F1 with reduced course load, how long can she travel overseas?

[bika]

Hi,

F1 student was excused from attending spring and summer 2009 semesters due to pregnancy issues, her last day of school was end of Jan 2009 and is scheduled to go back to school for fall 2009.

My questions:
- If she can't make it in fall and want to travel overseas, can she do that and how long can that trip be?

- Can she have another reduced course load for taking care of the newborn baby, is that a valid reason?

Appreciate your help

 

[GCman2005]

1. be cautious in usa when you have F1 visa, when you come in USA and the officer sees you pregnant, he can deny you entry because you gonna have a child on american soil and therefore, he ll be a citizen.

2. the F1 visa= full time course, I dont know the answer. talk to the same person who was able to get reduced course load.

 

[HKAndy]

Hi,

My questions:
- If she can't make it in fall and want to travel overseas, can she do that and how long can that trip be?

If the program allows her to defer, she should be allowed to do that. An alternative is to study abroad and transfer the credits. She needs to check with the department she is in AND the international students office (DSO) to notify them she will be absent from school before she makes arrangement to travel. If not, she risks losing her F1 terminated when she does not register in fall.

- Can she have another reduced course load for taking care of the newborn baby, is that a valid reason?

Appreciate your help

I don't think she can get another reduced courseload for taking care of her baby. Normally, reduced courseload is available for either medical reason (like delivering a baby, not taking care of a newborn) or academic reason (for example, needing only one class to fulfill graduation requirement at the last semester).

So if she has to take time off to take care of the baby, she should ask about deferral or leave of absence. Remember she needs to make sure her program / department is ok with it, then go to the international office to make sure immigration regulations are complied with.

Also, if she is not actively going to school, she will have to leave the US to care for her baby back home. In other words, she can't remain in the US if she is not going to school.

These are my opinion, please tell her to consult with her school DSO to make sure her F1 status is ok. Afterall, her DSO is her sponsor.