Planning to visit home for more than 5 months — will I lose my F-1 status? Anyone done this?
I want to take a long trip to my home country while staying enrolled online with my U.S. school. But I read the “five-month rule” says I might lose my F-1 status if I stay away too long.
Has anyone here traveled for over 5 months and returned without SEVIS issues?
What’s the safest way to do this without jeopardizing my visa?
If you’re enrolled, the best way to find out is to meet with your international advisor, they issues you permissions to travel and know about the rule and risks
Generally no. Under the “five-month rule,” F-1 students who remain outside the U.S. for over five consecutive months may lose their SEVIS status—even if enrolled online. This is especially risky for Day 1 CPT students, whose programs require regular participation.
5 months is a long time .-. if you’re supposed to be attending in-person or hybrid classes, i’m not sure how you would meet the attendance requirement being gone for 5 months…also “being enrolled online” would automatically disqualify you from f1