series of videos about all things OPT! If you are graduating this May, check out the videos and mark your calendar for the first day to submit your OPT I-20 request in the Gateway portal: February 19th!

A link to the video playlist and more information on the OPT application process can be found here.

A separate video series about the STEM extension of OPT is also now available.

Reminder about Full-time Enrollment

As per federal regulations, F-1/J-1 students must be enrolled full-time each semester in primarily in-person classes. If you would like to take an online class, please be aware that only one online class counts toward your full-time enrollment requirement. If Spring 2024 is your last semester before graduation, you may be able to enroll less than full time and remain in status.

Full-time enrollment for F-1/J-1 immigration purposes for each degree level is as follows:

Bachelor’s: 3 credits (standard semester course load at Brown is four courses)

Master’s: 2 credits (standard varies by degree program (e.g. 1 year Master’s program), discipline and required courses for full-time enrollment)

Doctoral: 3 credits (standard varies by degree program, discipline and required courses for full-time enrollment)

If you have questions about your own proposed course schedule, please contact your OISSS advisor.

Keep your Address and Phone Number Updated in Banner

Report any changes to your address or phone number in Self-Service Banner within 10 days of the change. This is a regulatory requirement for F-1 and J-1 students. Detailed instructions on how to update your information in Banner can be found here.

Undergraduate students living on-campus in the residence halls: Please do not add a local address in Banner as our system is set up to receive this information automatically. However, please provide your cell phone number if you have not already done so.

Reminder: For students living off campus, please do not list your department address or your campus mail box. You are required to provide your actual U.S. residential address (local address = LO). The local address field in Banner (LO) is set up to feed information directly into the OISSS database.

Please make sure that your U.S. Phone Number (Cell Phone#) is listed in your Brown Banner record in the following format without dashes or special characters

ex. [Area Code] _ _ _ (3 digits -  e.g. 401 for Rhode Island) [Phone Number] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (7 digits)

EXAMPLE

[Area Code] 401

[Phone Number] 1234567

I-20/DS-2019 and I-94 Upload Reminder

Have you received an I-20/DS-2019 from OISSS recently? Make sure to print the I-20/DS-2019 and sign the first page by hand (do not sign electronically). Then upload a scan/photo of the signed I-20/DS-2019 to your OISSS Gateway Portal in the “Personal & Program” section and click Save. 

Your OISSS Gateway account should be a repository for your immigration documents, including all your signed I-20 and DS-2019 forms and most recent I-94 entry records. Please note that you may need to present copies of your immigration documents when applying for future U.S. immigration benefits such as work authorization, employment visas or permanent residence.

Need a printer? Find one on-campus: https://ithelp.brown.edu/kb/articles/myprint-printer-locations 

Best wishes for a wonderful semester!