Prospective Students

Thank you for considering TWU for your academic goals!

The International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) office provides support to F-1 and J-1 visa holding students and scholars on all three TWU campuses. On this page you will find information on F-1 eligible programs at TWU, STEM degree options, and how to have an I-20 issued as an Initial or Transfer student once admitted to TWU.

Please read the following information on the new federal rule replacing Duration of Status with a Fixed Admission Period for all F-1 international students (scheduled effective date September 15, 2026).

The Fixed Admission Period will affect all F-1 visa holders (prospective, currently enrolled, and those on OPT). Please see the ISSS Events and Programs Calendar on the Current Students page, for links to scheduled information sessions for students.

Fixed admission period for F-1 international students

The following chart indicates the differences in academic actions and extensions of programs for F-1 students on or after September 15, 2026. This new rule will affect all current F-1 visa holders in the United States and those entering after September 15, 2026. Therefore, please contact your ISSS DSO’s for questions related to your specific situation.

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Policy Area	Duration of Status – D/S	Fixed Period of Stay
Admission Period	Students admitted to the U.S. for D/S (duration of status) No fixed end date if maintaining student status	Students admitted to the U.S. with a fixed “Admit Until Date” (AUD), corresponding with I-20 program end date or 4-year limit, whichever is shorter
Staying Beyond the Admit Until Date	Not applicable No end date while student maintains status	Students must depart the U.S. or obtain USCIS-approved Extension of Stay (EOS – Form I-539) before the AUD and/or before the end of the 30-day grace period
Program Extensions (same degree level)	I-20 extensions handled by ISSS based on academic need Limits enforced	USCIS EOS required to complete any program beyond AUD, or leave US and re-enter
Change of Degree Level (e.g. Bachelor’s -> Master’s -> Doctorate)	New I-20 issued by ISSS No EOS required 2nd degrees allowed	USCIS EOS required to remain in the U.S. for a new, higher degree level No lateral 2nd degrees
Undergraduate: Change of Major	Managed by ISSS, and can be requested at any time No impact on status if making academic progress	Undergraduates can only change major after one year in current program. EOS may be required if new major length exceeds approved length of stay
Graduate: Change of Major	Managed internally through ISSS and can be requested at any time No impact on status if making academic progress	Graduate students are prohibited from changing their major/program while in the U.S.
Undergraduate: Transfer to Another Institution	SEVIS Transfer coordinated between schools	Undergraduate transfers can only be approved after student has completed one year in their current program. May require EOS if new program length exceeds approved length of stay
Graduate: Transfer to Another Institution	SEVIS Transfer coordinated between schools	Graduate students are prohibited from transferring to a different school while enrolled in their academic program
Program Completion Grace Period	F-1 students receive a 60-day grace period after their program of study is complete	Grace period of 30-days to remain in the U.S. to either enroll in a new academic program, apply for OPT, change status, or plan to return home. EOS may be required if activity after completion exceeds approved length of stay
OPT	F-1 OPT requires USCIS work authorization, but stay is covered by D/S	After transition period (March 18, 2027) all new OPT applications will require additional I-539 for EOS

All other international students with different visa types and non-U.S. citizen classifications are not required to report on their visa status to the ISSS office, but should refer to the holders of their visa records for federal reporting and verification purposes. To get started with your admissions application, please visit International Admissions.

Please note that TWU does not issue Change of Status I-20s for B-1/B-2 visa holders. If you hold a B visa and you wish to attend TWU, you must be accepted to the university and apply for an F-1 visa from your home country. For more information on the F-1 visa and its requirements, please refer to Study in the States.

Not all academic programs at TWU are F-1 eligible under the federal guidelines. Below is a link to degrees that are not available for F-1 international student admission. When choosing your academic focus, please select from the TWU degrees not included on this list.

F-1 Visa Restricted Degree Programs

STEM degrees

The following lists of degrees are those that have been designated as STEM at TWU, and therefore qualify for a 2-year STEM OPT Extension for F-1 visa holding students.

Biology

Biology BA 10204 26.0101 UD BIOL Biology BA
Biology BS 10204 26.0101 UD BIOL Biology BS
Biology MS 10204 26.0101 GM BIOL Biology MS
Medical Technology BS 10212 51.1005 UD BIOL MedTech BS
Molecular Biology PhD 10216 26.0204 GD BIOL MolecularBiol.PHD
Biotechnology PSM 10226 26.1201 GM BIOL Biotech.PSM

Chemistry/Biochemistry, Environmental Science

Chemistry/Biochemistry

Biochemistry BS 10602 26.0202 UD CHEM Biochemistry.BS
Chemistry BA 10604 40.0501 UD CHEM Chemistry.BA
Chemistry BS 10604 40.0501 UD CHEM Chemistry.BS
Chemistry MS 10604 40.0501 GM CHEM Chemistry.MS
Environmental Chemistry BS 03.0104 Envchemistry.BS

Environmental Science

Environmental Science BS 03.0104 Envscience.BS

Mathematics/Computer Science

Computer Science BS 11604 11.0101 UD CSCI CompSci.BS
Mathematics BA 11608 27.0101 UD MATH Math.BA
Mathematics BS 11608 27.0101 UD MATH Math.BS
Mathematics MA 11608 27.0101 GM MATH Math.MA
Mathematics MS 11608 27.0101 GM MATH Math.MS
Informatics BS 11614 11.0104 UD MATH Info.BS
Health Informatics BS 11616 51.2706 MATH InfoHlth.BS

Nutrition/Food Sciences

Food Science and Flavor Chemistry MS 45017 01.1001.00 GM NFS FoodSciFlavChem.MS
Nutrition BS 45024 30.1901 UD NFS Nuition.BS
Nutrition MS 45024 30.1901 GM NFS Nutrition.MS
Nutrition PhD 45024 30.1901 GD NFS Nutrition. PhD

Application

The F-1 Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) involves many moving parts. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Study in the States website offers interactive tools to navigate the international student process, including how to apply for an F-1 student visa & pay the required SEVIS fee.

The I-901 SEVIS Fee payment is required before you can obtain an F-1 Student Visa.

I-901 SEVIS Fee — pay the I-901 fee and check I-901 status
How to Navigate the U.S. Immigration System — I-901 SEVIS Fee information, instructions, and tutorials

International students have 2 deadlines:

Admissions application deadline

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Semester Start Date	Preferred Deadline	Final Deadline
Fall Semester	April 1	June 1
Spring Semester	August 1	November 1
Summer Semester*	March 1	April 1

*Only applies to academic programs that are eligible to begin in the Summer.

Immigration deadline

Accepted students must submit all required immigration documents by the following dates:

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Semester Start Date	Deadline
Fall Semester	August 1
Spring Semester	December 1
Summer Semester*	May 1

*Only applies to academic programs that are eligible to begin in the Summer.

Applications for admission to TWU are processed as they are received, without regard to semester deadlines. If the immigration deadline has passed, students who are out-of-the-country may be accepted to TWU but will need to defer admission to the next available semester.

TWU ISSS will make every effort to process your Form I-20 in time for you to obtain an F-1 visa. However, there is no guarantee you will obtain a visa in time to begin your studies in your preferred semester. You may have to defer to the next available semester.

Flowchart detailing steps toward receiving the I-20 form. See link to actual PDF below for readable text version

I-20 Form Issuance Flowchart [PDF]

Acceptance for initial and transfer students

Once you have been accepted to TWU, the International Student & Scholar Services office will receive a copy of your acceptance letter and email you with information on how your Initial or Transfer Form I-20 will be issued.

Next steps

Create your profile in the International Portal using the instructions provided in the email from intloffice@twu.edu regarding your admission.

The email will provide instructions on how to set up your TWU Pioneer Portal username and password that you will also use in the International Portal. Gather required documents and submit them in the Initial or Transfer I-20 request in the International Portal

Initial and Transfer students:

A copy of your passport
Required financial documents for the amount of funding you must show according to the table in the I-20 request

Transfer students, in addition to providing the information listed above, will also need to provide:

A copy of your visa
Your most current I-94 Record
Current Form I-20

Once you have submitted your documents in the International Portal, check your TWU email consistently for an electronic copy of your Initial or Transfer I-20.

Initial students print and sign your I-20 on page 1. You will use this document as your original when requesting your F-1 visa. See guidance on how to prepare for your F-1 visa interview.

Transfer students sign and save your I-20 either electronically or in a printed format.

All students: It is important to abide by the deadlines published above. If you have missed the deadline for admissions or immigration document submission you will need to contact the TWU DSO at intloffice@twu.edu for instructions on how to defer your admission to a subsequent semester.

Page last updated 5:12 PM, August 4, 2026