Shortening I-20 for Defense

The semester you defend is your final semester. ISSO will shorten your I-20 to the last day of the semester you defend. For example, if you defend on March 15, ISSO will shorten your I-20 to May 10th (the last day of the Spring Semester). 

When you schedule your defense with the Graduate College, ISSO is notified and your I-20 will be shortened at that time. Any Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization beyond your new I-20 end date will be shortened. 

Shortening I-20 to Defense Date

You can also select to have your I-20 program end date end on your oral defense date, as long as the defense will take place during the semester. You can request your I-20 end on your defense date when completing the Optional Practical Training form in CyStart. Your oral defense date needs to be listed in AccessPlus.

Interim Defense and I-20 End Date

If you defend after one semester ends and another semester begins, your I-20 and ISU work authorization will be shortened to the end date of the previous semester. 

Interim Defense Example:

Fall 2024 semester end date: December 20th
Spring 2025 semester start date: January 20th
Defense date: January 8th
New I-20 end date: December 20th

Defense on Day 1 of Semester

Scenario 1: If you defend on the first day of the semester and will not register for that semester, ISSO will shorten your I-20 and ISU work authorization to the last day of the previous semester that you were registered for.

Scenario 2: If you defend on the first day of the semester and are registered for that semester, ISSO will shorten your I-20 and ISU work authorization to the last day of the semester that you are registered for. 

Employment End Date

On-Campus Employment End Date

All on-campus employment must end on your I-20 end date. If you defend in the Spring Semester and your I-20 was shortened to May 7, you must stop all on-campus employment on or before May 7. 

Letter of Intent (LOI) End Date

When ISSO shortens your I-20, we will also shorten your ISU work authorization. All on-campus employment must end on your I-20 end date.

CPT Authorization End Date

ISSO will shorten your CPT authorization if it ends after your new I-20 end date. The CPT authorization will be shortened to the new I-20 end date. You must end all CPT work on your new CPT authorization end date. Students are encouraged to inform their employers that their CPT experience must end on or before their new CPT end date.

University Graduation

Iowa State University's policies and deadlines around graduation are administrative and do not impact your F-1 status. For F-1 students, the semester you defend is your final semester. Review this Graduate College exam date resource that outlines graduation deadlines, enrollment requirements, and impact on assistantship. Graduate College policies can be found in the Graduate College Handbook.

What Comes Next

Options after I-20 Ends

After your I-20 ends, you have a 60 day grace period. During your 60-day grace period you can: 

Cancelling Defense

If you have cancelled your defense and need additional time to complete your program requirements, you must apply for a Program Extension in Cystart to request to have your I-20 extended. See the Program Extension FAQ for more information on this process.