For international students, the decision to attend a U.S. university takes careful planning and preparation, including the steps required to obtain a student visa. But understanding what is required after receiving a student visa is also crucial to ensure uninterrupted study.

“It’s good to have an overall, general understanding of the visa process. When students arrive on campus, there is going to be a lot of information given to them. It can get overwhelming to absorb all this information in such a short period of time,” says Adam Wu, former director of international admissions at the University of La Verne in California and current associate director of international school partnerships at Match, a reverse admissions platform.

Here are some things prospective international students should be aware of and plan to do to maintain visa status once at a U.S. university.

Keep a Full-Time Credit Load

Experts recommend that students on an F-1 student visa or J-1 exchange visitor visa plan to take a full course of study.

“Each institution determines minimum full-time enrollment requirements. This is what is also known as a full course load requirement for international students,” says Roopa Rawjee, executive director for international engagement at Illinois State University.

For example, F-1 and J-1 undergraduate students must take at least 12 credits each quarter and graduate students must take at least 10 credits each quarter to maintain full-time status at the University of Washington, according to the school’s website.

Experts recommend getting authorization first from a school’s ISS office to ensure their status is unaffected and doesn’t cause any issues within the SEVIS system. SEVIS refers to the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, which is used by the U.S. government to maintain information on international students.

Don’t Violate U.S. Laws or University Codes of Student Conduct

Experts say international students must adhere to local laws and university rules.

“International students are held to the same expectations as all university students when it comes to following the institution’s code of conduct as well as state and federal laws,” Rawjee says.

Experts say students may be in violation of their visa status if they violate the school’s code of conduct.

“If a student is expelled from the university or otherwise unable to enroll in classes, the student would not be eligible to maintain F-1 status. We would terminate the SEVIS record and the student would need to depart the U.S. while the conduct issue is resolved,” says Uttiyo Raychaudhuri, vice provost for internationalization at the University of Denver in Colorado.

Wu says the consequences for violations may vary, “but the most severe infractions can result in university expulsion, which puts an international student’s legal status in the U.S. in jeopardy.”

Understand Travel Requirements  

International students planning to travel inside the U.S. should prepare to let friends and family know of their travel plans, Wu says, and have copies of reservations handy.

“Students should carry copies of their immigration documents such as the I-20 and passport with them,” he says. Form I-20 is the Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status, an important form used throughout an international student’s studies in the U.S.

Wu suggests students have a photo of these documents on their mobile phone and leave a copy with a friend in case they need someone at home to get the original documents while traveling.

International students who plan to travel outside the U.S. and then return to resume their studies must obtain a travel signature on their I-20 if they’re on the F-1 visa, or Form DS-2019, Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status, if they’re on the J-1 visa, Rawjee says.

Wu says students shouldn’t forget to get their travel authorizations signed. “I have lost count of the number of panicked phone calls I’ve received from students the evening before they are set to travel internationally,” he says.

There’s another critical requirement for students to remember. Michelle Streeter-Ferrari, director of the international education center at Wright State University in Ohio says “they need to be in status to be able to return.”

Keep Your Passport Valid and U.S. Address Current

While studying at a U.S. university, international students must make sure their passport hasn’t expired and keep their contact information current.

“They should make sure that their passport is valid for a minimum of six months at all times,” Rawjee says.

And when moving to a new residence, students are required to notify their school of any change of address.

Students with a J-1 visa have to report to the sponsor or sponsor designee within 10 calendar days of any changes to their current U.S. address or legal name, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS.

F-1 students must complete a Form AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card, notifying USCIS of any address changes within 10 days.

Some universities also require international students to report any change in contact information (such as a new email address or phone number) to the school’s ISS office within 10 days.

Be Aware of the Grace Period After Graduation

When international students complete their studies, they should be mindful of the number of days they can remain in the U.S.

“The federal regulations allow a grace period of 30 days for J-1 students and 60 days for F-1 students. This grace period is earned after successful completion of the program of study,” Rawjee says.

F-1 students can extend this period by taking part in post-completion optional practical training, or OPT. This program allows eligible students on an F-1 visa to work full or part time for up to 12 months before or after graduation. Post-graduation OPT is the more popular option, which authorizes students to stay in the U.S. until 60 days after their employment ends, according to USCIS.

F-1 students who obtain certain science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degrees can apply for a 24-month extension of their post-completion OPT, per USCIS. Students can participate in postgraduate practical training only if they apply by the appropriate deadline and their application is accepted by USCIS, experts say.

“As some rules and regulations do require some amount of lead time, it’s important that students make their plans with ample time to prepare,” Wu says. “Unfortunately, the excuse of ‘I didn’t know’ or ‘Nobody told me’ does not always go over well with immigration authorities.”