f-1 students

An F-1 student is a nonimmigrant who is pursuing a "full course of study" to achieve a specific educational or professional objective, at an academic institution in the United States that has been designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to offer courses of study to such students, and has been enrolled in SEVIS (the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System). Once the educational or professional objectives have been attained, the F-1 student is expected by the U.S. government to return to his or her residence abroad. The F-1 visa is the most basic and widely used U.S. student visa category. It is also a visa category that is monitored by the federal government through an electronic database called Student and Exchange Visitor Information System or SEVIS. Each student has a unique SEVIS ID number assigned to him/her and noted on the immigration Form I-20. The I-20 is used by students to obtain an F-1 visa from a US Consulate or Embassy abroad. Since students in F-1 status are monitored, both the students and the university have reporting obligations to the government as dictated by federal law.