Temporary Leave from the U.S.

Whether you are considering taking a personal leave, a medical leave, withdraw from your program or are being asked by your program to take a leave, you must consult your ISSS advisor to discuss the immigration impact of the leave before taking the leave.

Personal or Family Emergency Leave

If you choose to take a temporary leave from your studies, you are not permitted to remain in the U.S. without being enrolled, unless you are eligible for a vacation term or medical leave. ISSS is required by federal regulations to terminate your F-1 or J-1 status in SEVIS within 15 days of your official leave.  The  I-20 or DS-2019 you currently hold will no longer be valid. You are not permitted to use your F-1 or J-1 visa for reentries to the U.S. For brief visits to the U.S. during your leave (e.g., meeting with faculty or visiting friends), you must use a B1/B2 Visitors Visa or the Visa Waiver if applicable.

Students Enrolled While Outside the US

If you are enrolled in online classes while outside the US, you cannot use the student health benefits plan. To be dis-enrolled from the plan and have the insurance charge removed from your student bill, you must notify ISSS of your plans for a temporary leave. ISSS will then notify University Health Services to dis-enroll you from the plan. If you do not follow the instructions below, you will be responsible for paying the health insurance premium.

  • Log into iConnect and submit the “Temporary Leave from U.S.” e-form for spring 2025 (term code is 202403). You must submit this form to be dis-enrolled from the student health benefits plan. If we do not receive notification of your plans by April 7, 2025, you will be responsible for paying the health insurance premium.

Process to Request a Temporary Leave

If you need to take a temporary leave from the U.S. for one or more terms, but plan on returning to the UO in the future, you are REQUIRED to notify International Student & Scholar Services.

  • Meet with an ISSS advisor before you withdraw from classes or make a plan to take a leave of absence from your studies. An ISSS advisor will advise you on what you can and cannot do and, together with you, make a plan.
     
  • Graduate students must receive permission from the Graduate School for on-leave status.
     
  • Once ISSS approves your leave of absence, log into iConnect and complete the Temporary Leave from the U.S. eform.
     
  • Depart the U.S. within 15 days after your leave of absence is authorized by ISSS. Your F-1 SEVIS record may be terminated which means you cannot re-enter the U.S. with your current I-20 until you have your SEVIS record reactivated or a new I-20 issued by ISSS.

Impact on CPT and OPT work authorization eligibility

In order to be eligible to apply to work off-campus employment authorization such as CPT or OPT, you must be a full-time student in F-1 status for at least one academic year after you return from your leave of absence, if you are issued a new I-20 with a new SEVIS ID.

Medical Leave

As an international student in F-1 or J-1 status, if you receive permission from ISSS for a Reduced Course Load (RCL) or Leave of Absence (LOA) due to medical reasons, you are permitted to keep your F-1 or J-1 status active and remain legally in the U.S. For F-1 students, only twelve months of medical leave or reduced course load is allowed by the F-1 regulation, and ISSS can only authorize this type of leave for one term at a time. There is no specific time limit for J-1 students. To get permission for a medical leave or reduced course load in order to remain in the U.S, you must:

  1. Submit the request to your ISSS advisor with a letter from a licensed medical professional meeting the following requirements:
    • on medical office letterhead and dated
    • states your name and your date of birth
    • states that either reduced course load or zero course load is recommended for you for a specific term due to a temporary illness or medical condition
    • signed by a licensed medical doctor, or licensed clinical psychologist

Please note:

  • If you will need more time to finish your degree because of your leave of absence or reduced course load, you will also need to apply for an extension before your I-20 or DS-2019 expires.
  • If you need to extend your medical leave of absence or reduced course load for another term, you must submit a new permission request along with new supporting documents to your ISSS advisor by the beginning of the next term.
  • If you no longer need Medical RCL permission after you have been approved, then you must contact ISSS immediately so that we may update your record to reflect your continued eligibility for the appropriate amount of Medical RCL at your degree level.
  • If you choose to spend your medical leave outside the U.S., you may not need to request a reduced course load. Please contact your ISSS advisor for guidance and advice.

Five or More Months Outside the U.S.

  • If you remain outside the U.S. for five or more months, you must request a new "initial" I-20 and pay a new SEVIS fee in order to re-enter the U.S. This is called the 5-month rule and applies to all F-1 students.
  • If your U.S. visa has expired, you will need a valid I-20 to get it renewed. Contact ISSS is you are planning to renew your visa while outside the U.S. so we can make a plan together.
  • When you re-enter the U.S., you must check-in with ISSS so we can activate your new F-1 SEVIS record.

Other Matters to Consider

  • Bills and student holds. Pay any outstanding bills or payments owed to UO and arrange to clear any holds on your student account before leaving. Please note that you will not be permitted to return to the U.S. and enroll in classes if you have registration holds on your account.
  • Housing. Talk to UO Housing or your off-campus manager to understand the implications of a temporary leave from the US.
  • Pets. Please make arrangements to leave your pet with a trusted friend if you cannot take them with you. You can also give your pet to the Greenhill Humane Society in Eugene who will find a new home for your pet.
  • Contact information. Update your contact information in Duckweb so that ISSS and other UO departments can reach you, if necessary, while you are outside the U.S.
  • Check your email. Check your UO email while you are away, as we may need to send important information to you during your leave.