F-1 Withdrawal

All F-1 nonimmigrant students are required to maintain enrollment as a full-time student for the entire duration of the academic program of study in order to maintain F-1 status in the United States.

If you need to withdraw from your academic program at MUSC, please review the below information regarding the impact of withdrawal on your F-1 SEVIS record and the process for obtaining approval for an authorized early withdrawal. Please be aware that withdrawing from your program of study will result in termination of your F-1 SEVIS record.

Authorized Early Withdrawal

The F-1 Designated School Official (DSO) in the MUSC Center for Global Health has the authority to permit authorized early withdrawals for F-1 students in extenuating circumstances. This includes a withdrawal from school due to a family emergency, personal matter or another circumstance that calls for the F-1 student to leave the United States prior to completing the academic program. If the authorized early withdrawal is approved in advance by the DSO, the F-1 student will be permitted a 15-day grace period to depart from the United States.

If you need to withdraw from your program at MUSC, you are required to apply for the authorized early withdrawal through the Center for Global Health in advance. The F-1 Authorized Early Withdrawal request must be submitted through your Terra Dotta portal at least two (2) weeks before the date that you intend to withdraw from your courses. Please note that you must complete the F-1 Authorized Early Withdrawal request before you proceed with withdrawing from classes or dropping below a full course of study.

If your authorized early withdrawal is approved by the DSO, you will be permitted a 15-day grace period to depart from the United States. The grace period starts on the withdrawal date entered in SEVIS. It is extremely important that you depart from the United States within this 15-day grace period to avoid accruing unlawful presence, which could impact your ability to return to the United States in the future.

Unauthorized Withdrawal

If you drop below a full course of study or withdraws from classes without getting prior approval from the Designated School Official in the Center for Global Health, this is a violation of your F-1 status. F-1 regulations require that the DSO terminate your F-1 SEVIS record, in these circumstances.

Please be aware that there is no grace period afforded to F-1 students who withdraw or drop below a full course of study without prior approval from the DSO. This means that, if you do not obtain approval from the DSO before withdrawing from your MUSC program, you are expected to depart from the United States immediately. Please note that terminations of the SEVIS record for unauthorized withdrawal can impact your ability to return to the United States in the future.

Transferring Your F-1 SEVIS Record

If you wish to transfer your F-1 SEVIS record to another academic institution in the United States, you must request an F-1 SEVIS transfer before you withdraw from your program at MUSC. If you withdraw from your MUSC program of study before you request the F-1 SEVIS transfer, you will no longer be eligible for the F-1 SEVIS transfer. Refer to the F-1 SEVIS Transfers page for more details on the SEVIS transfer request process.