OISS

My visa stamp in my passport is about to expire.  Do I need a new one ?

If you are not planning to travel outside the U.S., you do not need a new visa.

The visa that is stamped in your passport is for entry purposes only.  Once you are in the U.S., your I-20 and I-94 card become the active documents that permit you to remain in the U.S.  You are allowed to stay for “Duration of Status” (the period of time you remain a student in good standing.)  The date noted on your I-20 as the expected completion date of your studies is the expiration date of your F-1 status.  This date can be extended through the Office of International Student Services if necessary.

Where do I apply for a new visa?

You can apply for a visa at the U.S. Consulate or Embassy in your home country when you go home for a visit.  It is important to realize that some consulates require an appointment.  Additionally, significant delays of three to four months are not uncommon.  Background checks can cause more delays and be triggered by an arrest, coursework that appears in your transcript, or simply by your country of citizenship.

If your visa will be expired at the time you wish to re-enter the U.S., check with the consulate or embassy to determine how long it is currently taking to process new visas by visiting the Department of State website at www.travel.state.gov.

What do I need to take to the Consulate in order to apply for a new visa?

• Passport valid for at least six months after the proposed date of (re)entry into the U.S.

• A current SEVIS I-20, with PDSO signature and signed for travel.

• A letter of good standing from the DSO.

• A copy of your transcript, available from the Registrar’s Office.

• Proof of financial support.  You should be able to verify your ability to cover the amount indicated on your I-20 form. You will be asked to provide an affidavit of support, bank statements, a research/teaching assistantship verification letter, and/or a scholarship/grant verification letter.

• Proof of ties to your home country.  This is a nonspecific item, but since you are applying for a non-immigrant visa, you may need to show that you intend to remain a permanent resident of your home country.  You can bring a letter offering you a job in your home country, letters from family or friends, evidence of ownership of property in home country, or copies of bank statements from a bank in your home country to the Consulate as proof that you have stronger ties to your home country than the United States.

• Two completed Nonimmigrant Visa Application Forms (Form DS-156 and Form DS-158)

• At least one standard passport photograph, and  

• The Application and Issuance Fee.  There is a standard $100 visa application fee for all applicants plus an issuance fee, in some countries.  Check with the Department of State to determine if you will be charged an issuance fee, also called a Visa Reciprocity Fee.

May I apply for a new visa within the United States?

Under most circumstances and especially after September 11 terrorist attacks, U.S. consulates will not issue visas for non-immigrants.   You must travel outside the country for a renewal.

Applying for a new visa in a third country

You may be eligible to apply for a visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate in a third country such as Canada or Mexico.   To enter a third country, however, you may need an entry visa to visit Canada or Mexico.   Please inquire with their consulate by phone or via email whether a visa is required.  There is also the possibility you will be denied.

Canada: (213) 346-2771  Web: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/index.html

Mexico: (202) 736-1000   Web: http://portal.sre.gob.mx/usa/

Please keep in mind that as of April 1, 2002, F students from all countries who go to Canada, Mexico, or any other third country post to apply for a new visa are not allowed to re-enter the U.S. on an expired visa stamp if the new visa is not approved at the U.S. Consulate.  If the application for the visa is denied, the student or scholar would, in most cases, need to depart directly to their home country to apply for a new visa to re-enter the U.S.

Additionally, students who are subject to background checks must remain in the third country until the background check is completed and the visa is approved before being allowed to re-enter the U.S.  Background checks can take up to three months.

Special instructions for Visa application in Mexico or Canada

Effective November 1, 2002, the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico only processes F-1 visas for continuing students in full-time degree programs who can demonstrate that their F-1 visa was issued in their home country . 

Please note that embassies and consulates along the U.S. border can no longer accept applications from non-resident TCNs who are nationals of the six countries currently designated as state sponsors of terrorism.

You must make an appointment for an interview in order to apply for a non-immigrant visa at a U.S. Consular Border Post in Canada or Mexico.  For more information, visit the Department of State website at www.travel.state.gov.