Travel:

Has your U.S. visa stamp inside your passport expired? If it is still valid, is it for multiple entry, or has the entry been used up? Finally, is the category for which the visa was issued the status you currently hold (for example, if your visa is F-2, are you currently in F-2 status or did that status change after you entered the United States).

Any student who is traveling outside the United States whose U.S. visa has expired or for whom the status has changed will need to apply for a new visa at a U.S. visa issuing post abroad before the student can return to the United States. In most cases, the visa application will be filed in your home country. Appointments are now required for virtually all non-immigrant visa applications. This has resulted in significant delays at some U.S. visa issuing posts abroad, especially during holiday periods and summer.

You should start the visa process at the earliest possible time upon your arrival back in your home country.

It's important to note that holiday periods and the summer vacation period are extremely busy times at visa issuing posts due to the large numbers of travelers and reduced staff who may be taking vacation. Also, in the event of any protests, threats, or terrorist attacks that are judged to be threatening to U.S. embassy or consulate personnel, government officials at those posts may temporarily close or alter their operational hours.

The State Department has also prepared an information sheet about student visas on its web site which may be useful to you as an international student. They may be obtained at
http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_types_students2.html for F-1

SECURITY CHECKS AND SPECIAL REGISTRATION
Individuals from Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria, both male and female, will not be eligible to obtain a new non-immigrant visa unless it can be determined that the individual does not pose a security threat. Such individuals will undergo a security check that will lengthen the processing time for their visa applications.

Males between the ages of 16 and 45 from Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen who will need to renew their U.S. visas while abroad may be required to undergo security checks that will lengthen the processing time for their visa applications.

These same individuals may be subject to "special registration" upon their return to the United States. Individuals subject to "special registration" are fingerprinted, photographed and questioned under oath upon entry into the United States and must go through a special exit procedure prior to any departure from the United States. This list of countries can be expanded at anytime with the publication of additional countries in the Federal Register.

BACKGROUND CHECKS:
Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, there has been an increase in the number of criminal background checks done for all visa applicants. State Department consular posts use a computer program called the Consular Lookout and Support System (CLASS) to check names and visa eligibility of all visa and passport applicants.

If you have ever been arrested, or if you have a name that is the same as or similar to someone who has been arrested, the record will need to be cleared before a visa can be issued. This process can take as long as six to eight weeks, or longer.

SEVIS REQUIREMENTS AND THE FEDERAL SEVIS FEE:
Visa officials are required to verify your record in the SEVIS system before a visa can be approved. This is also true for any dependents. Two years ago, there were data transfer problems of some SEVIS records between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State that resulted in lost information, but most of these problems have been resolved. If the visa official is unable to access your record in SEVIS and you have a SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019, please contact the ISSS by e-mail, phone or fax to alert us to the problem.

Continuing F-1 and J-1 students are not required to pay the Federal SEVIS fee, If you have requested a letter of certification from the ISSS and have indicated that you are traveling to apply for a new visa, the letter will contain information regarding the SEVIS fee. In the rare event that you are asked to show proof of SEVIS fee payment and you are a continuing student, contact the Office of Admission by e-mail, fax or telephone. We will want to know the date and location of your visa interview. We will verify your records and then provide you with information showing that the SEVIS fee is not required.

VISA APPLICATIONS IN CANADA OR MEXICO:
Since 2002, any non-immigrant who chooses to apply for a new visa while in Canada or Mexico (but is not a citizen of either of those two countries) is no longer eligible for the "automatic revalidation" benefit during the course of that trip, but will have to wait until the visa is approved in order to re-enter the United States. If the U.S. visa application is denied, that individual will not be permitted to re-enter the United States, and will instead have to return to his or her home country. So, international students should consider this matter carefully when applying for a U.S. visa in Canada or Mexico.

Individuals from Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria are not be eligible to obtain a new non-immigrant visa in either Canada or Mexico.

If you hold "landed immigrant" status in Canada, or are an applicant for such status, you are strongly advised not to apply for a new U.S. visa unless you have established a residency in Canada for which you can show proof; such as rent receipts, employment in Canada, immediate family living there, etc. Individuals who have "landed immigrant status" in Canada but who have not established residency in Canada will find it impossible to prove to a U.S. visa official that they have strong ties to Canada, and equally impossible to prove that they still have strong ties to their home country (U.S. visa officials will assume that anyone who has obtained "landed immigrant" status in Canada no longer plans to return to their country of citizenship). In such instances, U.S. visa officials will deny the visa application.

DOCUMENTS YOU WILL NEED TO APPLY FOR A NEW F-1 Visa

___SEVIS I-20
If you will need to apply for a new visa, check the front of your most recently issued I-20 carefully to be sure the field of study, level of study, and source of funds are still correct. If you will need a new I-20, you must provide updated proof of financial support, unless current information is already on file. Allow seven to ten working days for the office of admission to prepare new visa documents for you.

___PASSPORT
Check the expiration date of your passport. If traveling abroad, your passport MUST be valid at least six months into the future upon your return to the United States. Passports may be renewed at your country's embassy or consulate in the United States, or in your home country. The office of International Student and Scholar Services has a directory of all foreign consulates and embassies, with addresses and phone numbers, for your reference. Or, if you have access to the world wide web, you can obtain up-to-date information on passport renewal. Point your web browser to http://www.embassy.org/embassies/

___LETTER OF CERTIFICATION
This is a letter issued by Bloomfield College that verifies that you are a student at the college and that you are maintaining valid status. It is required for a new visa application. Any international student traveling outside the United States who will be applying for a new F-1 should request such a letter from the college at least ten days prior to travel.

___MAINTAINING STATUS
Have you been maintaining the conditions of your non-immigrant status? If you are an F-1, this means maintaining full time registration each semester at the school you are authorized to attend, reporting changes of address to the ISSS within ten days, refraining from unauthorized employment, not letting your I-20 expire, and following the appropriate procedures for school transfer and extensions. If you think you may have violated the conditions of your status, be sure to speak to staff in the Office of Admission BEFORE departing the United States, as you may risk being denied permission to return.

___BC TRANSCRIPT
Most consulates ask for transcripts when students come to renew their student visas to show that you have been making satisfactory progress towards your degree. In addition to the transcript, also have with you a printed copy of your current semester's course registration, stamped by the Registrar's Office.

___FINANCIAL DOCUMENTATION
Documented proof of financial support that appears on your I-20 is required if you will be applying for a new student visa abroad, OR if you are a national of Canada or Mexico who is traveling home to Canada or Mexico.

___OPTIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING
If you are on Optional Practical Training post-completion of studies and will need to obtain a new F-1 visa before returning to the United States, you must have your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) with you, your SEVIS I-20 endorsed for practical training with a travel signature on page 3 that is less than six months old, and a letter from your employer, verifying your employment status. Students are warned that visa issuance for individuals on practical training can be highly problematic, since you may have a hard time proving that you do not intend to immigrate to the United States. Such students are urged to discuss their situation with staff in the Office of International Student and Scholar Services before they travel.

(Courtesy of Ellen Badger, ISSS, Binghamton University)

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