Office of International Programs (OIP)


F-1 Visa, I-94 and I-20

 

F-1 visa

A visa represents permission from the U.S. State Department for you to enter the United States for a particular purpose (i.e. study, work, visit, etc.). In the past, visas were rubber-stamped on the passport page with multi-colored ink. Presently, a machine-readable, label-type of visa, with your photograph is issued by the U.S. embassy or consulate overseas. You used the visa to enter the U.S. Your visa is numbered, and shows your name, the visa category (for example, F-1), the date and place of issue, the expiration date, and the name of the consular official who issued it.

A visa permits you to request entry into the U.S. at a port of entry (for example at the San Francisco International Airport). Once you are in the U.S., your visa may expire without any penalty (as long as you maintain your full-time student status), since it governs only your entry and not your stay.

However, if you travel outside of the U.S. and then wish to return to continue your studies after your visa has expired, you need to get a new visa stamp in your passport (at a U.S. embassy/consulate preferably in your home country) before you can return to the U.S.

Furthermore, visas are not renewed; a new visa is issued to replace an expired one. And visas are not generally issued from within the U.S. You need to return to your home country (or go to another country) and apply for a new visa at the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate.


Back to top

Duration of Status (D/S)

Duration of Status (D/S) is defined as:
  • The time during which you are pursuing a full course of study (12 units for undergraduates/ 8 units for graduates per semester) and making normal progress toward completing that course, plus
  • The time you may be working in authorized "practical training" after you complete studies (if you qualify and are so authorized), plus
  • 60 days to depart the country.
  • If you terminate your course of study before you complete all degree program requirements, you must notify an International Student Advisor at OIP. At that time you will only have a 15-day grace period. Students who fail to notify an International Student Advisor at OIP before terminating their studies prior to the completion of their program of study do not have a grace period!

The USCIS grants duration of status to F-1 students by stamping the I-94.

Back to top


I-94

The I-94 (Arrival and Departure record), is your permission to remain in the U.S. It is a small white card, part of a longer form that you completed on the plane during your flight to the U.S. When you arrived in the U.S., the USCIS inspector removed the bottom section and stapled the I-94 card into your passport (usually to the page next to your visa stamp). The I-94 card indicates the date and port of entry, the inspector鈥檚 identification number and the status in which you were admitted to the U.S. (i.e. F-1 student). All F-1 visa international students should have the notation 鈥淒/S鈥 stamped in the upper right-hand corner of their I-94 cards. D/S status for 鈥淒uration of Status鈥 and means that you can stay in the U.S. (with a few exceptions) for as long as you are a full-time student pursuing your academic program

Click to see larger image.

Courtesy of 2008 NAFSA Advisor's Manual

Back to top

I-20 (See a sample I-20)

The I-20 is an official U.S. government form. You must obtain a signature before traveling outside the U.S. so that your I-20 can be signed or a new form can be issued, if required. See Travel to and from the U.S.regarding how to obtain a signature.

Back to top

Stolen Passport, I-94, and I-20

According to Travel. State.gov if your passport with your I-94 are lost or stolen, you must get them replaced immediately. There are a number of steps you need to take as follows:

Police Report
Go to the local police station and report your document(s) lost or stolen. If available, you will need to provide copies of the original documents. You will be issued a police report detailing the incident. Don’t forget to make an extra copy of the report for your own records.

Request Replacement of a Lost/Stolen Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94)
Replacement of a lost or stolen Form I-94 falls under the responsibility of Department of Homeland Security (DHS). To file for a replacement I-94, see Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document at the DHS, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website and see Arrival-Departure Record at the DHS, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website.

Report your Passport Lost/Stolen to Your Embassy
Contact the local Embassy or consular section for the country of your citizenship for information on the procedure to replace a lost or stolen passport. Most countries have Internet web sites with contact information.

Report your Visa Lost/Stolen to the U.S. Embassy Abroad
To report your visa lost or stolen, fax the Consular Section or Consul General at the Embassy abroad which issued your visa. Go to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate website to locate the fax number and contact information. Be sure to include your full name, date of birth, place of birth, address in the U.S., and an e-mail address (if available). Specifically state whether the visa was lost or stolen. If you have a copy of the passport or visa, fax this to the Embassy or consular section. Otherwise, if known, report the category of visa, and the passport number from the lost/stolen visa.
If you have already reported your visa lost/stolen to the U.S. Embassy abroad, and then you later find your misplaced visa, please note that the visas will be invalid for future travel to the U.S., and you must apply in person at the Embassy or Consulate abroad for a new visa.

Applying for a Replacement U.S. Visa
Lost or stolen U.S. visas cannot be replaced in the U.S. For replacement of a visa, you must apply in person at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad. When applying for the replacement of a visa, you will need to provide a written account documenting the loss of your passport and visa. Include a copy of the police report.
http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/info/info_2009.html

Back to top

 

Procedures to Replace a Lost I-20

To apply for an I-20 that has been lost, stolen or destroyed, complete a "F-1 Document Request Form鈥 and submit it to the OIP front desk. The new I-20 will ready for you to pick up within 5 business days.

Back to top


SF State Home