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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:red'>YOUR LEGAL STATUS WILL BE AFFECTED<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:red'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>International Students that have <b><i><u><span style='color:red'>degrees with Sub Term classes</span></u></i></b><span style='color:#1F497D'> (for example…College of Business, </span><span style='color:#1F497D'>Computer Science, </span><span style='color:#1F497D'>College of Education and Human Services, Technology Management)</span> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>To maintain your visa status please read over the below information carefully and contact the ISSO with any questions or concerns. Attached is a Frequently Asked Questions form that will provide more information:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>1.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]><b>Graduate students</b>-If registering for <b><span style='color:red'>9 credit hours</span></b> you <b><u><span style='color:red'>MUST</span></u></b><span style='color:red'> <b>register</b></span> in <b><span style='color:red'>both sub terms,</span></b><span style='color:red'> </span>you cannot register for all 9 hours in one sub term. For example…you may have 2 face to face classes in one sub term and 1 online course in another.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>2.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]><b>Undergraduate students</b>- If registering for <b><span style='color:red'>12 credit hours</span></b> you <b><u><span style='color:red'>MUST</span></u></b><span style='color:red'> <b>register</b></span> in <b><span style='color:red'>both sub terms</span></b><span style='color:red'>, </span>you cannot register for all 12 hours in one sub term. For example…you may have 2 face to face classes in one sub term and 1 online course and 1 face to face class in another.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='color:#1F497D;background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow'>International students <u>MUST</u> enroll in courses for both sub-terms. Students may not take their required full course of study in one sub-term and not enroll in courses for the other sub-term. Example…students may not enroll in 9 credit hours (or 12 credit hours) in sub-term one not enroll in any courses in sub-term two.</span><span style='color:#1F497D'> <span style='background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow'>The only exception would be students in their final semester with less than required hours (3-6 hours graduate, 3-9 hours undergraduate).</span> </span><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please note that if you are registered for BOTH 16 week classes and 8 week sub term classes, this semester you are in legal status. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Exceptions are as follows:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>1.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Graduate/PHD students graduating May 12, 2012</span></b>-You may register for 3-6 <span style='color:black'>credit hours</span> in one sub term <b><u><span style='color:red'>BUT</span></u></b> if <span style='color:black'>you </span><b><u><span style='color:red'>ONLY</span></u></b> register <span style='color:black'>for your final 3-6 credit hours in Sub Term </span>1 <span style='color:black'>your </span><b><span style='color:red;background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow'>program end date for your I-20 will be the last day of Sub-Term 1 (3-12-2012).</span></b><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span> <span style='color:black'>Your </span><b><i><u>60 day grac<span style='color:black'>e period will begin from March 1</span><span style='color:#1F497D'>6</span><span style='color:black'>, 2012 and will end on May 11, 2012</span></u></i></b><span style='color:black'>, the day <b><i><u>before</u></i></b> Commencement Day, and <b><i><u>you must depart the U.S. on that day.</u></i></b></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:.75in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>2.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Und<span style='color:black'>ergraduat</span>e students graduating May 12, 2012</span></b>- You may register for 3-9 credit hours in one sub term <b><u><span style='color:red'>BUT</span></u></b> if <span style='color:black'>you </span><b><u><span style='color:red'>ONLY</span></u></b> register <span style='color:black'>for your final 3-9 credit hours in Sub</span> Term 1 <span style='color:black'>your </span><b><span style='color:red;background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow'>program end date for your I-20 will be the last day of Sub-Term 1 (3-12-2012).</span></b><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span> <span style='color:black'>Your </span><b><i><u>60 day grac<span style='color:black'>e period will begin from March 1</span><span style='color:#1F497D'>6</span><span style='color:black'>, 2012 and will end on May 11, 2012</span></u></i></b><span style='color:black'>, the day <b><i><u>before</u></i></b> Commencement Day, and <b><i><u>you must depart the U.S. on that day.</u></i></b></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:.75in'><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>3.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>All graduating <span style='color:black'>students applying for OPT</span></span></b>-<span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='color:black'>USCIS interprets your <b><u>I-20 program end date</u></b> as the <b><u>last day of your last class</u></b> and NOT the graduation date. If you are in your final semester and </span><b><u><span style='color:red'>ONLY</span></u></b><span style='color:black'> enrolled in Sub-Term 1 courses then your I-20 end date is March 12, 2012. Your OPT start date will need to be within 60 days of March 12, 2012 ( no later than May 12, 2012). This will mean students </span><b><u><span style='color:red'>ONLY</span></u></b><span style='color:black'> enrolled in Sub-Term 1 courses will need to apply for OPT sooner. The ISSO will begin seeing students </span><b><span style='color:red'>(<u>ONLY</u> students in their final semester and enrolled for courses <u>ONLY</u> Sub-Term 1)</span></b><span style='color:black'> for appointment on 1-30-2012.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:.75in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>4.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Graduate <span style='color:black'>students with graduate</span> assistantships</span></b>- <span style='color:black'>If you are in your final semester and are </span><b><u><span style='color:red'>ONLY</span></u></b><span style='color:black'> enrolled in courses for </span><b><u><span style='color:red'>Sub-Term 1</span></u></b><span style='color:black'> then your GA will end in Sub-Term 1 (March 12, 2012). If you are taking courses for </span><b><u><span style='color:red'>both</span></u></b><span style='color:black'> Sub-Terms then your GA will continue for the semester. If you are in your final semester and enrolled in courses for Sub-Term 2 </span><b><u><span style='color:red'>ONLY</span></u></b><span style='color:black'> then you will need to refer to the graduate school regarding your GA position. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Please contact the ISSO with any questions or concerns. </span><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>John Mark Jones, Director<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>International Student Services<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Texas A&M University-Commerce<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>PO Box 3011<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Commerce TX 75429<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>(P) 903-886-5097<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>(F) 903-468-3200<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote></div></body></html>