Your U.S. visa and immigration status will determine obligations you have regarding any federal requirements while at Brown, and it also will help shape the advice given by the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISSS).

Make sure to check your visa and I-20 expiration date and passport expiration date, so that you can have them extended or reissued if necessary before leaving to study abroad. Please note that F-1/J-1 student visa applications can only be made at a U.S. Consulate outside the U.S.

Your visa type determines your primary purpose in the United States. An F-1 or J-1 student is required to enroll in a “full course of study” every semester to maintain status and may drop below full-time enrollment only in very specific situations after receiving approval from the OISSS.

Regulatory language for F-1/J-1 students indicates that the student should not be absent from the United States for more than five months. Additionally, students also need to maintain the full-time status registration requirement for institutions during required semesters. This impacts whether you can maintain your U.S. immigration status while participating in a study abroad program.

If you are studying abroad for a full year, it is likely your I-20/DS-2019 travel signature will have expired by the time you return to Brown. Contact Brown OISSS at oisss@brown.edu to request an updated I-20/DS-2019 be mailed to you before you re-enter the United States. 

Your program provider may impact your immigration status and ability to maintain a full course of study (Are you studying at an accredited institution? Are courses credit-bearing? How long is the program or courses?)

Where you are studying and traveling may impact your need and/or ability to acquire a visa to study in that country. International students may have additional requirements for multi-country programs or for planned side trips, either as part of the program or for personal travel. Be sure to check with your program provider to find out if program- or course-related field trips would take you out of the host country. Additionally, diplomatic relationships between your home country and the host country may affect (positively or negatively) your ability to visit that country and acquire the appropriate documentation. Make sure you have completed all the steps in the visa application process that applies to your home country. 

If you plan to work while you are abroad, be mindful of the work hours and regulations that come with your new host country’s student visa; work-related regulations for international students will differ from country to country. 

If you run into visa and passport related issues while you are abroad, the OISSS at Brown is limited in their ability to help you. While they are a great resource for entry/re-entry into the U.S., when you are abroad on your home country’s passport, it is between your home country’s diplomatic relations and your host institution to determine your ability to study, work and travel. Make sure you are aware of the Visa and Immigration Office and their contacts at your host institution (the equivalent of Brown’s OISSS) to help you while you are abroad. 

Advance planning is crucial. Many of the administrative processes take weeks and often build upon each other, so if the first step isn’t started early enough it may not be possible to complete the rest of the steps in time. Map out your courses and requirements for your concentration with your department/concentration advisor before and after you study abroad.

Brown students studying on nonimmigrant visas may seek permission to study at a two- or four-year institution in their home country and earn credit as part of their degree completion plans. To receive transfer credit, the host institution and each course must be evaluated for transfer eligibility per Brown’s transfer credit guidelines. For more information see Study Away from Brown webpage.

International students often transition into their new host country and institution more smoothly, having experienced an initial culture shock when they began their study in the U.S. Nevertheless, cultural differences exist that students may sometimes find difficult to adjust to. It can help to talk to returned students (contact information available at the Study Abroad Advising office) and peer advisors ahead of time to ask questions and to hear personal tips. 

Translating your hobbies and interests, such as music or sports, can help you find your community and to make local friends based on a shared interest. You will also find a community among visiting students at your host institution.