International Student Services

Request addition to Form I-17

This page is intended for use by UW Bothell staff when adding a new major program of study.

UWB ISS maintains the school’s Form I-17, “Petition for Approval of School for Attendance by a Nonimmigrant Student”. UWB ISS also maintains the Form I-20 “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status” for all international F-1 students on campus.

All international F-1 students must have a Form I-20 indicating which major program of study they are attending, and all new major programs of study must be accounted for on the Form I-17 before we can issue a Form I-20.

Request an addition

  • Access the MS Form here.
  • You must be signed-in to your UW account to access the form.
  • Your name and UW email will be recorded on submission.

Changes

Unless a new CIP code is being assigned, changes do not need to be reported. Generally, ISS will learn of changes to running programs when they are announced to the campus.

Removal

If your major program of study is no longer running or can no longer support F-1 students, please email uwbintl@uw.edu with the subject line “Request program removal from Form I-17”. In the email, please detail the name, degree type, and final quarter you expect to have students enrolled.

Please keep the following in mind

  • Minimum credits per quarter are 12 credits at the undergraduate level and 10 at the graduate level. If your credits per quarter do not meet this minimum, F-1 students cannot attend.
    • Exception 1: Graduate students who have completed all formal coursework and enrolled in 700/800 level Thesis or Dissertation courses are considered full time.
    • Exception 2: All students can apply for a reduced course load if fewer credits remain in their final quarter.
  • International F-1 students are only permitted to take one online course per quarter towards their minimum credit requirement. An online course cannot be the only course they take if no other in-person credits remain in their final quarter.
  • Students must attempt to make progress towards their degree each quarter. If there are no courses available, it could jeopardize their F-1 student status and they might not be able to remain in the US.
  • Summer is often a required quarter for international F-1 students, especially those who have failed a course or otherwise need to catch up to complete their degree on-time.
  • International F-1 students have a “program end date” to complete all degree requirements. That date is determined by the amount of credits required and average length of time to complete the degree. Extensions are only granted for compelling academic or documented medical reasons.
  • The majority of off-campus curricular practical experiences (paid, unpaid, or volunteer) require the student to receive authorization from ISS. Please make sure to list any off-campus requirements to meet degree completion, including optional elective courses with an off-campus component.
  • A STEM eligible CIP code does not mean students are automatically granted an extension or will be eligible for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. It is only an available benefit if they can remain employed during Post-completion OPT and have a bona fide relationship with an eligible e-verified employer, who will agree to complete an I-983 (2-year training plan). The student must apply for the benefit 90 days before completing Post-completion OPT and be approved by USCIS.
    • USCIS has the authority to question the CIP code of your program when a student is applying for the STEM OPT extension. If they believe the student’s degree and the STEM eligible CIP code do not align, the student can be denied the extension. Before denial, students will receive a Request for Evidence (RFE) to have the school prove the degree is STEM eligible. Please have a template letter for your STEM eligible degree, which describes how the curriculum aligns to the STEM eligible CIP code. The letter must be signed by the school’s dean and given to the student if they receive an RFE.