F-1 Five Month Temporary Absence Rule Applies to All Travel Outside the U.S.

F-1 Five Month Temporary Absence Rule Applies to All Travel Outside the U.S.

On August 27, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a Policy Alert that appears to reference the removal of the exception to the F-1 Five Month Temporary Absence Rule for students enrolled in and pursuing in-classroom coursework in a university abroad.

MIT ISO has reached out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (USDHS), who is the agency that administers the F student visa regulations, to verify if this change in interpretation of the regulations is indeed in place since the Policy Alert was issued by a different agency.

While we await official response from USDHS, we advise any MIT student planning to pursue a study abroad program at a university abroad to plan that they will be subject to the 5 month temporary absence rule.

A full explanation of the F-1 Five Month Temporary Absence Rule is available in the Knowledge Base article here: https://iso.mit.edu/knowledge-base/f-1-five-month-temporary-absence-rule/?hilite=5+month

Please contact your ISO Advisor if any questions arise.