Status Activation for Students

Welcome to Cornell!

We're happy you arrived. The next step is to activate your status.

If you are a new F-1 or J-1 student, and your I-20 or DS-2019 was issued by Cornell, you must complete the required status activation procedure on our website. Do not visit our office to activate your status. If you're studying abroad in your first semester, you do not have to activate your status now; activate your F-1 status when you begin your in-person program.

When should I activate my F-1 status with Cornell?

Immediately on arriving the US
No more than 30 days before you begin your program
No later than 15 days after the start date on your I-20 or DS-2019

What happens if I forget to activate my status?

You may lose your valid immigration status if you don’t complete the required status activation procedure on time.

1 Gather your documents and information.

I-20 (F-1) or DS-2019 (J-1) form
SEVIS fee receipt
I-94 arrival record created when you entered the United States
Local address (where you are currently living, not a P.O. box)
Cornell NetID

Your passport stamp and I-94 should show F-1 "D/S" or J-1 "D/S". D/S means duration of status - effective for as long as you maintain legal F-1 or J-1 status.