International Student Services (ISS) provides immigration advising and cultural adjustment services to F-1 and J-1 visa holders.
Maintaining the F-1 Visa status
Graduate international students with an F-1 visa status must maintain a full-time academic load (minimum of 6 credits) each fall and spring semester according to federal immigration regulations. They must be enrolled in a degree seeking program to maintain status.
F-1 students can only enroll in one 3-credit online course toward their minimum credit hours during each fall and spring semester.
F-1 students are not required to maintain a full-time academic load in their final semester. If only one course is needed to complete the program of study, the course cannot be taken online.
F-1 and J-1 visa holders must contact ISS for approval and assistance with a social security card, work authorization, transfer outs, reduced course loads, early withdrawals, etc. International students must receive approval before withdrawing from courses during a semester for any reason. International students should only receive immigration advice from a Designated School Official and/or Alternate Responsible Officer.
F-2 Visa holders
F-2 visa holders can engage in study at an SEVP-certified school in the United States as long as they are enrolled in less than a full course of study.
Employment
F-1 visa holders are allowed to work on campus for a maximum of 20 hours per week while school is in session. Only during CUC approved holidays can international students work full time on campus. F-1 International students are not allowed to work off campus without prior authorization. For information on Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT), please schedule an appointment with ISS. For more information regarding employment benefits, please also refer to Study in the States: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/students/work/working-in-the-united-states
F-2 visa holders are not allowed to work on or off campus.
Health Insurance:
F-1 and J-1 International students must be enrolled in CUC’s health insurance plan during their program of study.
Contact International Student Services with any questions by emailing iss@cuchicago.edu
EDU-6015 - Seminar in Higher Education
International students pursuing a master’s degree at Concordia University Chicago are required to take EDU-6015 Seminar in Higher Education in addition to the courses required for their degree program. The Seminar is a three-credit course taken during the student’s first semester as an enrolled student. This course will serve as an introduction to the U.S.-based higher education learning environment. Students will work to develop academic language, graduate-level study skills and gain essential support with cultural and institutional acclimatization. This course may be waived it if the student earned at least sixty semester hours at a regionally accredited institution of higher learning in the United States prior to admission to their CUC graduate program, and assessed on a case-by-case basis.