Reinstatement

Reinstatement is an option for an F-1 student who fails to maintain status and wishes to regain status without leaving the U.S. An F-1 student must be in status to be eligible for any benefits such as work permission including practical training, program extension, and adjustment of status. Depending on the circumstances of the individual's case, reinstatement may or may not be the best option. Traveling outside the U.S. and re-entering with an Initial Attendance I-20 to regain your status may be a better option. Please consult with an international student advisor.

To apply for reinstatement, the student:

1) cannot have been out of status for more than 5 months at the time of filing reinstatement (unless the student can demonstrate exceptional circumstances and he/she is filing as promptly as possible);
2) does not have a record of repeated or willful violations of USCIS regulations;
3) is currently pursuing or is intending to pursue a full course of study in the immediate future;
4) has not engaged in unauthorized employment;
5) is not deportable on any other grounds; and
6) establishes to the satisfaction of USCIS by a detailed explanation showing either that

i) the violation of status resulted from circumstances beyond the student’s control (such as serious injury or illness, closure of K-State, a natural disaster, or a mistake made by the international student advisor)
OR
ii) the violation relates to a reduction in course load that would have been in the international student advisor's power to authorize, and failure to approve reinstatement would result in extreme hardship to the student.

Make an appointment with an international student advisor at the International Student and Scholar Services office. Allow 30 minutes for this appointment. If the ISSS advisor determines that you are eligible for the reinstatement process, you will receive a checklist of documents needed in order to apply.