International Student Services

Office Hours:

Our office hours are from Monday to Friday, 8:30am-5:30pm.

Contact Information:

• Main Phone: (626) 350 – 1500
• Email: [email protected] 
• Ray Porras, DSO
  [email protected]
  (626)350-1500 ext. 126
• Sandy Chou, Admissions DSO
  [email protected]
  (626)350-1500 ext. 109
• Elizabeth Vargas, Admissions DSO
  [email protected]
  (626)350-1500 ext. 129
  

If you have been admitted to CIAM, are currently in the US on a valid visa status other than F-1, and would like to be eligible for F-1 benefits (such as CPT or OPT), you may apply for a change of visa status (COS) with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

NOTE: Applying for a COS does not guarantee a new visa status. The processing time for a COS can be lengthy. In some cases, applicants reported processing times of 1-2 years or longer. When possible, we recommend students travel and apply for the F-1 visa at a US consulate in their home country. To view the estimated processing time for the I-539 – Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, visit USCIS’s Processing Times Page.

After being admitted to CIAM and receiving your F-1 I-20, you may begin your COS application with USCIS. You will need to fill out the I-539 form and provide supporting documents. The application form along with instructions can be found on the USCIS Page, I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status. COS applicants may file online or via US mail.

International Student Advisers at CIAM may assist in answering basic questions regarding the COS process and the I-539 form, but CIAM may not submit the COS application on behalf of a student. If you wish to receive detailed guidance on the COS application process, we recommend working with an immigration attorney.

Depending on your current visa status, you may have the option to begin your studies at CIAM while your COS to F-1 is pending. However, you will not qualify for any F-1 benefits such as CPT. To learn more, please email [email protected]. If you cannot begin your studies at CIAM based on your current visa status or if you elect to wait until your F-1 status is approved before beginning your studies, the program start date on your I-20 will be deferred until your F-1 status is approved. An updated I-20 will be provided after deferring.

If you travel outside the US while your COS application is pending (including Mexico, Canada, or adjacent islands), USCIS will consider your COS application abandoned and cancel it.

When USCIS informs you that your COS to F-1 has been approved, you must notify us immediately by emailing a copy of your I-797 A, Notice of Action to [email protected].