Changing Your Academic Program
Submit a Change of Major, Degree Level, or Campus request in the ISSS Portal in the Academic Program Updates section. Please note that J-1 students should not change to a lower degree level without consulting ISSS - this may require travel and re-entry to the U.S.
Changing between master’s thesis and non-thesis doesn’t require you to update your I-20/DS-2019.
You will be required to upload financial documents with your request if:
- You're an F-1 student who changed campuses OR graduated and started a new program.
- You're a J-1 student who graduated and started a new program OR need an extension of your DS-2019 due to the changes.
Please review the requirements for financial documents here.
Program Extension
If you need more time to finish your academic program and you haven't changed your program, then submit an I-20 Extension or DS-2019 Extension request in the ISSS Portal. They're within the Academic Program Updates section.
Transferring Out of Texas A&M
If you plan to transfer to another school, you will also need to get your SEVIS record transferred. Submit a Transfer Out request in the ISSS Portal (go to the General Student Services section) and we will send your F-1 or J-1 record to the new school.
Leave of Absence or Withdrawal from Texas A&M
DO NOT drop all of your courses until ISSS fully processes your Leave of Absence or Withdrawal request! Failure to wait for ISSS to approve your Leave of Absence or Withdrawal request in the ISSS Portal may be considered unauthorized withdrawal for immigration purposes and can also be considered a status violation.
If you need to withdraw from the university or need to leave the U.S. for a while and cannot enroll full-time from abroad, ISSS will need to end your F-1/J-1 status early. You will need to submit a Leave of Absence or Withdrawal request in the ISSS Portal (go to the Academic Program Updates section). This process only ends your F-1/J-1 status, it does not process your withdrawal or leave of absence with TAMU (you will need to work with your academic department for that).
You must submit a departing flight ticket or your I-94 travel history as proof of your plans to leave the U.S. (if you haven’t left already). ISSS will use this information to determine when we should end your F-1/J-1 record. An ISSS registration hold will be added to your record.
Departing the U.S.
F-1 students and their dependents: You have 15 days from the day ISSS terminates your F-1 record to leave the U.S. ISSS will notify you when your F-1 record has ended.
J-1 students and their dependents: Your J-1 program end date will be shortened and you must leave the U.S. as soon as possible after that end date. ISSS will notify you about the new program end date.
Returning to the U.S.
If you want to resume your studies at Texas A&M later as an F-1 or J-1, follow these steps for the semester you plan to return to the U.S.:
- Apply for a new immigration document from ISSS (see Applying for F-1/J-1 Status).
- Pay the SEVIS fee again, if needed.
- Apply for a new F-1 or J-1 visa if your previous one is no longer valid.
- After re-entering the U.S., check-in with ISSS again and we will remove any ISSS holds left on your record.