FAQ: F1 visa to US
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***HOW MANY CREDITS DO I TAKE??
Undergraduate students must be enrolled in 12 credits. Graduate students must be enrolled in 9 credits (without an assistantship) or 6 credits (if they hold an assistantship). But all this varies with each institution. Students who will go below these limits for valid reasons must speak to an international advisor prior to enrolling in fewer than that required credits. Students who have an unauthorized reduced course load will not be able to work and may be required to apply for immigration status reinstatement.
1. What is Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)??
This is the place you would go to acquire a state drivers license.
Take essential documents like:
- Passport,
- visa documents and
- Letter from the OISS(another name for your campus international center,Office of International Students and Scholars ) to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Ofcourse official rules follow, like.. You must be a student in good standing who is full-time enrolled to obtain a letter.
2. DO I NEED AN SSN?
You can pick up an application for a social security number or most probably your international center/dept will give you a brief and take you to the SS-office.
You must complete it and present it at the social security office, along with your passport and visa documents. While it is best for everyone to apply for a social security number, only people who may work in the U.S. (F-1, J-1, H-1B, J-2 with work permission) may obtain a number.
And, yes, everybody in US gets an SSN. And yes, everybody who earns from an office has to pay taxes.
3. CAN I WORK AS AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT?
Talking about work: An international student using an F-1 or a J-1 visa can work but there are many restrictions. Eligibility to work is based on full-time student status. Working on campus is possible for a full-time student for 20 hours per week in the academic year, and 40/37.5 hours per week during school breaks(like in a summer semester).
4. DO APPLY FOR TAX RETURNS?
Well ofcourse, unless you want to loose so much in tax dollars!!
Everyone in the U.S. needs to submit some form of tax return! If you have not earned any money or received any scholarship, it’s very simple. Otherwise, it can be a bit complicated. Either way, the your international center should offer workshops each year to help international students and faculty learn a bit about their tax obligations.
