Academic Verifications for International Students

The Viterbi Graduate Academic Services Office works closely with the Office of International Services (OIS) to support our international students during their time at USC.

As an international F-1 or J-1 student, you may need academic advisor signatures for various OIS processes, including but not limited to:

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
Academic Training (AT)
Reduced Course Load (RCL)
Leave of Absence (LOA)
Program Extension (PE)

Viterbi Graduate Academic Services serves as academic verifiers for all F-1 and J-1 Viterbi students. Department academic advisors are not authorized to provide academic verification on Trojan International forms for international Viterbi students. Please note that our team does not issue or update I-20s nor DS-2019s - you must request authorization from OIS.

Maintaining Status

F-1 and J-1* students have requirements they must satisfy to maintain their visa status. You can review more information about these requirements on OIS's website.

*Please note that the following applies to J-1 students that are sponsored by USC. If you are sponsored by an external organization (e.g. IIE) and need academic advisor verification, please contact our team at vasems@usc.edu (MS students) or vasephd@usc.edu (PhD students) for support.

Reduced Course Load (RCL)

F-1 and J-1 students must be enrolled full-time during fall and spring semesters. Registration in summer semesters is not required unless summer is the student's first or last semester. F-1 and J-1 students who plan to be enrolled less than full-time must request a Reduced Course Load (RCL) from OIS. The deadline to submit an RCL request is the last day to add/drop a course.

Notice to PhD Students: Being enrolled less than full-time can negatively impact your funding. All PhD students requesting an RCL must email us at vasephd@usc.edu to schedule an appointment to discuss your funding while on an RCL.

Review OIS's RCL website for policies and information
Verify the number of units you are enrolling in (must be 4 or more units)
Submit your RCL form on Trojan International. For the advisor name, list "VGASP," and for the advisor email list "vasems@usc.edu" for MS students or "vasephd@usc.edu" for PhD students.
Once our team processes your request, it will be forwarded to OIS for final approval and authorization

Processing Time: RCLs are typically processed within 3 business days. Processing time may be extended during peak processing time, which is considered the first three weeks of the semester. To mitigate delays, please ensure you are enrolled in the number of units you are requesting on your RCL.

Review OIS's RCL website for policies and information
Verify the number of units you are enrolling in (must be 4 or more units)
Submit your RCL form on Trojan International. For the advisor name, list "VGASP," and for the advisor email list "vasems@usc.edu" for MS students or "vasephd@usc.edu" for PhD students.
Once our team processes your request, it will be forwarded to OIS for final approval and authorization

Processing Time: RCLs are typically processed within 3 business days. Processing time may be extended during peak processing time, which is considered the first three weeks of the semester. To mitigate delays, please ensure you are enrolled in the number of units you are requesting on your RCL.

Leave of Absence (LOA) for OIS

A leave of absence (LOA) is a temporary break from your academic degree program with no enrollment in courses. The OIS LOA form is required for F-1 and J-1 international students to update their SEVIS Record. International students who are considering requesting an OIS LOA form should meet with a VASE advisor to discuss their plans. Students should submit their OIS LOA form by the first day of the semester.

A leave of absence (LOA) is a temporary break from the university. International students who need to go on leave need to have both of the following:

Academic LOA: This LOA is purely for academic purposes to ensure that your degree program remains active. An academic LOA request is submitted on myViterbi
Immigration LOA: This LOA is purely for immigration purposes to ensure your SEVIS Record is updated properly. An immigration LOA request is submitted on Trojan International

It is important to review OIS's LOA website to understand the policies and eligibility requirements for an OIS LOA form. Students who are considering submitting an OIS LOA form are highly recommended to meet with our team to discuss your plans.

Discuss with your department advisor to understand how an LOA will impact your academic plan
Schedule an appointment with a VASE advisor to discuss your LOA
Review OIS's LOA website for policies and eligibility requirements
Submit the LOA form on Trojan International. For the advisor name, list "VGASP," and for the advisor email list "vasems@usc.edu" for MS students or "vasephd@usc.edu" for PhD students
Submit an LOA form on myViterbi for academic purposes
Once our team processes your request, it will be forwarded to OIS for final approval and authorization
You will receive an email from OIS confirming your LOA has been processed

Processing Time: LOAs for OIS are typically processed within 2-3 business days. Please ensure that you give yourself ample time to complete this process before the first day of the semester.

Program Extension (PE)

F-1 students are given a specific period of time to complete the academic program requirements (please refer to your program end date on your I-20). Students who are unable to meet the academic program requirements by that date must submit a program extension request before their program end date. If your I-20 expiration date has passed, please contact an OIS advisor immediately.

It is important to review OIS's PE website to understand the policies and eligibility requirements for a PE.

Eligibility Criteria:

The expiration date of the I-20 has not yet passed
Continuously maintained the F-1 student status
Must have sufficient funds to cover the additional time needed to complete program requirements, which includes tuition and living expenses of $1000 per month
The delay in completion of the program must be due to one of the following reasons:
- Medical reasons (must have required medical documentation signed by MD, DO, or licensed clinical psychologist)
- Change of major
- Change in a research topic
- Unexpected research problems
- Other compelling academic reasons- academic advisor must specify in detail.

If none of these reasons apply, please contact the Office of International Services to consult with an advisor.

NOTE:

Program extensions may affect future CPT eligibility. Please consult with an advisor at OIS.
PhD students applying for a third program extension must submit a letter from their advisors confirming academic progress and time to graduation along with proof of funding.

Please note that students must submit their Program Extension Request no later than one month before their I-20 expiration date.

Review OIS's PE website for policies and eligibility requirements
Submit your Academic Verification Form (AVF) for Program Extension request in https://myviterbi.usc.edu/
- Notice to PhD Students: PhD students applying for a third program extension must submit a letter from their advisors confirming academic progress, time to graduation, and proof of funding
Once your PE AVF request is processed, download your AVF PDF
Upload your AVF PDF to OIS's Program Extension I-20 Request for Viterbi Graduate Students

Processing Time: Our team will begin reviewing AVF requests after the add/drop date of the semester. Please allow 5-7 business days for your request to be processed.

Your AVF is not authorization for a program extension. You need to request PE I-20 from OIS to extend your I-20.

Progressive Degree Program I-20 (PDP I-20)

The Progressive Degree Program (PDP) I-20 is a type of program extension for PDP students to request an extension of their I-20. If your I-20 expiration date has passed, please contact an OIS advisor immediately.

It is important to review OIS's PE website to understand the policies and eligibility requirements for a PE.

Students admitted into a Progressive Degree Program (PDP) must apply for a Progressive Degree Program I-20 Request during the final semester of the bachelor’s degree portion of their studies. The student’s I-20 will be updated to reflect the master’s degree. If needed, the I-20 program end date will also be extended to allow enough time to complete the master’s degree curriculum.

Students should ensure they have been admitted and will be pursuing a Progressive Degree Program before submitting the Progressive Degree Program I-20 Request to OIS. Students should refrain from switching back and forth between their PDP and stand-alone bachelor’s degree as this is an extremely time sensitive matter that could ultimately affect their immigration status, including OPT eligibility.

Please note that students should submit their PDP I-20 Request during the final semester of the Bachelor's degree portion of their studies.

1. Review OIS's PE website for policies and eligibility requirements
2. Verify that your undergraduate and graduate information is accurately reflected on your STARS Report, especially your expected graduation dates
3. Submit the Progressive Degree Program I-20 Request Form. For the advisor name, list "VGASP," and for the advisor email list "vasems@usc.edu"
4. Once our team processes your request, it will be forwarded to OIS for final approval and authorization

Processing Time: Please allow 3-4 business days to process your request.

F-1 Work Authorization

F-1 students must have OIS approval for work authorization to participate in off-campus employment. Working without authorization is considered a serious violation of F-1 status. There are two types of work authorization F-1 students can request: Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT). Please review the information below to request academic verification for each type.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

CPT is a type of work authorization for eligible F-1 students to participate in paid off-campus employment before graduation. Participating in CPT should not prevent a student from making reasonable progress towards their degree.

Please review OIS's CPT website for information and eligibility requirements for CPT. CPT is issued on a semester-basis; you will need to request CPT for each semester that you wish to do CPT.

In order to participate in CPT, students must be enrolled in an internship course - this is a requirement to be eligible for CPT. Please review the Internship Course website for information on how to request an internship course.

Viterbi Graduate Academic Services & Programs (VGASP) partners with Viterbi Career Connections (VCC) to review your eligibility for an internship course. Please review the websites for the eligibility requirements and steps for an Internship Course Request (ICR).

MS Students: Internship Courses for MS Students

PhD Students: Internship Courses for PhD Students

Review the Internship Course Request (ICR) website for policies and eligibility requirements
1. MS Students: Internship Courses for MS Students
2. PhD Students: Internship Courses for PhD Students
Submit your Internship Course Request (ICR) on https://myviterbi.usc.edu/
VGASP processes your request - it is forwarded to VCC for review
VCC processes your request and issues ENGR course D-clearance
Enroll in the ENGR internship course you received D-clearance for
Return to https://myviterbi.usc.edu/ >> Internship Course Request and download your CPT PDF
Upload your CPT PDF to OIS's CPT I-20 Request (Viterbi Students) form

Processing Time: Please allow 4-6 business days for our teams to process your request. You can review the status of your request on myviterbi.usc.edu.

Once your ICR has been approved, please contact OIS if you have additional questions about requesting CPT I-20. Your ICR is not authorization for CPT - you need to request CPT I-20 from OIS.

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

OPT is a type of work authorization that allows eligible F-1 students to gain employment experience in their field of study for 12 months. OPT is approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Notice to MS Students: You must have an approved Application to Graduate in myViterbi in order to submit an OPT GVF requests. PhD students do not have an Application to Graduate.

Review OIS's OPT website for policies and eligibility requirements
Submit your Optional Practical Training Graduate Verification Form (OPT GVF) request in myviterbi.usc.edu
Once your request is processed, please download your OPT GVF PDF
Upload your OPT GVF PDF to the OIS's OPT I-20 Request for Viterbi Graduate Students

Processing Time: Please allow 3-4 business days for processing. You can review the status of your request on myviterbi.usc.edu.

Once your GVF has been approved, please contact OIS if you have additional questions about requesting OPT I-20. Your GVF is not authorization for OPT - you need to request OPT I-20 from OIS.

J-1 Academic Verifications

The following information applies to J-1 students that are sponsored by USC. If you are sponsored by an external organization (e.g. IIE) and need academic advisor verification, please contact our team at vasems@usc.edu (MS students) or vasephd@usc.edu (PhD students) for support.

Academic Training (AT)

Academic Training (AT) is a work authorization given to J-1 students that allows them to gain practical experience related to the field of study listed on their DS-2019. If you are a J-1 student that is not sponsored by USC (e.g. IIE), your Academic Training request should be submitted directly to your sponsor - please contact your sponsor for support.

Review OIS's AT website for eligibility requirements, policies, and important dates
Determine if you are applying for Pre-Completion AT or Post-Completion AT
Submit your J-1 Student Employment Request Form. For the advisor name, list "VGASP," and for the advisor email list "vasems@usc.edu" for MS students or "vasephd@usc.edu" for PhD students
Once our team processes your request, it will be forwarded to OIS for final approval and authorization

Processing Time: Please allow 2-3 business days for our team to process your request. Please contact OIS if you have additional questions about applying for AT.

Program Extension (PE)

J-1 students are given a specific period of time to complete the academic program requirements (please refer to your program end date on your DS-2019). Students who are unable to meet the academic program requirements by that date must submit a program extension request before their program end date. If you are a J-1 student that is not sponsored by USC (e.g. IIE), your Program Extension request should be submitted directly to your sponsor - please contact your sponsor for support.

It is important to review OIS's PE website to understand the policies and eligibility requirements for a PE.

Eligibility Criteria:

The expiration date of the DS-2019 has not yet passed
Continuously maintained the J-1 student status
Must have sufficient funds to cover the additional time needed to complete program requirements, which includes tuition and living expenses of $1000 per month
The delay in completion of the program must be due to one of the following reasons:
- Medical reasons (must have required medical documentation signed by MD, DO, or licensed clinical psychologist)
- Change of major
- Change in a research topic
- Unexpected research problems
- Other compelling academic reasons- academic advisor must specify in detail.

If none of these reasons apply, please contact the Office of International Services to consult with an advisor.

NOTE:

PhD students applying for a third program extension must submit a letter from their advisors confirming academic progress and time to graduation along with proof of funding.

Please note that students should submit their Program Extension Request no later than one month before their DS-2019 expiration date.

Review OIS's PE website for policies and eligibility requirements
Submit the Program Extension Form. For the advisor name, list "VGASP," and for the advisor email list "vasems@usc.edu" for MS students or "vasephd@usc.edu" for PhD students
Once our team processes your request, it will be forwarded to OIS for final approval and authorization

Processing Time: Please allow 5-7 business days for our team to process your request.

Resources

Office of International Services (OIS)
Click here to connect with an OIS advisor. They offer weekly drop-in advising.

Viterbi Graduate Advising
Click here to connect with a VGASP advisor. We offer drop-in advising and one-on-one appointments.

Viterbi Graduate Learning
Throughout the academic year, we offer workshops about academic verifications. Click here to see what workshops are offered.

Connect with Us!

Our team is happy to connect with you - please email our team if you have any questions.

MS Students: vasems@usc.edu

PhD Students: vasephd@usc.edu