International Student Regulations

SEVIS Violations

It is your responsibility to remain compliant with immigration and college regulations related to your F-1 status as a student. We are here to provide information and services to ensure that you are aware of these requirements and are able to remain compliant. Maintaining contact with the International Student Services office and reading your Bakersfield College email regularly throughout your time here will help ensure you stay in status. This includes any and all communication from the International Student Services staff.

If you are not compliant with regulations including maintaining your status here at Bakersfield College, we may be forced by law to terminate your SEVIS record. Termination of a SEVIS record is very serious and can have many negative consequences for you. It can end your ability to stay in the United States, attend school, and apply for work authorization. SEVIS termination means that you are not in legal status ("out of status") according to the Department of Homeland Security.

If your SEVIS (or I-20) is terminated you could be accruing unlawful presence. This can lead to arrest and deportation proceedings. Accruing unlawful presence may result in being barred from the U.S. for many years or even permanently.

Accrual of Unlawful Presence

Accrual means adding to, accumulating, obtaining, or growing. This means you accumulate or grow days of unlawful presence each and every day beyond your status violation or end of your lawful grace period.

Reasons for the termination of a SEVIS Record include (but not limited to):

• Failure to enroll in classes
• Unauthorized withdrawal from classes (dropping all your classes without advance permission from the International Student Services office)
• Unauthorized drop below full course of study (dropping below full time enrollment without advance authorization from the International Student Services office)
• Enrollment in too many online classes
• Expulsion and suspension
• Unauthorized employment (employment without advanced approval from the International Student Services office and/or USCIS)

In most cases, the termination of your SEVIS record means that you must make plans to immediately depart from the United States. In other words, there is no grace period after termination. If your SEVIS record is terminated, you will need to contact the International Student Services office to schedule an appointment immediately. Days of unlawful presence begin when your SEVIS record is terminated.

To Ensure That You Stay in Legal Status, DO:

• Check your Bakersfield College email at least once per day
• Return all messages or attempts from college staff to contact you
• Always stay enrolled full time (12 units or more) and pay your fees
• Stay in contact the International Student Services office before you drop any courses
• Not break any college rules or U.S. laws
• Not let your I-20 expire