Two smiling students sit in a student lounge at a Pima campus

Current F-1 Students

Have questions about your F-1 status? Ask a Designated School Official (DSO). Please send your inquiries to international@pima.edu.

A DSO is a regularly-employed member of the school administration designated by the head of a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school to provide recommendations to F students enrolled at the school regarding maintenance of nonimmigrant status, and to support timely and complete record keeping and reporting to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Only DSOs can sign F-1 student immigration documents, report student information/status change, approve authorized reduced course load (RCL), extend or terminate I-20s, authorize on-campus employment / OPT, etc.

International students are not eligible for a Payment Plan (Payment Plan Exclusions). Pay all tuition and fees in full by the payment deadline before classes start; otherwise, your registration could be dropped/deleted.

Maintain F-1 Status: You are responsible for maintaining legal F-1 status while studying at Pima Community College. Contact a DSO with questions or concerns before taking actions that may affect your F-1 student status.
Report Change of Address and Phone Number: Please fill out the Student Data Form if your address or phone number has changed in the past 10 days.
Health Insurance: F1 international students are required to purchase Pima's mandatory international student health insurance. Your insurance premium is added to your tuition and fees when you register for classes. If you are an F1 student sponsored by a foreign government recognized by the United States, or by certain international, government-sponsored, or non-governmental organizations (such as SACM, SABIC, etc.), and are covered by the sponsor's group health plan, or if you are an F1 student enrolled in a US employer-provided group health plan, you may request a health insurance waiver for the semester. For more details, please contact the CIE office.
Travel Signatures: Please submit the Travel Signature Request Form if you plan to travel abroad. A DSO will verify your eligibility and follow up with you.
Authorized Reduced Course Load (RCL): You may request a Reduced Course Load (RCL) in a specific semester to take less than full-time enrollment. The RCL must be approved by the Center for International Education (CIE) before you are authorized to drop or withdraw from a course. Please submit the Reduced Course Load Request form, and a DSO will follow up with you.
Extend I-20: If your I-20 expires soon, please complete this I-20 Extension Request Form, and a DSO will follow up with you.
Change of Level: If you are completing your current program or finishing your post-completion OPT, you can request the change of level before your 60-day grace period ends to continue with a new program of study. Please submit the Change of Level Request, and a DSO will follow up with you.
Transfer Out: To transfer to another school, you must maintain F-1 status at Pima until the transfer release date and be accepted by another SEVP-certified school. Contact a DSO for more information.
On-Campus Employment: F-1 students may not work off-campus but may accept on-campus employment subject to certain conditions and restrictions. Students may find on-campus temporary employment or college work-study opportunities that are limited to 20 hours per week if they maintain F-1 status. For on-campus jobs, physical presence at the campus facilities is mandatory. Virtual or off-site work arrangements are not permissible for F-1 students. If you have received an on-campus job offer, you must submit a form to Report On-Campus Employment to the CIE office.
Optional Practical Training (OPT) offers F-1 students the opportunity for temporary employment that pertains to their academic field of study. Please review the USCIS OPT page carefully. Pima Community College is a junior college and does not meet the eligibility criteria for the STEM OPT Extension. Please contact a DSO if you have questions.