It is very important for you to maintain your student status while you are in the U.S. Your student status will affect your eligibility for opportunities such as employment and school transfers. When you enter the United States, an immigration inspector will ask you to read and sign a statement on the Form I-20 (F-1 students) or Form IAP-66 (J-1 students). When you sign this statement you are agreeing to abide by the conditions of F-1 or J-1 status while in the United States. 

To maintain your student status, you must:

• Remain enrolled full-time at the institution you are authorized to attend.
• Have a valid, current I-20 (F-1 students) or IAP-66 (J-1 students) form.
• Maintain a valid passport that will still be valid for at least six months into the future. For several countries this rule doesn't apply.
• Have authorization to work and not work more than 20 hours per week while classes are in session

There are also special requirements for maintaining student status for just F-1 or just J-1 students. Talk to your foreign student adviser for more information on maintaining student status.