One small mistake ruined a student’s American dream, leaving them stuck abroad with a major F-1 violation.
After starting their first semester in the US on an F-1 visa, they dropped their only in-person class due to stress. They continued with just an online course. That’s a clear violation of F-1 rules, which allow only one online class per semester.
The student states that they consulted their academic advisor before dropping the class. But they forgot that academic advisors are not immigration officers. They should have reached out to the DSO (Designated School Officer) for advice as they are the ones dealing with visa rules.
Now, almost a year later, the school finally noticed the issue while the student was stuck abroad, hoping a new I-20 would fix everything.
But it may be too late because if their SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) is terminated, they’ll need a new ID.
They have landed in this mess all because they didn’t check the rules themselves. This isn’t just one rare case. Many Indian and international students are misled by advisors or assume the rules are flexible.
Your academic advisor is only good for advising you as to what course to take. The ins and outs of immigration rules should be discussed with legal experts or DSOs.
