Immigration Glossary 

SEVIS:  Visa documents are maintained in the Immigration database known as SEVIS, the Student & Exchange Visitor Information System.  ISSS is required to update each student's enrollment, address, field of study, internship and financial information as any changes occur.  This system is overseen by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) within the Department of Homeland Security.  ISSS is audited every two years to ensure our compliance with the law so that we may continue issuing visa documents for international students.

VISA STAMP vs VISA STATUS:  The visa stamp is, basically, a "ticket" issued by a U.S. consulate, giving an individual permission to request entry into the U.S. to, in our students' cases, obtain an education.  A visa stamp has a specific window of validity of anywhere from 3 months to the expiration date on the visa document (i.e. 2 or 4 years into the future).  The visa stamp can and often does expire; however, an expired visa stamp has no effect on a student's eligibility to be in the U.S.  should the student return home for a visit and the visa stamp is expired, a new visa stamp must be applied for at the local U.S. consulate.  There is no government office within the U.S. where a visa stamp can be issued.  

The visa status is F-1 or J-1, and each one has certain requirements for the students.  (most of ODU's international students are on an F-1 visa), but some are shared:

minimum required courseload in the fall and spring semesters (more information for each academic level above)	prohibition of off-campus employment without written persmission from ISSS and/or Immigration
maintenance of an address overseas to which the student will return once degree is completed	maintain "normal progress" in current program (keeping minimum grades

*continuation of "normal progress" toward the completion of the current academic program; while Immigration does not require a minimum GPA, repeated class failure would mean that the student is not making normal progress and, therefore, if an extension of the visa document is requested, it would have to be denied.

*ensuring that the student's visa document (I-20 for F-1 visa holders or DS-2019 for J-1 visa holders) does not expire

If the visa status is violated, then the student must either request the reinstatement of his/her visa or leave the U.S. and return on a new visa document.

Summary:  the visa stamp can expire with no consequences but if the visa document becomes invalid, the visa status has been violated.

Deportation:  Professors or students sometimes contact our office, fearful that they will be deported