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Office of International Engagement

Reporting Changes

F-1/J-1 students are required to report changes in their personal and academic information to ISSS.

Changes in your Contact Information

F-1/J-1 students must notify ISSS within 10 days of any change in address. Current students should notify ISSS by updating the corresponding address in their MyIllinoisState account (see Address section below). You must update the correct field in order for your information to be updated correctly in SEVIS. Please see the IT Help article on How to Update Your Personal Contact Information for general information on this section of your My account.

Students on OPT: Please visit here for full details on how to report contact information and employment changes while on OPT/STEM.

Students on STEM Extension: Please visit here for full details on how to report contact information and employment changes while on STEM Extension

  • Phone

MyIllinoisState Phone Type How to Update
International
  • This should be the phone number in your home country.
  • This phone type; MUST HAVE a country code entered in the Country field.
  • This phone type will automatically update the Non-US Phone Country Code and Non-US Phone Number fields in your ISSS Portal and be sent to SEVIS.
Mobile
  • This should be your U.S. phone number.
  • This phone type should not have a country code.
  • This phone type will automatically update the Phone Number field in your ISSS Portal and be sent to SEVIS.
  • If your mobile phone is a foreign phone number (with a country code) and you do not have a U.S. phone number, then you should enter your mobile phone as both the Mobile and International phone types in your My account.
  • Address

MyIllinoisState Address Type How to Update
Campus
  • If you live on campus (in student housing) this address type in your My account should reflect where you are currently living.
  • This address will automatically update the U.S. Physical Address in your ISSS Portal and be sent to SEVIS.
  • If you find any errors, you should contact University Housing Services.
Local
  • If you live off campus , you must add/update this specific address type in your My account to show where you are currently living in the U.S.
  • This address will automatically update the U.S. Physical Address in your ISSS Portal and be sent to SEVIS
  • All current students can update their Local address type by editing it in their My account.
Mailing
  • This address type does not automatically update in your ISSS Portal and is not sent to SEVIS.
  • You only need to report a Mailing address to ISSS if you cannot receive mail where you physically live.
  • Notify ISSS by emailing internationalstudents@IllinoisState.edu with your Mailing address and confirmation that you cannot receive mail at the adddress where you physically live. ISSS will manually update your SEVIS record with your Mailing address.
International
  • This address type should be your address in your home country
  • This address will automatically update the Foreign Address in your ISSS Portal and be sent to SEVIS.
  • Students do not have access to update this address in their My account. If you need to update this address, please email internationalstudents@IllinoisState.edu and ISSS will update your International address.

Changes in your Academic Program

  • Changing majors/minors
F-1/J-1 undergraduate students who change majors or add a minor will automatically have their SEVIS record updated with the new information once it has been updated in their university account.
  • Starting a new degree program

F-1/J-1 students should update ISSS with any changes to degree program by completing the appropriate form.

Discontinuing One Degree and Starting Another

If you are a graduate student and are discontinuing your current degree program (i.e. you will NOT graduate from the program and will no longer pursue that degree) and starting a new degree program, you should submit an Academic Update Request in the ISSS Portal.

Changing Degree Levels

If you are going to complete your current degree program and begin a new degree at another level, you should submit a Change of Level Request in the ISSS Portal. For example, if you are changing from Bachelor's to Master's or Master's to Phd. Please refer to our Change of Level page for more information about how to submit this request.

Starting Another Degree at the Same Level

If you are going to complete your current degree program and begin a new degree at the same level, you should submit a Change of Level Request in the ISSS Portal. For example, if you are changing from a Master's in Business Administration to a Master's in Technology. Please refer to our Change of Level page for more information about how to submit this request.

  • Progressing from Pathway to Degree

If you are a Pathway student and will progress from your pathway program into your degree program, you should submit a Change of Level Request in the ISSS Portal. Please refer to our Change of Level page for more information about how to submit this request. You will be notified via email that you must also attend a Progression Orientation meeting. During the meeting, ISSS will explain the Change of Level process and how to submit the request.

  • Extending your Program

F-1/J-1 students who will not complete their program by the program end date listed on their I-20/DS-2019 can request to extend. If you will not complete your program by the end date listed on your I-20/DS-2019, please visit the Extending Your Stay page for further details.

  • Leaving before completing your program

F-1/J-1 students should always notify ISSS before discontinuing their program or withdrawing from the University. Please meet with your ISSS Advisor, if you will be withdrawing from the University or leaving before completing your degree.

F-1 students who will be taking a leave of absence or withdrawing from the University will need to submit a Record Termination Request in the ISSS Portal. You should submit this form and have your SEVIS record terminated you withdraw/drop your classes. Besides notifying ISSS, you should also contact your Academic Advisor and the University Registrar.

  • Returning from leave

International students who were previously enrolled and are returning to ISU to complete their degree program after an absence should visit our Returning Students page for full details on how to receive your new I-20 document prior to your return.

  • Transferring to another school

F-1/J-1 students who will transfer to another US institution should visit the SEVIS Transfers page for further details. It may be possible for you to transfer your SEVIS record to the new institution.

  • Completing your program

F-1/J-1 students who have applied for graduation should update ISSS by submitting a Graduation Form. After graduation, you have several options. Please visit the Completing Your Program page for details.

Updating Your Immigration Documents

F-1/J-1 students should provide ISSS with their most updated immigration documents for both themselves as well as any F-2/J-2 dependents.

The current immigration documents ISSS has on file for you can be found in the Personal & Program tab of your ISSS Portal account.

To update your immigration documents, please log in to the ISSS Portal and upload your new documents in the corresponding upload field on your Personal and Program tab (Passport, Visa, and I-94). If you have F-2/J-2 dependents, there will be fields corresponding to each dependent where you can upload their doucments, as well as a toggle to indicate whether they have arrived in the U.S.

Common reasons for updating your immigration documents include:
- You have renewed your passport
- You have renewed your visa
- You have traveled and re-entered the U.S. (new I-94 issued upon each arrival)
- Your F-2/J-2 dependents have arrived in the U.S.

Changes in Your Finances

F-1/J-1 students who need to update the finances listed on their I-20/DS-2019 should submit a Financial Information Update in the ISSS Portal. As part of the request, you must provide proof that you can pay for yourself and any dependent(s) for the remainder of your program or at least one academic year (whichever is shorter).

Life Event Changes

  • Adding Dependents

F-1/J-1 students wishing to add a spouse or child to their record as an F-2/J-2 dependent, should submit an Add Dependent Request in the ISSS Portal.

  • Changing Your Name

F-1/J-1 students who have changed their legal name must first update their passport to reflect the name change. Once you have updated your passport, submit a Name Change Request in the ISSS Portal to have your SEVIS record updated and a new I-20/DS-2019 printed.

Besides updating your name on your passport and I-20/DS-2019, you may also need to update your new legal name with various government agencies and institutions like the Social Security Agency and the Department of Motor Vehicles, your U.S. bank and the postal service. This can be a vary complex process. One online resource for updating this information in the state of Illinois is https://newlastname.org/il-illinois/.

If you have any pending requests with USCIS, you should also consult with an Immigration Attorney about your name change or contact USCIS Customer Service for guidance.

  • Changing Status

If you were previously F-1 and have changed your status prior to completing your degree program, you will need to submit a Record Termination Request in the ISSS Portal. You will upload proof of your new status to the request:

  • New non-immigrant status - provide new visa stamp in passport and I-94 arrival record or USCIS Approval Notice
  • PR-pending - provide USCIS Receipt Notice and EAD card (if applicable)
  • Permanent Resident - provide PR card (aka "green card")
  • Lost Documents

Lost Passport:

If you have lost your passport or believe it was stolen, then you should file a police report with the police that have jurisdiction over the area where you think the loss/theft occurred. You will need to apply for a replacement passport through your home country's embassy or consulate located in the US. Some embassies will require a police report be filed prior to issuing a new passport. Once you have been re-issued your passport, please provide ISSS with a copy.

Lost Visa:

You cannot apply for a new visa from within the US. Therefore, you will need to apply for a new F-1/J-1 visa the next time you decide to travel internationally. You will not be allowed entry back into the United States as an F-1/J-1 until you have received your new visa. Once you have been issued your new F-1/J-1 visa, please provide ISSS with a copy.

  • Other Life Events

F-1/J-1 students who are experiencing other life events that may impact their visa status should visit ISSS during walk-in hours. Examples of such life events include:

  • You have a serious medical condition that may impact your ability to pursue your degree program
  • Any other change you think may impact your status