The immigration documents detailed below provide the documentation necessary to establish your lawful status and employment eligibility while you are in the U.S. as an F-1 student.
Form I-20
Form I-94
Passport
Visa
It is vital that keep them current, secure and accessible.
Your Form I-20, issued by BYU, is a certificate of eligibility
provided initially for you to apply for an F -1 student visa or to change your status,
but it functions as your record of F-1 lawful status throughout your stay in the U.S. and must be valid at all times.
Do not let it expire if you still plan to continue your program. more
Contents
Page 1:
Current information on your
school, program and level of study
program expiration date
required financial information
any dependents here in the U.S.
financial resources
Signature signifying that you have read and certify the information
Any notations by a DHS official
Page 2: “Instructions to Students” which should be followed to maintain your status.
Page 3:
Any authorizations for curricular practical training
Any recommendation for optional practical training
Any endorsement signatures of a Designated School Official (DSO) affirming that the information on the front of your I-20 is correct and you are currently in status for the purpose of re-entering the U.S.
You should keep all of your original I-20s even after a new one has been issued to reflect updated information or transfer of schools. If you lose your current I-20, request a replacement. request form
Your Form I-94, Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Record
is what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) uses to keep track of your arrival and departure from the U.S.
is a small white card usually stapled onto a U.S. visa page of your passport
contains an eleven-digit identifying number
indicates your lawful status
lists how long you may remain in the U.S.
Usually you will be admitted for “D/S”, meaning the duration of status for the length of your J-1’s program as indicated on your Form DS-2019
including any period of post-completion academic training
plus 30 days
If your J-1 finishes their program before the completion date indicated on your DS-2019, they are considered to have competed their program and your DS-2019 is no longer valid
is to be surrendered upon your permanent departure from the U.S.
You should keep your immigration documents current, secure and accessible.
Your passport is a formal permit to travel from and return to your issuing country.
All individuals in F and J status, except Canadian citizens entering from the Western Hemisphere, are required to present at their U.S. port of entry a passport valid for a minimum of six months.
list of countries that the U.S. allows entry up until the date of expiration
Your passport should contain a valid F or J visa for you to enter the U.S.
It is your responsibility to extend your passport before it expires or to replace it if lost.
Information on renewing your passport is available from your country's consulate or embassy.
As part of your application materials, you may request a certification letter of your status at BYU from International Services.
It is your permit allowing you to travel to a U.S. port of entry and to request entry in F-1 student status.
You might think of your visa as an entry key to the door of the U.S.
Once you have opened the door and entered, you do not need to worry about whether your visa is valid or expired unless you leave and plan to re-enter the U.S. In that case, you must have your key—a valid U.S. visa—to be able to reenter.
Even though your visa allows you to travel to a U.S. port of entry, it is a Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) immigration inspector who determines your admission into, length of stay and conditions of stay in, the U.S.
Your visa is valid for a specified number of entries to the United States: one, two, or "multiple," i.e., any number, until the expiration date.
If you are a Canadian citizen entering the U.S. from within the Western Hemisphere, you are not required to have a passport or visa, but you must show your Form I-20 and proof of Canadian citizenship. more
If you renew your passport and still have a valid visa in your old one, you may continue to use the visa in your old passport to enter the U.S.
If you change your status in the U.S. and then travel, you must have a visa corresponding to your new status when you re-enter the U.S.
In order to obtain a new F-1 visa, you generally should apply at a U.S. embassy or consulate within your country of citizenship or nationality; it can not be renewed in the U.S.
Contact the embassy or consulate where you plan to apply in advance to ask about the specific procedures and requirements at that location.
It is possible to apply for a visa as a “third country national” in a country other than your home country, but you may experience problems not experienced in your home country.
Your Form I-20, issued by BYU, is a certificate of eligibility
Your