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OISSS >
For International Students > F-1
> Immigration Documents
F-1
Immigration Documents
Passport
| Certificate of Eligibility (I-20 form)
Visa | I-94 Admission Departure
Card
All non-immigrants (except Canadian citizens) are required to possess
and keep current a valid passport issued by their country of citizenship.
Failure to keep it valid renders a non-immigrant out of status (and consequently
ineligible for employment, extension of stay or change of status as well
as subject to deportation). Questions regarding passport renewals, extensions,
or replacements should be addressed to the non-immigrant's embassy or
consulate here in the U.S. While it is not necessary to carry a passport
at all times while in the States, it must be taken with you when leaving
and re-entering the U.S. The passport expiration date should not be confused
with a visa expiration date (always indicated on the visa stamp inside
the passport) or the expiration of a particular period of stay as indicated
on one's I-20 or I-94 card.
The Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant
(F-1) Student Status, or I-20 form, is the visa document which the Office of International Student and Scholar Services issued to you upon your admission to UNC-Chapel Hill and after provision
of financial documentation. The I-20 form is used for visa application
at a U.S. Embassy or consular post outside the U.S. and for entry when
crossing a border into the United States.
The I-20
form is extremely important since it legitimizes your presence in the
United States and you should keep it in a safe place. This is the document
that states the period of time that you may legally remain within the
United States. Please note the completion of studies date at #5 on your
I-20 form. Do not allow this date to expire, or you will be out of status
and unable to work or apply for any other benefits. Please contact the
Office of International Student and Scholar Services if you need additional time to complete your studies
(program extension) (link to F-1 Students, Program Extension) or if you
are changing the level of your studies (link to F-1 Students, Change of
Major, Program or Degree Level) (for example, master's degree to Ph.D.).
The I-20 form is only valid while you continue to be enrolled as a full-time
student at the institution which issued the I-20, or if you have extended
your F-1 status via an application for Optional Practical Training after
completion of studies.
A
visa is a stamp in the passport issued by a consular officer at a U.S.
Embassy or Consulate abroad which will facilitate entry into the U.S.
for a specific purpose if presented at the port of entry along with any
other necessary visa documents (such as an I-20 form and financial support
documents). One cannot obtain an F-1 visa stamp within the U.S. The visa
is generally good for 1, 2, or multiple entries and usually has an expiration
date (which may or may not correspond to your authorized period of stay
on your I-20 form).
Your
non-immigrant visa stamp may expire while you are in the U.S. with no
consequences as long as the date on your visa certificate (I-20) and the
date (if any) on your I-94 card are still valid. Should you leave the
U.S. and wish to re-enter the U.S., care should be taken to ascertain
whether the visa stamp in the passport is still valid and if an application
to a U.S. Consulate abroad for a new visa will be necessary (especially
in cases of those wishing to re-enter in a status different from a previous
stay in the U.S.). Non-immigrants already in the U.S. may apply to USCIS
for a change to another non- immigrant status if they desire and are eligible
(consult with Office of International Student and Scholar Services staff for details). A spouse and/or
unmarried children under 21 years may enter in (or change to) dependent
status with appropriate visa and financial documentation.
All non-immigrants complete an I-94 Admission-Departure
card when they arrive at the U.S. port of entry. This I-94 (Admission-Departure)
card contains a unique eleven digit number which the U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration Service (USCIS) uses in their database to record your
stay in the U.S. You will complete your name, date of birth, and country
of citizenship. An USCIS Inspector will then stamp or write out on your
I-94 card your visa type, date of entry to the U.S., and port of entry.
Also stamped or written should be the symbol D/S which stands for Duration
of Stay. This means that you may stay until the expiration date on your
Visa Certificate (I-20) and also as long as you comply with the requirements
of your status (full-time study, no unauthorized employment, etc). You
will surrender this card to an USCIS officer or airline official when you
leave the country and will receive a new card if you re-enter. This card
should be kept together with your passport and visa certificate. If you
lose your I-94 card (at any time other than an imminent departure from
the U.S.) you may need to apply to USCIS for a replacement.
If you have been admitted to the U.S. in F-1 or F-2 status and there is
an expiration date written or typed on your I-94 card instead of "D/S",
see the Office of International Student and Scholar Services staff immediately.
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