The majority of international students attend Cornell in either F-1 or J-1 immigration status. The student's I-20/DS-2019 form is a reflection of their immigration status. It records the program information, including the student’s degree level and start and end dates (graduation date).

The program end date can be changed if the student submits a complete F-1 or J-1 extension request, and if there is a compelling academic or medical reason for the extension. When students need more time to graduate, they must submit the extension application before their program end-date. Failing to do so is a violation of immigration status and cannot be fixed easily.

The student is required to indicate an academic representative in their application; this person should be able to explain in detail (2-3 sentences) why the student needs more time in order to graduate and how many additional credits are required. Extensions are never done to accommodate optional internships, travel delays, or any other situation unrelated to academic requirements. The new program end-date is typically the last day the student is registered at Cornell and must never be later than this date. 

Yes. They are limited to 20 hours per week while enrolled in classes. Working more than 20 hours in a week—even one time—is a violation that can have serious repercussions to the student's status.

The same 20-hour limit applies over winter and summer breaks, if the student is registered. If the student is not registered over a break and will be registered in the next full semester, he or she can work more than 20 hours with no repercussions.

Please ask International Services about borderline situations.

F-1 students nearing the end of their degree programs will often want to apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT). As part of this process, Department of Homeland Security requires a representative of the student’s academic program to certify their anticipated program completion date. This date must correspond to one of the following: 

• For undergraduates: Graduation date
• For master’s students: Graduation date, thesis submission date, or (latest date possible) last day as a registered student 
• For doctoral students: Graduation date, defense date, dissertation submission date, or (latest date possible) last day as a registered student 

Students can learn more about the process, watch a video outlining the steps, and use a timeline tool to select an end date according to their academic status in step one of the F-1 OPT page. 

F-1 and J-1 students are automatically eligible to work for Cornell in an on-campus job for up to 20 hours per week while classes are in session and the student is registered. Off-campus work is treated differently by the U.S. government.

To work off campus, an eligible student must apply for and be approved for off-campus work authorization before starting a job. Before graduation, the most common off-campus work authorization for F-1 students is called Curricular Practical Training (CPT). 

CPT can only be authorized if there's a curricular requirement to work off campus - this can be satisfied in one of four ways, depending on the program and the circumstances. Your attestation certifies with the Department of Homeland Security that the work is a curricular requirement in one of the ways described in the next section below. 

Here are some questions for you and the student to address about CPT eligibility: 

• Is the work required for a particular course (e.g., independent study courses or "Internship Experience" courses)? If this option is used, the student must enroll in the course immediately following the work experience. This office will not decide what course a student should enroll in - it should be a decision made between the program representative and the student.
• Is the work required for a program (e.g., Hotel students are required to intern for 500 hours before graduation)? If this option is used, it must be a NYSED-approved requirement for all students. 
• Is the work required for an established co-op program (e.g., the Engineering co-op program)? A co-op must be an understood part of the curriculum for all students, international or domestic. There is only one co-op program at Cornell.
• Is the work required for a graduate student who needs practical experience to complete their thesis or dissertation?

If a student cannot meet one of these four requirements, they cannot do CPT.

Cornell University policy requires that all sponsored international visitors are either students or faculty/staff. When Cornell faculty and research staff wish to bring an international visitor who is a student in their home country and who does not clearly fit into a Cornell student or Cornell faculty/staff classification, International Services is happy to discuss the case and offer a preliminary recommendation to either:

• Work with the department or unit human resources contact, if a staff appointment seems most appropriate.
• Work with a graduate field assistant and/or the appropriate admissions office, if non-degree student status seems most appropriate.

Yes. All Cornell students are automatically charged for insurance on their bursar's bill. The annual cost is not included in tuition, assistantships, or fellowships.

If students are interested in family insurance, advise them to contact Student Health Benefits as soon as possible. Family members must enroll within 30 days of arrival in the United States, or they will not be eligible to enroll.