Reinstatement

Reinstatement is a mechanism that allows an international student that has been terminated because he or she has violated a provision of his or her F-1 student status to be placed back into F-1 student status.

The process of reinstatement MUST be done through the International Student Office. Out of status students should contact the International Student Office to set up an appointment to review the process involved in filing a reinstatement request with the local United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Office in Philadelphia.

Change of Status

If you are currently in the U.S. under another visa you will need to contact the Villanova International Student Office. Please contact Mr. Hubert Whan Tong, Foreign Student Advisor, at hubert.whantong@villanova.edu.

You should be aware that:

• Not all U.S. visa categories allow the holder to attend school
• Not all U.S. visa categories allow the holder to be employed while in the U.S.

If you are unsure if your present U.S. visa category allows either of the above activities please contact Mr. Hubert Whan Tong.

Finally, please note: If you are considering a change of status to a student visa (F-1) in order take advantage of some of the student visa provisions such as Optional Practical Training (OPT), be aware that some student visa benefits require that the student status be held for at least one (1) academic year before the benefit may be applied for in order to be valid. Therefore, change of status should be applied for early in a student’s academic career. Once again, please contact Mr. Hubert Whan Tong as soon as possible if you are considering a change of status.