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All currently enrolled students are eligible to receive free, confidential services throughout their time at Rush. Students explore a wide range of issues in individual and couples therapy, including depression and anxiety, relationship concerns, sexual orientation and “coming out” issues, eating disorders, substance use and abuse, academic difficulties, bereavement, family mental illness and career issues. The goal of the Counseling Center staff is to help students achieve and maintain a greater balance in their personal and professional lives.

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The Financial Affairs department is responsible for the billing and collecting of all tuition and fees for Rush University students. The office is also responsible for student health insurance and the administration of refund processing.

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International Student Services

International Student Services, as a function of the University Registrar’s office, provides services to future and current international students who study at Rush University. Additionally, the office works with Rush University international alumni who will need authorization from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to look for and accept work opportunities after graduation.

Functions of International Student Services:

• Prepare documentation required for the F-1 student program
• Advise prospective international students concerning admissions requirements that affect international students
• Provide pre-arrival information for all admitted international students
• Welcome new international students arriving to Rush University and provide ongoing support to international students currently at the University
• Support international alumni who are working in the field for up to 36 months after graduation

Please Note: Immigration regulations and policies are subject to change without prior warning or notice. Information contained in this student handbook may become obsolete. If you are in doubt, please contact our office, the Rush Office of Legal Affairs, or the immigration attorney of your choice.

Responsibilities of International Students

As a student in F-1 or J-1 student status, you must understand and comply with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regulations which govern your immigration status. In order to maintain an accurate Student & Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record for you, International Student Services must have current, accurate information regarding your academic program. It is your responsibility to report change in your academic program.

In general the following are required to maintain status:

1. Report all changes of address to the ISSS office within 10 days of moving. An address change requires an update to your record in the SEVIS system.
2. Maintain a valid passport at all times. Some countries allow passport renewals by mail while you reside in the United States, other countries do not. Please consult your home country’s consular affairs office for more information.
3. Maintain a full course of study. A full course of study for undergraduate students means enrolling in and completing 12 credit hours each term. A full course of study for graduate students requires enrollment in 9 credit hours each term, except when performing research toward a thesis or dissertation. If you are in doubt, please be sure to contact our office. Any change to your full course of study must be pre-approved. Any reduction in a full course of study, if not pre-approved, constitutes a violation of status even if such a drop would be permissible by your academic department.
4. Follow USCIS procedures regarding eligibility for an authorized vacation period. USCIS permits international students to take an annual vacation. Rush University students are eligible for an annual break each summer term after the completion of one full academic year. In order to take an annual break in summer a leave of absence must be approved by your academic department.
5. Notify ISSS of your decision to change your educational program or level before you make any change. For example: If you complete a master’s degree program and start a PhD program. An update to your I-20 must occur in SEVIS prior to beginning your new program.
6. Never allow your I-20 or DS-2019 to expire. You should plan to complete your studies by the completion date on your form. For F-1 students, once your I-20 expires you are allowed 60 days to transfer, change your status, start a new academic program, or leave the United States. If you cannot complete your program prior to the end date on your I-20 please contact us to determine if you qualify for a program extension. It is your responsibility to request a program extension prior to the end of your I-20.
7. Consult International Student Services before accepting any form of employment. Work opportunities for international students are limited and unauthorized employment carries severe penalties and can jeopardize your future plans. Even working on on-campus requires prior authorization.
8. Consider your options for work once your programs end. If you plan to apply for work authorization, follow all USCIS procedures regarding an application for Optional Practical Training (OPT). You may apply for post-completion OPT no earlier than 90 days before the completion of your academic program and no later than 60 days after the completion of your program. Please note that it can take 3-4 months to receive an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from USCIS.
9. Notify ISSS as early as possible of any plans to transfer to another educational institution.
10. Receive a travel signature on your I-20 prior to traveling out of the U.S. Travel signatures are located on page 2 of your I-20 and are valid for 1 year. You must have a valid travel signature with your other identity documents at the time of re-entry to the United States.
11. Recognize that you only have a limited amount of time to depart the U.S. or change to another immigration status once you are no longer attending school. After you complete your academic program, you have 60 days. If you drop out of school before completing a program and received prior approval from International Student Services, you may remain in the U.S. for 15 days. If you drop out of school before completing a program and did not receive prior approval from International Student Services, you may remain in the U.S. for 0 (zero) days and are in immediate violation of your status.
12. Carry health insurance at all times as required by Rush University.

Travel and Temporary Admission with Form I-515A

If you have lost your form I-20 or DS-2019 for J-1 students or do not have the proper endorsement you may be admitted to the United States for a definite period of time (30 days). The immigration officer has the discretion but not the requirement to admit you if you do not have the proper documentation or signatures. If you are admitted the office will issue you a Form I-515A.

The Form I-515A requires you to resolve the issues with your documentation submitted at border inspection. You are required to submit your Form I-20 or DS-2019 and I-94 by mail to the USCIS in Washington, D.C. Upon receipt and inspection of your documentation, USCIS will update your I-94 record to “duration of status” and returned to you. You must complete this process if you receive a Form I-515A in order to remain in legal immigration status.

Visa Expiration/Renewal

The visa stamp in your passport may be allowed to expire while you are in the United States. Remember your I-20 must always remain valid. If your visa has expired during your stay and you are planning to travel outside of the United States, in general you will need a new visa stamp in order to reenter.

To apply for a new visa stamp you must visit the United States Embassy / Consulate in your home country (or country designated to handle consular affairs for your home country). Please note you may be required to obtain an entry visa for a second country if no US Consulate exists in your home country and consular affairs are being performed in the second country. In general, you will need a valid passport, an I-20 or DS-2019, proof of financial support, and/or letter of certification to receive a new visa stamp. The consular officer may require additional documentation. A student visa stamp must be obtained at a consular office abroad and not in the U.S.

If you are traveling to Canada, Mexico, or other contiguous U.S. territories for less than 30 days and your visa allows multiple entries, you do not need to get a new visa stamp. Some countries are not eligible for re-entry or automatic revalidation. Please review the following Customs and Border Protection guide: https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/auto_reva_3.pdf. Also be sure to check any new restrictions on travel and reentry prior to making your plans. New travel restrictions occur regularly and may affect your reentry.

Information for Spouses and Children while at Rush University

An F-2 form I-20 must be obtained for any spouse and children you would like to come to the United States to stay with you for an extended period of time. A new form I-20 will be issued for your family members by the ISSS office and the form should be used to support your family members’ application for a visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Issuance of a dependent visa must be accompanied by sufficient financial resources to support each family member. Evidence of these financial resources should be submitted to the ISSS office and presented to the Embassy/Consulate. Rush University requires proof of financial support in the amount of $6,000 per year for each family member (spouse and children) in addition to the budgeted amount needed to support your studies and living expenses.

Visa Limitations for Spouses and Children while in the United States

The ability for spouses and children to access work, study and public services are very limited while in the United States. In general:

• Spouse or children may not take any employment after he/she reaches the U.S.
• Children are permitted to attend elementary or high school.
• Spouses or children are may not study full-time in a degree-granting academic program at the college level without changing status to F-1
• Spouses or children may study part-time in the pursuit of an academic program or degree
• Spouses or children may also engage in recreational courses (language courses or quality of life courses) that do not lead to a specific academic credential or degree.
• Spouses or children should be careful accessing public services while in the United States. If you are in doubt please feel free to discuss your plans with the ISSS office.

Work as an International Student: Practical Training Regulations & Reporting Requirements

Practical training provides international students the opportunity to perform work that enhances the educational skills learned in the classroom. There are two types of practical training afforded to F-1 international students: curricular (CPT) and optional practical training (OPT). For J-1 students practical training is afforded through academic training (AT).

Curricular Practical Training

Curricular Practical Training is work directly related to a student’s academic program and must be an integral part of the curriculum. To demonstrate that the work opportunity is an integral part of the curriculum the internship / co-op must be part of a class or the student’s academic department must provide a letter detailing how the practical training will augment the student’s academic program. The letter must provide information on any academic credit that the students may earn pursuant to the practical training opportunity.

Curricular Practical Training may be used on a full-time or part-time basis and you are not limited in the amount of Curricular Practical Training you can use. However, if you use 12 months or more full-time Curricular Practical Training, you are not eligible for any Optional Practical Training after you graduate.

In order to apply for Curricular Practical Training you must provide the following to International Student Services and schedule an appointment to discuss:

• An offer of employment detailing
  • Position Title
  • Start Date
  • Supervisor and contact information
• A letter from your academic department detailing how practical training is integral to your academic program and any credit earned related to your practical training experience

Optional Practical Training

All OPT employment must be in a job that is related to the degree major and appropriate to the degree level. All post-completion OPT employment must be an average of at least 20 hours per week to qualify as employment. Students are recommended to submit a copy of their Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card to ISSS upon receipt.

Paid Employment

While on OPT students may work for one employer for at least 20 hours per week to maintain their OPT status. In addition, students may work for the following:

Multiple employers: Students may work for more than one employer but all employment must be related to the student’s degree program.

Work for hire: This is also commonly referred to as 1099 employment where an individual performs a service based on a contractual relationship rather than an employment relationship.

Employment through an employment agency

Unpaid Employment

Students may work as volunteers or unpaid interns, where this does not violate any U.S. labor laws.

OPT Recordkeeping

It is recommended that students working for multiple employers, through employment agencies, or performing unpaid work while on OPT keep detailed records to demonstrate adherence to OPT regulations. In these cases, students should keep evidence for each job regarding the position held, dates of position, the job title, supervisor name and contact information and a description of the work.

Limited Period of Unemployment to Maintain Status

• No more than 90 days total for initial post-completion OPT
• Students have up to a 10 day grace period between the end of one job and the beginning of another. This does not count toward the unemployment cap.
• Students must immediately report any changes in employment.

Reporting Requirements While on OPT

Report the following within 10 days of the event:

• Any change of name or address
• Any change of email address
• Employer name and address
• Change in employer
• Any interruption of employment
• Permanent departure from the U.S. during OPT
• Change of immigration status

Student Responsibilities While on STEM Extension OPT

Some student programs at Rush University are eligible for a 24 month extension of OPT. The list of eligible programs may be found here: https://www.ice.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Document/2016/stem-list.pdf and is subject to changes by the Department of Homeland Security at any time. To find your program you should consult the CIP code found on page 1 of your current Form I-20.

The application requirements for the OPT STEM extension may be found on the following USCIS website: https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/students-and-exchange-visitors/students-and-employment/stem-opt. In general the requirements are:

• Have been granted OPT and currently be in a valid period of OPT;
• Have earned a bachelors, masters, or doctoral degree from a school that is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agency and is certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) when you submit your STEM OPT extension application.
• Work for an E-Verify compliant employer who meets all the requirements listed below in the STEM OPT Employer Responsibilities section.
• Have an approved Form I-983 training plan from Rush University prior to receiving the STEM OPT endorsed Form I-20
• Submit the Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization up to 90 days before your current OPT employment authorization expires, and within 60 (30 days is recommended) days of the date your designated school official (DSO) enters the recommendation for STEM OPT into your Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record.

Students pursuing a period of the STEM extension must:

• Work in a paid position for an E-Verify employer at least 20 hours per week
• Work in a position related to the STEM degree
• Report within 10 days of:
  • Legal name changes
  • A change in residential or mailing address
  • Change in email address
  • File a new I-983 training plan prior to any of the following:
    • Changes in employer
    • Change in job title or position
• Send a validation report every six months starting from the date the STEM extension starts and ending when the student’s F-1 status ends or the STEM extension ends, whichever is first. The validation report must include the student’s
  • Full legal name
  • SEVIS identification number
  • Current mailing and residential address
  • Name and address of the current employer
  • Date the student began working for the current employer
• File a STEM OPT evaluation at the end of 1 year and at the end of the extension period

Students pursing a period of STEM extension OPT may not:

• Work in a paid position for any employer that is not an E-Verify employer
• Have more than 120 days of unemployment time during the entire period of post-completion OPT (regular post-completion OPT and STEM extension OPT).

OPT Travel

You will need the following documents to reenter the U.S. During the dates of your EAD card it is important to note that the 90 day unemployment clock continues to tick even when you are outside the U.S.

Documents to re-enter U.S.:

• OPT I-20, page 2 signed for travel with signature not more than 1 year old (less than 6 months is recommended)
• Valid F-1 visa stamp
• Valid passport
• EAD card
• Job offer letter or statement of employment from company with the following information:
  • The student’s supervisor or manager with contact information
  • A description of the work.
  • If it is not clear from the job description that the work is related to the student’s degree it is recommended that the student submit a signed letter from the employer’s hiring official, supervisor or manager stating how the student’s degree is related to the work performed.

Reporting Employment and Unemployment

Report changes in employment to the DSO as soon as possible, within 10 business days.

Information Needed for OPT Reporting

Students may be denied future immigration benefits that rely on valid F-1 status if DHS determines that the student exceeded the limitations on unemployment. Additionally, Immigration & Customs Enforcement and SEVP may examine SEVIS data for an individual, a selected group or all students on post-completion OPT and terminate a student’s record if it fails to show the student maintained the proper period of employment. In such cases, the student will be given an opportunity to show that he or she complied with all OPT requirements, including maintaining employment.

Academic Training for J-1 students

Academic training (AT) for J-1 Exchange Students is afforded to students prior to or after the end of the academic program.

In general the requirements for J-1 Academic Training (AT) are:

• A student must complete at least one semester on J-1 status.
• Before completion of degree/program, AT can be part-time when classes are in session. This includes summer term since Rush University requires continuous enrollment of all students. Please contact International Student Services to discuss any exceptions that may be available.
• Available full-time for graduate students who have advanced to Ph.D. candidacy and the work is integral to the completion of their academic degree.
• A job offer is required prior to the end of the program of study to discuss approval of Academic Training.
• AT must begin within thirty (30) days of the program completion date.
• If there is a change in employers there cannot be a gap in employment.

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Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs

The Office of Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs works with students, faculty and staff to enhance the environment of the Rush University community. This work is carried out through interprofessional programming to emphasize the importance of diversity and inclusion in health care professions.

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Student Life and Engagement provides services and opportunities to enhance each student’s academic experience and connection with Rush University. The office provides co-curricular programming and oversees housing, student organizations, career services and student event programming.

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