Graduation and Beyond

Delaying Graduation and Program Completion

If you have finished your degree requirements and are eligible to graduate, you must apply for graduation by Census Day of the term. If you postpone your graduation for administrative reasons such as missing the deadline to apply for graduation, this does not postpone your program completion for immigration purposes. For immigration purposes, what matters is when you complete your degree requirements, not when you receive your diploma.

What is my program completion date?

• For most bachelor’s degree candidates, the completion date is determined by the date when you complete all the courses required for your degree program and are eligible to graduate.
• For master’s degree candidates in non-thesis programs, the completion date is determined by the date when you complete all courses required for your degree program and any other program requirements, assuming the other program requirements are completed at the earliest possible date following completion of all coursework.
• For master’s degree candidates in thesis programs, the completion date is determined by the date when your thesis has been approved by the Graduate Dean and by your thesis committee.
• For doctoral degree candidates, your completion date is determined by the date when you successfully defend your dissertation or the degree conferral date for the full-term session. Only you and your academic department can determine which date will be your actual date of program completion.

F-1 and J-1 students may not postpone graduation due to:

• Poor job market, family concerns or for other reasons unrelated to the current academic degree program. These are not reasons the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will accept for delaying graduation, and you could be viewed as violating the regulations.
• Wanting to take classes that are personally interesting or important for the program of study, but that are not required to get the degree. Courses that are not required by your degree program do not allow you to postpone your graduation. Taking classes not required by your degree program which then delay graduation could be perceived by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as a violation of your F-1 or J-1 status.

USCIS Regulations on Postponing Graduation

USCIS regulations clearly state that you may only maintain status by pursuing a full course of study and by making normal progress toward completing this specific course of study. A common misconception is that a student can remain in the U.S. as long as their I-20 / DS-2019 has not yet expired. This is not true. You cannot maintain your status as an F-1 or J-1 student by simply having an unexpired I-20 or DS-2019. The completion or end date listed on your I-20 (section #5) or DS-2019 (section #3) is simply an estimate of the time it takes an average student to complete the same degree or academic program.

The following excerpts are taken from the F-1 regulations:

“. . . .If the student is not required to take any additional courses to satisfy the requirements for completion, but continues to be enrolled for administrative purposes, the student is considered to have completed the course of study and must take action to maintain status. Such action may include applying for change of status or departure from the U.S.” (8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(iii)(C))

“. . .an F-1 student is admitted for duration of status. Duration of status is defined as the time during which an F-1 student is pursuing a full course of studies at an education school approved by the Service for attendance by foreign students. . . . An F-1 student who has completed a course of study will be allowed an additional 60-day period to prepare for departure from the United States or prepare for transfer to a higher level at the same or another educational institution. . . .The student is considered to be maintaining status if he or she is making normal progress toward completing a course of study.” (8 CFR 214.2(f)(5))

Future Impacts

Some students ask the ISSO “How would USCIS know if I delayed my graduation?” USCIS might never know that you postponed your graduation even though you had completed your degree program. However, we can tell you that USCIS generally performs thorough historical reviews for applicants applying for a change of status to H-1B or an adjustment of status to U.S. permanent resident. They will ask for copies of all the I-20 / DS-2019 forms which were issued to you as well as transcripts. They will scrutinize the timing of various events.

Ultimately, it is up to you to decide if the risk of any action you take is worth the potential future consequences. USCIS holds you responsible for maintaining your F-1 or J-1 status – not the International Students and Scholars Office or your academic advisor. Be aware that if the ISSO has evidence or knowledge that you are attempting to postpone graduation or have already completed your studies, they will shorten your I-20 / DS-2019 and deny future extensions.

Planning for Graduation

Plan ahead and know your upcoming deadlines. F-1 students have a grace period of 60 days following completion of a degree program; J-1 students have a grace period of 30 days following completion of a degree program.

Once you have completed all the requirements for your current course of study or degree program, you cannot remain in the U.S. unless you choose one of the options listed below.

F-1 Students

In general, if you are maintaining your current non-immigrant status, you have the following options available during your 60-day grace period once you complete your course of study:

• Begin a new course of study  at The University of Texas at Dallas during the next available semester.
• Transfer to a new school or new program sponsor within the U.S. for the next available semester.
• Apply for F-1 Optional Practical Training in order to gain practical work experience directly related to the degree or academic program you just completed.
• Change to another visa category
• Depart the U.S.

J-1 Students

J-1 students are encouraged to meet with an ISSO advisor to discuss end of program options:

• Academic Training
• Transfer Out
• Change of Level (Pursue a higher degree at UTD)
• Change to another visa category
• Depart the U.S.

J-1 student transfers, changes of degree level, and Academic Training must be authorized prior to program completion. J-1 students with sponsors other than The University of Texas at Dallas should consult with their program sponsor.

In Your Last Semester

• Verify completion of academic requirements with your academic department.
• Prepare to end on- and off-campus employment by your program completion date. For most students, this is the degree conferral date for the semester in which they are graduating. Consult the Academic Calendar to determine what is the degree conferral for your graduating semester.  

If you are authorized for OPT, you may begin or resume employment once you have received your EAD card and the listed start date has arrived. Students following priority deadlines for graduation or graduating based on dissertation/thesis defense may consult with an ISSO advisor regarding when to end employment.

• Apply for graduation. Applying for graduation has the following potential immigration consequences:
  • Your immigration program completion date for the degree and major on your I-20 will be the degree conferral date unless you notify ISSO that you will be completing your program based on thesis/dissertation requirements. If the graduation application is for a major and/or degree that is different from what is on your I-20, please contact ISSO so that we may advise you on how
    to maintain your F-1 immigration status.
  • You may not work on-campus as an on-campus student employee, or as a TA/RA, or off-campus based on CPT authorization after your program completion date.
  • If you do not apply for OPT, your electronic SEVIS record will be shortened soon after the end of your final semester. If you are concerned that you may not graduate, or learn that you did not graduate, contact ISSO for advising immediately.
• Use the invitation letter template from the ISSO to create your own invitation letters to use in the tourist visa process if you wish to invite friends or family to come to the U.S. to attend your graduation ceremony.
• Graduating students may print their own Embassy Letter from Galaxy to invite their family to the commencement ceremonies at the end of the semester. Contact the Registrar’s Office if you need assistance.

Alumni Relations

Whether you are remaining in the U.S. or returning home, you can connect with other UT Dallas graduates. Talk to the Alumni Relations office about benefits, campus news, and ways you can contribute.

Impact of Following Priority Deadlines for Graduation

Following priority deadlines for graduation allows students who have completed all degree requirements but need more time to complete administrative requirements, such as submission of dissertation copies, to file for graduation in a future term without enrollment in that term. 

If you plan to complete your degree using priority deadlines, keep in mind that immigration regulations do not allow for F-1 and J-1 students to be unenrolled if they have not completed degree requirements. Whether or not you must enroll for your final semester with priority deadlines will depend on the date that you complete your thesis or dissertation requirements:

• If you complete all degree requirements before Census Day of your final semester, you are not required to enroll. You may, however, need to take some other action to maintain your status, such as applying for OPT or Academic Training.
• If you complete all degree requirements after Census Day of your final semester, you must still enroll for that semester to maintain your immigration status, even if you will defend prior to the degree conferral date of that semester.
  • If you will complete all degree requirements within the first 8 weeks of the semester, you are only required to enroll in the first 8 week term. However, if you find that will not complete your degree requirements until the last 8 weeks of the semester, you must enroll in full term classes or 1^st and 2^nd 8 week classes, at least up to the date of degree requirement completion.

For more information about priority deadlines in relation to the completion of your degree, contact your academic advisor. To discuss your immigration options based on your plans to graduate with priority deadlines, you may contact an ISSO Advisor.