IS

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
  

• 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.
  

• is what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) uses to keep track of your arrival to 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 program of study as indicated on your Form I-20
• including any period of post-completion optional practical training
• plus 60 days
• If you finish your program before the completion date indicated on your I-20, you are considered to have competed your program of study and your I-20 is no longer valid.
• is to be surrendered upon your final departure from the U.S.
  

• Your passport is a formal permit to travel from and return to your issuing country.
• All individuals in F-1 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 and that automatically extends passports for six months
• Your passport should contain a valid F-1 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.

• Your visa is a stamp placed in your passport at a U.S. Department of State Embassy or Consulate outside of the U.S. designating you as a student.  
  
• 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.
• Validity of your visa after a subsequent break in studies.
• Application information
• 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.
• The process may take several weeks.
• F-1 renewal questions and answers
• Current wait times
• 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.
• Visa Appointment Strategies
  General.

  • Check before hand to see if you need a visa to enter the country when you will have your interview.
  • Have a valid passport in your possession.
    
  • Make sure that you answer all questions in your visa application and any related forms.
  • Anticipate that the visa interview will be conducted in English. Do not bring parents or family members with you to the interview. The consular official will want to interview you, not your family. A negative impression is created if you are not prepared to speak in your own behalf.

  Academics. Be definite and clear about your educational plans. You should be able to explain precisely what you wish to study and why. Be especially prepared to explain reasons for studying in the United States rather than your country.

  Financial documentation. Be prepared to prove financial ability to pay for your education and living expenses. While it is true that when authorized you will be able to work part time during your studies, such employment is considered incidental to your main purpose of completing your education. You must show the consular officer that you have available the annual amount in U.S. dollars listed on your Form I-20 or DS-2019. Your financial evidence should be in the form of bank statements, affidavits of support, scholarship award letters. etc.

  Ties to your home country. Demonstrate convincing reasons for consular officials to believe that you intend to return home after studies in the U.S. Emphasize ties to your home country such as family obligations, property or investments that you own or will inherit and clear explanations of how you plan to use your education to help your country or pursue a career when you return home.

  Dependents remaining at home. If you have a spouse and/or children remaining behind in your home country, be prepared to address how they will support themselves in your absence. This can be an especially tricky area if you are the primary source of income for your family. If the consular official gains the impression that your family members will need you to remit money from the U.S. in order to support them, your student visa will almost surely be denied.

  Focus. Because of the volume of visa applications, all consular officials are under considerable pressure to conduct a quick and efficient interview. They must make a decision for the most part, on the impression they form during the first minute or two of the interview. Consequently, what you say first and the initial impression you create are critical to your success. Officials try to detect an applicant's intentions that may be different than those of a potential student who is to return to their home country after training. Keep your answers short and to the point.