Change of Visa Status

To change your status to F-1, you can either:

Travel to obtain F-1 status
Change your status while remaining in the U.S.  

F-1 students are required to carry health insurance. 

Travel to Obtain F-1 Status

Traveling to obtain a new visa and then returning to the U.S. is the quickest method in getting a new immigration status, following these steps: 

Obtain an initial I-20 after being admitted to a degree program at Penn State:
As a newly admitted student, you will work with Pre-Arrival Advising (email: international@psu.edu) to obtain your I-20.
Current students: Submit the Change of Status form in iStart, along with a financial guarantee, to obtain a new I-20. Your request will be assigned to an International Student Adviser (ISA) who will issue the new I-20.
Pay the I-901 (SEVIS) fee.
Apply for an F-1 visa at a U.S. embassy outside of the U.S. 
Note: Part of this process is the completion of the visa application (DS-160) and printing the DS-160 receipt.
Enter the U.S. with your F-1 documents.
Return to iStart and complete Immigration Check-In promptly upon arriving in the U.S. 
Note: Through this final step, you provide ISSA with the information we need to fully activate your initial F-1 status. 

Note: You must follow the requirements for your F-1 immigration status. Please be aware of what those requirements are.  

Resources: 

U.S. Department of State: Student visa overview
Applying for the visa – Education USA website
Applying for a visa to travel to the U.S.
Online DS-160 visa application

Change Your Status While Remaining in the U.S.

This option may take longer and has many important details you will need to remember: 

You cannot change your status within the United States if you:
Are currently in C, D, K, or M status.
Entered the U.S. under the Visa-Waiver Pilot Program (WT or WB).
Are currently in J-1 or J-2 status and you are subject to the two-year home-country physical presence requirement.
Are currently in B-1 or B-2 (visitor) status.
USCIS will generally not approve a change of status more than 30 days before the beginning of the program of study.
If you leave the U.S. while the application is pending, USCIS will consider it an abandoned application and deny it.
Your current status must be valid at the time of the application. 
Contact us if a different start date of your I-20 deferral is needed during the application process.   

Given the difficulty a change of status may pose in some situations, you should consult an immigration attorney. We can provide a list of immigration attorneys upon request. 

Note: Because our office will not be notified of the change of status approval, you must inform ISSA of the approval or denial. 

Application Process for Non-travel Option 

Remain in the United States while applying for the visa.
Obtain an initial I-20 after being admitted to a Penn State degree program:
Newly admitted students will work with Pre-Arrival Advising for the I-20.
Current students need to submit the Change of Status form in iStart, along with a financial guarantee, to obtain a new I-20. Your request will be assigned to an International Student Adviser (ISA) who will issue the new I-20.
Complete U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) form I-539, the application to extend/change non-immigrant status and submit it with the required documents and fee.
Return to iStart and complete Immigration Check-In promptly upon approval of new status. 
Note: Via this final step, you provide our office with the information we need to fully activate your initial F-1 status. 

Resources: 

USCIS information about changing to F-1 status
Form I-539 checklist of required documents
Instructions for completing form I-539
File Form I-539 online through USCIS

J-1 Change of Status 

If you are changing from any visa category, F-1 included, to the J-1 international student visa category, there are two steps you need to follow: 

Submit the Change of Status form in iStart.
As a current student, meet with your assigned ISA. 

J-1 students are required to carry health insurance. 

A change of status to J-1 requires a petition to and approval from the U.S. Department of State, along with financial sponsorship from a government, business, university, or other sponsor. 

Note:  Upon approval of the change of status, return to iStart and complete Immigration Check-In. 

With this final step, you provide our office with the information we need to fully activate your initial J-1 status.