Withdrawal or Leave of Absence

It is important to remember that as an F-1 student, you have an official immigration record which has specific enrollment requirements mandated by federal law. During the first 30 days of each semester, the International Center is required to report on the enrollment of each F-1 student via the SEVIS system. If you intend to enroll for less than full-time, or need to take a leave of absence, this has an effect on your F-1 record. (During the semester you are not permitted to drop or add courses or withdraw from FSU without permission from the International Center. We must sign off on all schedule changes or withdrawals after the drop/add period.)  Simply informing your academic department of your intentions does NOT take care of your immigration obligations.

If you are considering withdrawing from FSU or taking a leave of absence, please contact your IC advisor as soon as possible to discuss the immigration issues. Sometimes circumstances in your academic or personal life may prevail over your academic pursuits so that you need to stop schooling before you complete your program. In order to appropriately "end" your SEVIS record, your IC adviser will need to speak with you about your plans so that he or she can provide you with the appropriate advice for your specific situation.

If your academic or personal difficulties are due to a more serious situation, such as a mental or physical health problem, you may be eligible for an authorized reduction in course load. Please talk to an International Center advisor as soon as possible for more information.