Student FAQs

FAQ for Students

Below you will find answers to frequently asked questions. You can also reach OISS by phone during regular office hours (713-348-6095), send an email (oiss@rice.edu) or join our virtual & in-person walk-in advising hours (https://oiss.rice.edu/appointment). Please also see the rest of our website, as you may find the answer to your question on another page.

This page includes information on the following topics:

  • OISS Operations/Services
  • Current Students
  • Travel
  • Employment
  • New Students

OISS OPERATIONS/SERVICES

Where is the OISS office located and what are the office hours?

The Office of International Students and Scholars is located in Lovett Hall, Entrance A. While we have office spaces on all three floors, our reception desk is on the first floor.

Our service hours are 9:00AM - 4:00PM, Monday - Friday. OISS will be closed on all university holidays.

Unfortunately historic Lovett Hall is not an accessible building and does not have an elevator. If you are unable to climb stairs to enter the building, please contact us and we will be happy to meet with you at another location.

Can I make an appointment with OISS?

Yes! We are available for in-person appointments as well as remote appointments via telephone or Zoom. We currently offer a robust schedule of virtual and in-person walk-in advising hours and you can find the schedule at https://oiss.rice.edu/appointment.

How can I submit request forms, document updates, etc. to OISS?

You can submit most requests through our online submission forms. Links are listed below. OISS allows electronic signatures on all internal forms.

I asked for my OPT EAD card (or other mail) to be delivered to OISS. How will I get it?

OISS receives mail daily. You will be notified by email when any mail for you is delivered to OISS and the email will include instructions for picking up your mail or requesting mail forwarding, whichever is more convenient for you. For more information, please see https://oiss.rice.edu/getdocs.

CURRENT STUDENTS

What do I need to know about maintaining my status as an international student?

F-1 and J-1 students have a lot of requirements when it comes to maintaining immigration status. The key thing to remember is the purpose and intent of your immigration status. For example, if you are in the U.S. on an F-1 student status, your primary purpose is to study and make progress toward completing your educational objective, i.e., degree program.

We have created a helpful webpage that lists many of these requirements and we recommend that you take a moment to read through the information: https://oiss.rice.edu/maintaining-status.

Can I just take online courses from anywhere in the United States?

F-1 and J-1 students are required to enroll in in-person courses at their institution and may not count more than 3 online credits toward meeting their full-time enrollment requirement. For more information on standard F-1 and J-1 regulations, please see https://oiss.rice.edu/maintaining-status.

Will I get a new I-20 if I change my major?

Yes, any change to information indicated on your I-20 will require an updated I-20. Information that is submitted via the Office of the Registrar will automatically trigger an update to your immigration documents. You will receive your new I-20 by email once SEVIS has processed the change. Please note that these updates can take 1-2 weeks to process.

I need to drop to part-time status; do I need to do anything with OISS?

Yes, F-1 and J-1 students are required to get approval from OISS prior to dropping below hours. Please complete the Request for Reduced Course Load (RCL) form and submit to OISS. After an OISS advisor reviews your petition and it is approved, you will also need to seek the additional approval from the Office of Academic Advising (OAA) for undergraduate students or Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) for graduate students.

Please note that F-1 and J-1 students may only drop to part-time for very specific reasons, so not all petitions may be approved.

What if I choose to take a leave of absence from Rice?

Please work with your academic department/Dean of Undergraduate's Office to officially request a leave of absence. Once approved, a leave of absence requires OISS to terminate your current SEVIS record.

You would require a new initial I-20 under a new SEVIS record when you are ready to return to Rice. Please note that you would have to pay a new SEVIS fee, and your eligibility for off-campus work authorization would be affected, as you would need to complete two semesters in status before qualifying for CPT or OPT.

Please contact OISS to schedule an appointment if you would like to discuss a leave of absence further.

Do I need to update my address with OISS?

Yes, because OISS needs to report your physical address information in SEVIS. Please update your Local Address field in your ESTHER account and we will receive the information automatically.

When updating your address, pay special attention to the proper address formatting requirements:
Line 1: The street number and name – do not enter the name of your apartment complex or college, or any other information on this line
Line 2: The apartment or room number – this line can be left blank if you live in a house
City, State and Zip Code must be entered correctly.

When updating your phone number, please use the Personal Cell Phone fields and enter the area code (i.e., the first 3 digits) separately from the remaining 7 digits. Do not include any dashes or other additional characters or numerals. The International Access Code and Phone Number section must be left blank. Please see the screenshot below for an example of a correctly entered phone number.

Your permanent foreign address should be updated directly with OISS. Please send an email with your name, student ID number, and the new foreign address to oiss@rice.edu.

If you are on a visa type other than F-1 or J-1, please make sure to also update your address with USCIS within 10 days: https://www.uscis.gov/addresschange.

Screenshot of Edit Phone Number view in ESTHER.

How do I get a Social Security Number (SSN)?

Students must meet certain eligibility requirements in order to apply for an SSN. The full details and procedures can be found on the SSN webpage.

Who can help me with my taxes?

Unfortunately, we do not have any tax experts in OISS, as taxes in the U.S. is a very specialized field. However, OISS has a variety of resources to assist our international students in filing their taxes, including a discount code for a Sprintax tax preparation software. In addition, we offer annual tax workshops in the spring and a variety of other resources. Please see the Taxes webpage for more information.

Can I participate in a Study Abroad program as an international student?

Yes! Some extra consideration is required, though, so please read through the information provided at https://oiss.rice.edu/studyabroad.

What is the alien registration requirement and does it apply to me?

Effective April 11, 2025, all non-U.S. citizens who are staying in the U.S. for more than 30 days must register with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Being issued an I-94 record upon arrival counts as registration, so for most students no additional action is required!

However, any individual who turns 14 while in the U.S. must register within 30 days of their birthday, even if they were issued an I-94 upon entry. Therefore, parents and guardians of dependent children (e.g., F-2, J-2, H-4) must ensure that those children are registered within 30 days of reaching their 14th birthday.

For more information on this requirement, please see https://www.uscis.gov/alienregistration.

Individuals over the age of 18 must carry proof of registration at all times. This documentation can include:
• I-20/DS-2019 and I-94 record
• Lawful permanent resident card (“green card”)
• Employment authorization document (EAD)

If you have any questions regarding the documentation you should carry, please reach out to OISS.

Is there a U.S. government website where I can learn more about the F-1 status?

https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/students

TRAVEL

I am planning to travel abroad. What documents do I need?

Students traveling outside the U.S. need to be sure to have all their documents in order, including:

  1. I-20/DS-2019 with a valid travel signature
  2. Passport with at least 6 months validity left
  3. Valid visa stamp (except for Canadian citizens)

For more information, please see our Travel webpage.

Please note OISS cannot advise on immigration regulations of other countries. To learn what documentation you may need to enter another country, please visit that country's embassy or consulate.

Please be sure to update OISS with any new visa stamp or I-94 upon re-entry to the U.S. by uploading your updated documents at http://bit.ly/oissdocs.

How can I request a travel signature on my I-20/DS-2019 and how long it takes to receive it?

Please see https://oiss.rice.edu/travel for your options on how to request a travel signature. Generally, it takes 1-2 business days to process your request.

How long is a travel signature valid?

Travel signatures are valid for 1 year for current students and for 6 months during OPT and STEM OPT.

If you need a new travel signature, please see https://oiss.rice.edu/travel.

What if the visa in my passport has expired?

If your visa stamp has expired, you will need to apply for a new one in order to re-enter the United States. (Exception: Canadian citizens do not require visa stamps in their passports.)

EMPLOYMENT

For general questions regarding student employment, please visit https://oiss.rice.edu/studentwork.
For questions regarding CPT, please visit https://oiss.rice.edu/cpt.
For questions regarding OPT, please visit https://oiss.rice.edu/opt.
For questions regarding STEM OPT, please visit https://oiss.rice.edu/stem.

Does OISS accept electronic signatures on CPT and OPT forms?

Yes, OISS allows electronic or digital signatures on all internal forms from students, faculty advisors, and course instructors.

What happens if I get authorization for CPT but my internship gets cancelled or delayed, or the location changes?

Please let OISS know at https://bit.ly/cptupdates that your internship is cancelled/dates have changed, or there has been another update to the information, as soon as you learn about it. We may need to cancel/shorten/update your CPT authorization in SEVIS properly and in a timely manner.

Can I apply for OPT or STEM OPT from outside of the U.S.?

USCIS instructions state that you must be present in the U.S. when filing the Form I-765.

Where can I learn more about reporting requirements during OPT/STEM OPT?

We have a dedicated webpage with information about maintaining your status during OPT and STEM OPT, where we list all the reporting requirements: https://oiss.rice.edu/OPTcompliance.

I was selected in the H-1B lottery and I need a Cap Gap extension. What do I do?

If you need a cap gap I-20, you may request for one at https://bit.ly/ineedcapgap. Cap gap I-20 requests will be processed as follows:

  • If your Cap Gap extension is already reflected in SEVIS, we will issue your I-20 within one week.
  • If your Cap Gap extension is not reflected in SEVIS and your OPT does not expire within the next 2 weeks, we will continue to check SEVIS for updates, and issue your I-20 once the extension is available.
  • If your Cap Gap extension is not reflected in SEVIS and your OPT is expiring soon, we will contact you for proof of filing (e.g. USCIS Receipt Notice, delivery confirmation from FedEx, etc.) so we submit a request to SEVIS to have your cap gap extension added to your record, as necessary.

NEW STUDENTS

How do I apply to Rice University?

Undergraduates wanting to apply to Rice should visit the Admissions webpage. If you still have specific questions that cannot be found on the page above, please feel free to contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office at admission@rice.edu.

Graduate students applying to Rice will apply directly with the academic department of interest. Since each department is in charge of handling its own admissions, requirements, and deadlines, please send your questions directly to the department to which you wish to apply. A list of our graduate departments and their contact information may be found at: http://graduate.rice.edu/programsofstudy. As a general standard, Rice University does not offer conditional admission and proof of English proficiency is required for entry into Rice’s graduate programs.

What do I need to know about admissions processing?

OISS processes I-20s and DS-2019s for admitted students who request visa sponsorship from Rice. However, we are able to process immigration documents only after (1) the student’s record is created in Rice’s system, and (2) OISS received the initial admission paperwork. At that point the student will receive an invitation to the OISS Portal, where they can upload the required documents and information. Please note that the OISS Portal invitation will be sent to their non-Rice email address.

More detailed information about the process, including step by step instructions and a list of required documents for the OISS Portal, can be found on the following pages:

When are new F-1 and J-1 students allowed to enter the U.S.?

New students are typically allowed to seek entry to the U.S. no more than 30 days before their I-20 or DS-2019 start date. F-1 students can refer to the Earliest Admission Date field on the I-20 for the specific date. For F-1 students pursuing a SEVIS transfer or change of education level, this Earliest Admission Date field is blank, as they are exempt from this 30-day restriction.

Students should enter no later than the start date listed on their I-20/DS-2019 and make sure they are available to attend any and all required orientation programming. For information about the OISS international orientation, please see https://oiss.rice.edu/orientation.

I have a valid F-1 visa from a previous U.S. school. Can I use it with my Rice I-20 to enter the U.S.?

Yes, if the F-1 visa is unexpired you should be able to use the visa with your new I-20 from Rice. Please note that your entry to the U.S. is always granted at the discretion of the CBP officer at the port of entry and OISS can never guarantee it.