Non-F/J International Students

Enrollment in F-1 or J-1 SEVIS Status

The U.S. government provides two visa categories for full-time academic study: F-1 and J-1. OGS must verify students’ eligibility before creating their record in the U.S. government Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). 

Students who begin study without an F-1 or J-1 immigration document but intend to gain SEVIS status for a future academic term should email newinternational@georgetown.edu to plan this transition as early as possible.

International without SEVIS Status

Beyond F-1 and J-1 visas, Georgetown allows enrollment regardless of U.S. immigration status. Many non-U.S. citizens identify as international students but do not request a SEVIS record because they hold a different status in the United States. Examples include:

  • U.S. Permanent Residents: Eligibility most often derives from family relations. F-1 and J-1 students must notify OGS to close their SEVIS record, either when (A) they plan to engage in employment inconsistent with SEVIS regulations using a status adjustment work permit, (B) they plan to depart the United States and return with advance parole, (C) they are otherwise advised by their immigration attorney to end SEVIS status, or (D) their green card is issued.
  • Nonimmigrants: Many alphabetical visa categories allow part- and full-time study as an additional activity incidental to one’s primary purpose for U.S. presence. The organization that sponsors each visa must provide guidance on permissions and restrictions regarding students’ activities in the United States. An F-1 or J-1 SEVIS record cannot be maintained simultaneously with these statuses.
  • The U.S. government provides other types of immigration benefits, protections, and relief, such as Asylum, Humanitarian Parole, Refugee Resettlement, and Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
    • TPS uniquely can be maintained alongside SEVIS status. However, readmission to the United States after travel abroad confers only one status, not both. F-1 and J-1 students who plan to engage in employment using a TPS work permit should consult an immigration attorney.
  • Undocumented students without lawful status in the United States are supported by the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access (CMEA) and other campus partners.
  • Many academic programs are not included within Georgetown’s authorization by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to support F-1 and J-1 status, because their curricular structure does not align with regulatory requirements for full-time in-person enrollment. 

Georgetown cannot advise on U.S. immigration rules outside the SEVIS framework. Students are individually responsible for knowing and upholding the conditions of their non-SEVIS status, which may require consultation with an immigration attorney. 

Students without a Georgetown F-1 or J-1 record occasionally must disclose their U.S. immigration details to other campus units for purposes such as employment eligibility verification and taxation of payments beyond tuition scholarships. This data generally is not integrated across institutional functions and must be separately collected for each use. 

Together with OGS, academic programs share responsibility for helping to implement the F-1 and J-1 regulations. Georgetown faculty and staff may reasonably provide general reminders about student visas without knowing which students are subject to the SEVIS rules.