F-1 Program Extension

An international student in F-1 status must always maintain accurate academic information in their SEVIS record and on their Form I-20. If you find that you will not complete your academic program requirements by the end date listed on your I-20, you must request a program extension with the Office of International Services.

Eligibility Heading link

To be eligible for an I-20 program extension, you and your academic department must establish a compelling academic reason for the delay such as a change in major field of study, research topic, or unexpected research problem. Additionally, extensions can be requested based on a documented medical reason. Delays in completing program requirements that are caused by academic probation or suspension are not acceptable reasons for an I-20 program extension. Please see the F-1 Program Extension E-Form in myOIS for a complete list of eligibility requirements.

Timing Heading link

Program Extensions should be requested during the final semester of study, ideally no later than two weeks from the end date currently listed on the I-20. It is best that you submit the request only when you know for sure that a program extension is necessary. Program extension requests that are submitted accurately and completely take a minimum of five business days to process in OIS. Unfortunately, program extensions cannot be requested after the end date currently listed on the SEVIS record and I-20.

Steps to request a program extension on your I-20 Heading link

  1. Meet with your academic advisor to review your progress in the program. During this conversation, you and your advisor will review your requirements for degree completion and determine what your new expected program completion date will be.
  2. Submit the Program Extension E-Form in myOIS. The e-form will ask you to identify the academic advisor who will confirm the reason for the delay and the new expected program completion date. The e-form will also ask you to submit evidence of funding for the length of the extension, up to one academic year. Learn more about international student funding and documentation requirements.
  3. Confirm that your academic advisor has received and submitted their supporting myOIS e-form. Your advisor can reach out to OIS directly with questions.
  4. Collect and sign your new I-20. When the program extension request is complete, OIS will contact you with options for receiving your new I-20 reflecting the new program completion date.

FAQs Heading link

Here are some frequently asked questions about the F-1 program extension process.

The amount of funding you will need to show depends on your academic program and the length of your extension request. You can refer to the F-1 funding requirements page for details on current estimated expenses by program and acceptable account types and documentation. If you have F-2 dependents, you will need to show funding to cover them as well. You can always connect with an OIS Advisor to discuss your evidence of funding requirement prior to submitting the F-1 Program Extension E-Form in myOIS. This can be especially helpful for students requesting an extension for less than one academic year or with authorize below full-time or zero credit enrollment.

The earliest you can submit an extension request is 60 days prior to the program end date currently listed on your I-20.

We strongly encourage you to submit your program extension request at minimum 30 days prior to the program end date currently listed on your I-20. The minimum OIS processing time for a complete and accurate program extension request is five business days. Please note that, in most cases, program extensions cannot be granted after the current end date listed in your SEVIS record and on your I-20. Failure to submit a timely program extension request could result in the loss of F-1 status.

You can extend your I-20 for up to 12 months from your current program end date.

The completion date is the date by which you will satisfy all the requirements of your academic program. The completion date is reflected as the program end date on your Form I-20. How you determine your completion date depends on what type of academic program you are studying.

  • Coursework completion track:  If you do not have to complete a thesis or dissertation and only need to complete coursework, the completion date should match the end date of the semester or term in which you plan to complete all required coursework for the program. Semester and term end dates are published on the UIC academic calendar.
  • Thesis/Dissertation track:  If you need to complete a thesis or dissertation, the completion date could be any of the following: defense date, date the thesis/dissertation is submitted, or date final edits are due to the Graduate College. Our advice is that if a student and academic advisor know that there will be edits needed, the expected date that the edits and final paper are due to the Graduate College should be chosen as the expected completion date.

Unfortunately, having a low GPA alone does not qualify you for an I-20 program extension. If you find that your GPA will not meet the graduation requirement for your program (e.g. you have a 2.8 GPA but a 3.0 GPA is required to graduate), please connect with an OIS Advisor as soon as possible to discuss your options.

F-1 regulations do allow students to complete their thesis or dissertation while on 12 months post-completion OPT as long as all coursework has been completed. However, many students have found it challenging to manage a full-time job while also making progress on your thesis or dissertation. Additionally, keep in mind that you must complete your thesis or dissertation in order to apply for the 24 month STEM OPT extension. The decision is yours, but OIS generally encourages students to extend the program on their I-20 in order to complete a thesis or dissertation prior to applying for OPT, if at all possible.

Connect with an OIS Advisor as soon as possible to discuss your options. The earlier you notify us, the more options you may have.