International Students and Scholars

How to get your Ohio Driver’s License for those who have never had a driver’s license:

1. Make sure that you are in active status in SEVIS by checking with the Center for Global Education.
2. Wait ten days from when you arrive in the US and two days when you started being in active status in SEVIS.
3. Provide proper documentation to prove your birthday and SSN (if you have one).
4. Bring proof of residency, your passport, I-94, and I-20. You can look at the list of acceptable documents here.
5. Take the written exam and vision screening (no need for an appointment).
   • The test has 40 multiple choice questions and you have to get a 75% to pass
   • The written test will cover information including: Rules of the road, traffic signs and what they mean, motor vehicle laws, and highway warnings
6. Purchase a temporary permit package ($22).
7. Take the driving and maneuverability test. You’ll need to make an appointment two weeks prior to the test, which you can do here. You can also contact your local BMV to schedule an appointment.
8. Pay for your new Ohio license, which is around $20.

How to get your Ohio driver’s license for those who have a current foreign driver’s license:

1. Present foreign license.
2. Bring proof of Social Security Number if applicable, as well as your proof of residency. You can look at the list of acceptable documents here.
3. Take the written exam and vision screening. This does not require an appointment.
   • The test has 40 multiple choice questions and you have to get a 75% to pass
   • The written test will cover information including: Rules of the road, traffic signs and what they mean, motor vehicle laws, and highway warnings
4. Take the driving and maneuverability test. You’ll need to make an appointment two weeks prior to the test, which you can do here. You can also contact your local BMV to schedule an appointment.
5. (You may need to purchase a temporary permit package ($22) depending on where your foreign license it from)

How to get an Ohio state ID:

Note: A person may not have both an Ohio state ID and an Ohio driver’s license at the same time

The Ohio BMV issues non-U.S. citizens identification cards (non-renewable/non-transferable) with an expiration date based on the documents from USCIS.

Apply in person at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).

1. Apply in person at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).
   • Bring: most current Form I-20, copy of I-94, current passport with F-1 visa, and the fee of $8.50

F-1 student must complete the below steps to be employed on campus but need not seek further authorization from Center for Global Education for on-campus work. F-1 students may work on-campus part-time (20 hours or less) while class is in session and full-time (21 hour or more) during any breaks including summer break.

1. Receive an on-campus employment offer. Job openings can be found on Handshake.
2. After you receive an employment offer, you will receive documents that JCU will need from you before you start working. You will receive the following documents:
   • W-4 form
   • Employment Eligibility Form
   • Direct Deposit Authorization Form
   • Student Employment Application
   • Foreign National Information Form
3. Visit The Center for Global Education to get a Work Authorization letter and to schedule a time to visit the Social Security office. Allow two hours for your Social Security trip.
4. Have your on-campus employer complete the Work Authorization letter.
5. Bring the following documents to your appointment with Social Security:
   • Passport with visa
   • I-20
   • I-94 – print the version that has all your entries into the US for the past three years
   • Completed Social Security Application
   • Completed Work Authorization letter issued by the Center for Global Education and completed by your on-campus employer
6. After your Social Security interview, you will be given a letter and told how long it will take for your card to arrive in the mail.
7. Return the five employment documents you received to Human Resources for summer employment or Student Enrollment and Financial Services for employment during the academic year. Also bring with you:
   • Passport with visa
   • I-20
   • I-94
   • Letter from Social Security Office
8. Once you receive your Social Security card in the mail, you must provide it to Human Resources for summer employment or Student Enrollment and Financial Services for employment during the academic year. You may not begin to work until you have received your Social Security card and provided a copy of it to the University.

Passport Renewal

You should keep your passport valid at all times. Your passport is your own government’s permit for you to leave and re-enter your own country. Most passports contain an expiration date. Consult your own consulate or embassy in the U.S. to renew your passport. Passports must have a minimum of 6 months validity to reenter the U.S.

COVID-19 update: Since the pandemic, there have been delays in passport renewal services around the world. Make sure to provide Global Education with proof that you have requested passport renewal before your passport expires. Please email global@jcu.edu proof that you have requested a renewal of your passport from your country's embassy in the U.S.

F-1 Visa Renewal

Degree-seeking international students in the U.S. are generally admitted under the F-1 student visa classification. International exchange students are generally admitted on J-1 sponsored student visa. Those who petition for F-1 or J-1 visas are admitted as a non-immigrants, and are granted temporary stays in the U.S.  In order to apply for the F-1 visa, the prospective student must receive a SEVIS I-20.

When to renew your F-1 visa?

Please note that under current USCIS regulations, you may remain in the U.S. with an expired F-1 visa, as long, as your I-20 is valid and you are maintaining your student status (enrolled full-time).

Your F-1 visa needs to be valid for entry to the U.S. but can expire during your enrollment at John Carroll if you stay in the U.S. If you are studying full-time at John Carroll with a valid F-1 status, you do NOT need to renew your F-1 visa while you are in the U.S. You only need to renew your F-1 visa if you plan to travel outside of the U.S. and return to the U.S. to study. If your F-1 visa expires before you travel outside of the U.S., you will need to apply for a new visa to re-enter the U.S. We strongly recommend that you renew your F-1 visa before completing your degree program as it will be very difficult to apply for a student visa once you have completed your program.

Please note that F-1 visas cannot be renewed from within the U.S. Students renewing visas must travel home during Summer or semester breaks to renew student visas, unless there are special circumstances.

Process to Renew your U.S. Visa in Your Home Country

Process to Renew your U.S. Visa in a Country Other than Your Home Country (in a country where you DO NOT hold citizenship)

Although it is possible for a student to obtain an F-1 visa in a country other than his or her own, the student may face more stringent requirements than in the home country. In addition to proving eligibility for an F-1 visa, students from countries with U.S. Embassies will have to convince the consular officer that there is a legitimate reason for making the application outside the home country. In some instances, the consular officer in the third country will find it necessary to check with the consular office in the student's place of residence. This can be time-consuming and can even result in denials. If you plan to apply for a visa in a 3rd country, please make travel plans to allow for such delays.

The U.S. Department of State also provides further information on the Visa Renewal process.

Leaving the U.S.

F-1 and J-1 students are allowed to travel during Summer and semester breaks (including spring break, fall break, and holidays). The Center for Global Education will not approve travel for students during the academic semester (when classes are in session) unless it meets the criteria for emergency travel. Please note that there may be country specific travel restrictions in effect and in some places routine U.S. visa services have been suspended or delayed.

If your visa is expired, delay travel until you have booked an appointment with enough time to renew your visa.

Students who wish to renew their visas, should visit the U.S. Department of State's website here to determine visa wait times. Please note that airlines frequently cancel flights. Our staff cannot guarantee your return to the U.S.

It is important that students and scholars understand the risks of international travel. If you do decide to travel and are unable to reenter the U.S. you can:

• lose your assistantship (Graduate students cannot hold assistantships while they are outside the U.S.)
• lose scholarships and/or on-campus employment
• be unable to complete your degree program (not all classes are offered remotely)
• lose a semester of eligibility for OPT and/or CPT
• owe rent even that you may be legally bound to pay even if you are abroad
• be required to reapply for admission - Students who skip a major term (Spring or Fall), are required to apply for readmission.

If you decide travel, please carefully review the Study in the States link here to ensure that you travel with the appropriate documents.

Travel Authorizations: If an international student wishes to leave the U.S. and return, they must receive a travel signature on their I-20 or DS-2019. Please visit the Center for Global Education for this signature.

Travel Outside Your Home Country: If you are leaving the U.S. to visit a country that is NOT your home country, please contact your embassy or the country's embassy to see if you need a visa to enter that particular country. Our staff cannot provide guidance on entering countries other than the U.S.

International cruise travel: When you travel on a "closed loop" cruise (beginning and ending the cruise at the same port in the U.S.), your I-94 record will not show your entry date after returning from the cruise. The lack of an entry date in this situation is not an I-94 error. Once you reenter the U.S. after the cruise, your I-94 will be revalidated with no change to your status or previous date of entry.

Maintaining your status with the USCIS is important for an international student who is expecting to apply for a work permit and/or practical training, returning back to United States after visiting outside the U.S. border, and wish to stay legally in the U.S. Maintaining your status simply means that you comply with the USCIS policies and regulations.

• Full-Time Study: F-1 degree-seeking students must maintain full time student status each semester until they receive their degrees. F-1 students are not required to register for the summer session unless it is their first semester at this university. Full-time study for international students means a minimum of 9 credit hours for graduate students, and 12 credit hours for undergraduate students. Any deviations from this should be discussed with the Center for Global Education  
• Transfer to Another School: If you wish to transfer to another school, please email global@jcu.edu

• Withdrawal from John Carroll If you will not return to the university, please email global@jcu.edu  
• Employment: Employment opportunities are limited for international students in the U.S. On-campus employment is allowed for F-1 visa holders. On-campus employment is limited to 20 hours during the academic year and 40 hours during vacation periods.   
• Address Changes: You must keep the Center for Global Education informed of your current telephone number and address.   
• Extending Your Stay: If the date on your SEVIS I-20 is going to expire and you need to remain in the U.S. beyond the expiration date in order to continue your program, you are responsible for extending your stay. You may apply no sooner than 45 days before your I-20 program end date. You should apply at least 30 days before the expiration or before completion of any program of studies. Please consult with the Center for Global Education for information on how to extend your I-20.

Students requesting an extension who have completed all coursework are instead encouraged to apply for Optional Practical Training.

SEVP regulations only allow for an extension of 1 year at a time from the student's program end date. Students needing extensions of more than one year will be required to request another extension in one year's time.

Adding an F-2 Dependent (Spouse or Child): F-1 students who wish to add a spouse or child to their I-20 must show proof of the relationship, as well as provide additional and updated proof of funding ($2,000 for spouse or $1,000 per child) to demonstrate that they have sufficient finances to cover the cost of living expenses for their dependents. F-1 students who wish to add dependents to their I-20 must provide the following information for EACH dependent added.

We encourage all students who wish to bring dependents to the U.S. to review the regulations for F2 students here. If your F-2 dependent has plans of pursuing post-secondary education in the U.S., we strongly encourage them to apply for and enter the U.S. with their own F-1 visa instead of the F-2., which restricts study to part-time and does not allow for on-campus employment (graduate assistantships, fellowships, hourly on-campus employment).

Income Taxes

Sprintax offers free tax preparation services all international students enrolled at John Carroll.

Please note that the Center for Global Education is not authorized or qualified to provide tax preparation advising. We recommend that students use the services of Sprintax or another tax preparation service that is authorized to provide tax preparation advising to non-residents.

If you were physically in the U.S. in F or J status anytime between January 1 - December 31, 2023,  you are legally obligated to send one form, Form 8843, to the U.S. tax agency IRS (Internal Revenue Service), even if you had no income. For the 2023  tax season, if you earn $1 of US source income or greater, you may need to file a federal tax return with the IRS. Depending on your individual circumstances, you may also need to file a state tax return(s).

Information About Federal Income Tax

All international students must fill out the Federal Form 8843.  If you are single and were employed last year, you must fill out the Federal Form 1040 NR-EZ and Federal Form 8843.  If you were employed last year and you are married, you must fill out the Federal Form 1040 NR (instructions) and Federal Form 8843.

If you are unsure of which form to file, please review the information here. Please visit the IRS website for more information.

Information About State Income Tax

If  you were employed last year, you must fill out the Ohio State Non-Resident Income Tax Form (IT-1040). 

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) regulations define the primary purpose of F-1 status students as enrollment in a full-time course of study that requires regular physical presence to complete the course or program. Online courses and programs do not require regular physical presence because students can attend and complete their course or program from anywhere in the world. Students enrolled in multiple online courses do not meet the full-time enrollment requirement, which is an F-1 status violation. 

An online course is defined as a course that does not require students to attend a class in person in a physical classroom to complete the course. This includes remote courses that never meet in person as well as remote courses that require students to attend one class to take an in-person exam.

A hybrid course is defined as a course that does not regularly require students to attend a class in person in a physical classroom to complete the course. This includes courses that meet both remotley and in-person.

During a full-time semester (at least 12 credits): Within your 12-18 enrolled credits in the semester, you may take only one online or hybrid section of a course offered by the University to count towards full-time enrollment. If you are enrolled in less than 12 credits, you can't take any online courses and only one hybrid course that meets at least 51% in person (this includes course instruction and examinations). Undergraduate students cannot take multiple online/hybrid courses per semester. Graduate Students: While it is acceptable for graduate students to enroll in multiple hybrid courses as long as they meet more than 51% in person, it is not recommended. Enrolling in multiple courses that are taught in a hybrid environment leaves you vulnerable to a status violation should any of your courses change to meet less frequently in person. Regardless of level, only one online course is permitted each semester so long as it is in conjunction with a full-time in-person schedule.  

You can read more about SEVP's online/remote course regulation at studyinthestates.dhs.gov/full-course-of-study(Opens in a new window) (Online courses and “Distance Learning”).