Reduced Course Load
The DSO can grant a reduced course load due to illness or on medical condition of the student which has been duly established by the student by means of a medical certificate of a licensed doctor. The reduced course load cannot be granted for more than maximum of 5 months per course of study. The student previously granted a reduced course load for the total period of 5 months cannot seek reduced course load again.

School Transfer
The student can seek for school transfer within first six months of the course commencement and cannot seek transfer to another school after six months of the course commencement unless due to circumstances beyond the control of the student. For seeking school transfer the student must be:

Genuine and maintaining the status

Pursuing the full course of study

Wish to undertake a full course of study at the new school and

Able to attend the new school

The student has to apply using form

I-539 to the Service Center. If approved the approval date will be considered as the new course start date and the student will be granted a stay extension for the course duration or for one year which ever is less and an additional of 30 days to depart US.

For Non-SEVIS school
The application must be accompanied by the Form I-20ID copy and the Form 94 of the student’s spouse and children, if applicable. The Form I-539 must also be accompanied by Form I-20M-N properly and completely filled out by the student and by the designated official of the school which the student wishes to attend.

The student must submit the application for school transfer to the service center having jurisdiction over the school the student is currently authorized to attend. Upon approval, the adjudicating officer will endorse the name of the school to which the transfer is authorized on the student's Form I-20ID copy and return it to the student.

The officer will also endorse Form I-20M-N to indicate that a school transfer has been authorized and forward it to the Service's processing center for updating. The processing center will forward Form I-20M-N to the school to which the transfer has been authorized to notify the school of the action taken.

For SEVIS School
The student must first inform to the school about the intension of transfer. Upon notification by the student, the school will update SEVIS record to show the student status as "transfer out" and the "release date". Once this process is complete the school will issue a SEVIS I-20 form for transfer.

Upon receipt this Form, the student has to submit Form I-539 to the Service Center of the jurisdiction of the new school. Once the Service Center approves the transfer, it will endorse the name of the new school on the SEVIS Form I-20 and return it to the student.

The M-l student cannot not change the educational objective.

Practical Training
The student has to seek permission for practical training using Form I-765, along with fee and the Form I-20 that has been endorsed for practical training by the DSO. The submission of this application must be made prior to the program completion date and not before 90 days of the program completion date. The DSO must endorse on Form I-538 that:
He recommends the employment for the purpose of practical training;
The proposed employment correlates with the course of study; and
Upon the DSO's information and belief, the proposed employment is not available in India.
In any case the temporary employment for practical training may be authorized only after completion of the student's course of study.

Duration of practical training
Once the practical training is approved the Service Center will issue the employment authorization document to the student. One month of employment authorization will be granted for each four months of full-time study. In any case the total period of practical training authorization will be for a maximum of six months.

Except this practical training, the student cannot accept any other employment.

Restoration to Student Status
The district director shall consider restoring a student who makes a request for reinstatement using Form I-539, (Application to Extend/ Change Nonimmigrant Status) accompanied by a properly completed SEVIS Form I-20 mentioning the DSO's consideration for reinstatement. The district director shall consider granting the request if the student:

(G) Has not been out of status for more than 5 months at the time of filing the request for reinstatement (or establishes that the failure to file within the 5 months was due to exceptional circumstances);

(H) Does not have a record of repeated violations of Service regulations;

(I) Is currently undertaking, or intend to undertake, a full course of study in the near future at the school which issued the Form I-20;

(J) Has not engaged in any unauthorized employment;

(K) Is not deportable on any ground; and

(L) Establishes that:

(1) The violation of status resulted from circumstances beyond the student's control like serious injury or illness, closure of the institution, a natural disaster, or inadvertence, oversight, or neglect on the part of the OSO, and not of a willful violation or failure on the part of the student resulted in the need for reinstatement; or

(2) The violation was due to reduction in the student's course load that would have been within a DSO's power to authorize, and the denial of reinstatement would result in severe hardship to the student.

Along with form I-539 the student must submit:
In case there is any change in the particulars of the form I-20M since it was issued:
New I-20M-N form.
Incase there is no change in the particulars of the form I-20M since it was issued: