Frequently Asked Questions
Why don’t domestic students need a summer filing leave?
Because they are not subject to federal immigration regulations.
Do all international students need to register or be on filing leave during the summer?
- No, only international graduate students who are filing their final degree over the summer and plan to apply for OPT, or plan to remain in the U.S. for more than 60 days after the last day of spring quarter need such a status.
- If a student is filing their master’s degree over the summer, but are also a continuing doctoral student, they do not need to register or be on filing leave over the summer.
Can these students still receive a summer stipend?
Yes, as long as they were registered the preceding spring. Summer stipends are based on spring registration, so summer LOA should not negatively impact those.
Can students request the summer leave at the same time that they file? Or does it need to be done ahead of time?
They can request it ahead of time, or at the time of filing, up to September 1.
Can they still work as a Summer Sessions TA/Associate?
Yes, as long as they were registered the preceding quarter.
Would the summer filing leave prohibit a student from taking an academic year filing leave in the future?
No. For example, if an international student was registered in the spring, took a summer filing leave but wasn’t able to file by the summer deadline, they could then take a filing leave in the subsequent fall quarter.
Would we have to require a filing fee in these cases?
Yes.
Would we charge the $20 petition fee?
No.
Can we put students on a filing leave for the entire summer, or will we need to put them on leave for a particular Session?
It would be for the whole summer.
