IS

Based upon medical reasons or as your annual vacation, you may request authorization to defer your enrollment from fall to winter or winter to spring while remaining in the U.S. and retaining your lawful status.

Eligibility:

• Medical—must be in lawful status
• Vacation
• must be in lawful status
• must have been enrolled full time for the PREVIOUS eight months (e.g., spring, summer and fall for a winter deferment).
  

Process:

1. Admissions Office—representing BYU
• If you plan not to enroll in any credit hours, complete and submit to International Admissions an International Continuing Student Deferment form
• The approval of your submitted form allows for
  
• non-enrollment for either fall or winter and
  
• enrollment at BYU for the next enrollment period (either the next winter or spring).
  
• If you plan to enroll in any credit hours, do not submit an International Continuing Student Deferment form
• A deferment only keeps your registration eligibility active. If you enroll in any hours, your eligibility will remain automatically active.
  
  
2. International Services—representing the Student and Exchange Visitors Information System of the U.S. government (SEVIS)
• We certify to Admissions on the International Continuing Student Deferment form that you are eligible for a deferment; otherwise, Admissions will not grant your deferment because you would be out of lawful status.
• If your deferment is for medical reasons, click here.
  A qualifying medical reason is an illness or other medical condition that interrupts your ability to maintain a full course of study

  • You must obtain a statement
    
  • recommending the interruption or reduction in studies from a
    
  • medical doctor,
    
  • doctor of osteopathy, or
    
  • licensed clinical psychologist
    
  •  Medical statements must
    
  • be written on institution letterhead
    
  • include the date and recommending medical officer's signature.
  • If necessary, you may use a total of 12 months approved medical deferment during your course of study. Beyond that, if further medical assistance is necessary, USCIS requires that you return to your home country.
  • Receiving a deferment for medical reasons does not require you to change your vacation schedule.
    

  
  
• We notify SEVIS that you are authorized to take less than the required 12 hours during the desired semester, allowing you to retain your lawful status.
  
• THIS PROCESS CHANGES YOUR ANNUAL VACATION IN SEVIS, TYPICALLY FROM SPRING AND SUMMER, TO THE REQUESTED SEMESTER.
• That means your future annual vacations will be shifted to that major semester thus requiring a full course of study (full-time enrollment) during the remaining enrollment periods during the year.
  
• Vacation details

If you do not qualify for a deferment and do not continue with a full course of classes, you may not remain in the United States because your lawful status will be terminated in SEVIS, and you must reapply to the university for admission.