What is Change of Status?

International students or employees can change from one non-immigrant status to another by filing a change of status application.

According to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), change of status refers to the process by which an individual in the U.S. changes his or her non-immigrant status from one to another.

According to U.S. immigration law, non-immigrant statuses include F-1 students, B-1/B-2 visitors, H-1B temporary workers, and other categories such as L-1 and O-1.

If you want to change your status within the U.S., you (or your employer) must submit specific application forms to USCIS before your current status expires.

To qualify for a change of status, you must meet the following conditions:

• You must have entered the U.S. legally and hold a non-immigrant status.

• Your non-immigrant status must remain valid, and you must not have violated the conditions of your status (e.g., working illegally as an F-1 student).

• You must not have committed any disqualifying criminal offenses.

Typically, changing status when a non-immigrant status is about to expire can help the applicant quickly obtain another legal status without leaving and re-entering the U.S. By changing your status, you can, under certain circumstances, continue to study and work in the U.S.