Leave of Absence (Immigration)
Table of Contents
Before you leave
Do NOT drop classes until you have notified the immigration coordinator and the Center for Student Success of your plans. If you drop your classes before notifying them, it is a violation of your F-1 status and could have a negative impact on your ability to return to the U.S.
Please note that hiatus status is not granted automatically and is subject to certain conditions. Hiatus status allows students to keep their Calvin e-mail account and avoid the readmission process, but hiatus status is not required. Hiatus status has no effect whatsoever on visas and immigration; it is an internal status granted by the Center for Student Success. If you are interested in receiving hiatus status from Calvin, more details can be found here: https://calvin.edu/directory/policies/leave-of-absence
When you e-mail the Center for Student Success, include your name and Calvin ID number, and tell them your plans. If you have been living on campus and are leaving mid-semester or after the fall semester, be sure to e-mail housing at: housing@calvin.edu
Returning to Calvin
If you did not obtain hiatus status before leaving Calvin, you will need to go through the readmission process. After completing the readmission process and clearing financial review, you may pay your deposit. You will then receive a new I-20.
If your current visa has not expired when you return to the U.S., you may continue using it.
If your visa will expire before you return to Calvin, you will need to apply for a new one after receiving your new I-20 and paying the government’s I-901 fee.
If you are gone for only one semester, you may request that Calvin reactivate your SEVIS record. The request must be made at least two months before returning to Calvin. The decision on whether or not to reactivate your record is made by the Department of Homeland Security, and Calvin cannot guarantee that any student’s reactivation will be approved. If your record is reactivated, you will not need to pay the I-901 fee again, and you will be able to count previous semesters spent in the U.S. towards the full academic year requirement for CPT and OPT. If your record is not reactivated, you will need to pay the I-901 fee and spend a full academic year (one fall semester and one spring semester) in the U.S. before qualifying for CPT or OPT.
You may only request the reactivation of your SEVIS record if you have spent less than five months outside the U.S.
