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Depending on the length of your program and duration of your visa, your visa may expire during before you complete your program of study at Florida Poly. For details visa renewals, review the instructions for the country where you will renew your visa, via the following links:
Remember: If your F-1 or J-1 visa is about to expire, you may remain legally in the United States (US) with an expired visa because your I-94 card is marked D/S, which stands for Duration of Status. This means that you are eligible to remain in the US until you either reach the end date on your I-20 (F-1)/DS-2019 (J-1), or until the end of your academic program, whichever comes first. Your visa is simply an entry permit to get into the US.
What if I intend to travel outside of the US and my F/J visa is expired?
If your visa expires, you will need to renew it before you re-enter the US after traveling abroad, if you are not automatic revalidation.
Is Visa Renewal Process Different from First Time Visa Process?
Whether you are applying for the first time or renewing your visa, you will use the same application process (see How to Apply).
Some applicants seeking to renew their visas in certain visa classes may be eligible for the Interview Waiver (IW) which allows qualified individuals to apply for visa renewals without being interviewed in person by a US consular officer.
Review the instructions on the website of the US Embassy or Consulate where you will apply to determine if the IW is available and if you qualify.
Can my visa be renewed in the US?
No, visas cannot be renewed while you are in the US, unless you qualify for Automatic Revalidation.
Once you have made a visa interview appointment check the embassy or consulate website for details on their visa renewal process.
Some visa applications require further administrative processing and may take additional time after your visa interview. When administrative processing is required, the timing will vary based on individual circumstances of each case. Visa applicants are reminded to apply early for their visa, and well in advance of their anticipated travel date.
How to Apply for Visa Renewal:
- Prior to leaving the US
- Identify the visa application requirements for the embassy or consulate where you plan to apply.
- Acquire all documents the embassy or consulate needs to issue a visa (see their website)
- Make a visa appointment.
- Reserve a flight that allows sufficient time to obtain a visa and remember:
- You may be subject to security clearances, which can result in delays of 20 additional business days or more.
- You should be aware of the negative effect a delay may have on completing courses when traveling in the middle of a semester.
- Go to: How to Apply on Travel.gov website and have the following items, to include anything the embassy or consulate’s website states is required:
- Signed copy of your most recent signed I-20 (F-1 students) or DS-2019 (J-1 students)
- Proof of full-time enrollment (copy of current transcript)
- Proof of current financial support (e.g. financial statements, affidavit of support from sponsor, or letter of financial aid)
- Enrollment verification (Students can obtain an Enrollment Verification letter in their CAMS portal for a term they are enrolled)
- Visa application form, fees, and photographs (according to your Embassy’s required format)
- If you have dependents:
- All immigration documents for F-2 or J-2 dependents.
- Additional funds are needed for each F-2 or J-2 dependent, thus the amounts on financial documents will need to be higher. (additional $3000 per dependent).
- Proof of relationship to spouse or children (e.g. marriage and birth certificates).
- If dependents apply for a visa without the presence of the principal F-1 or J-1 student, they need to bring copies of the student’s documents.
Renewing Visa as a Third Country National
Applying for visa in a country which is not your home country (called a “third” country) can be more difficult than applying at home. You may need to prove that you have continuously maintained lawful immigration status during your time in the US or be sent back home to your country to apply for the visa. Since refusal in a third country is more likely to occur, than in your home country, you should plan well in advance for your date of travel.
The Department of State (DOS), which operates the embassies and consulates worldwide, prefers that applicants apply for visas in their home countries.
However, consulates or consular posts located in Canada and Mexico - often referred to as “border posts” - will entertain an application by a “Third Country National” (TCN) applicant who makes an advance appointment.
The possibility always exists that a consulate in Canada or Mexico will not grant a visa because it believes that only the US consulate in an applicant’s home country is equipped to make a visa issuance decision.
Any third country national (TCN)* present in the US and visitors present in Canada or Mexico who wish to apply for a nonimmigrant visa at the Embassy or consulates in Canada or Mexico, must make an appointment for an interview.
Find information at “How to Apply for a Visa at a US Embassy or Consulate if you are a Third Country National Present in the United States or Visiting Canada”.
- If seeking this option you must contact the embassy or consulate for additional information, have a “valid” reason to provide for why you must apply as a third country national, and be prepared to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the visa officer that you have enough funding to complete your program and that you plan to return to your home country.
- If you have relatives that are US citizens or permanent residents, this will be more difficult to do, and if your only reason for applying in this country is to avoid your home country consulate, you will more than likely be denied.
- Good examples of valid reasons include: to attend a conference, to visit family or friends, etc.
Remember:
- F and J students traveling and that are not eligible to for automatic revalidation to re-enter the US, must have a valid visa.
- If you do leave the US with an expired visa, you will have to renew the visa at a US consulate before returning.
- When in doubt about whether something you are planning to do will be a violation of your visa or student status:
- F-1 students should talk to their DSO
- J-1 students should talk to the Program Adviser from their Sponsoring Organization (IIE or AMIDEAST)
- Other visa type students should visit the Department of State’s website for Visa Resources.
Passport Renewal
All non-immigrants in the US are required to maintain a valid passport at all times. Passports should be valid for at least six months into the future when entering and re-entering the US and also when applying for a visa. It is important (especially F and J visa students) to keep your passports valid at all times.
International students at Florida Poly must contact their local US Embassy or Consulate for instructions on renewing their passport.
The passport is your own government’s permit for you to leave and re-enter your own country; consult your consulate or embassy in the US on the requirements to renew your passport.
F and J students who have a valid visa and an expired passport are still able to use their visa (if they have the old passport), and must remember to carry and present the old passport along with the new passport when traveling.
Remember: Due to the pandemic, there are delays in passport renewal services around the world, please make sure to provide ISS with proof that you have requested passport renewal before your passport expires.
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