Immigration Documents
Your International Student File
Immigration regulations require the International Office to maintain records on all international students attending the college. Therefore you must maintain regular contact with the international student adviser and update your file when changes are made, such as renewal of a passport, visa, time and point of reentry, change of major or a change of address.
Passport
The passport must be kept valid at all times. It is the student's responsibility to know when the passport will expire and to contact their country's nearest Consulate or Embassy for renewal. You can search for those through the Consulates/Embassies website.
Visa
The visa stamped in the student's passport at the U.S. Consulate gives the student permission to enter for a specific purpose and period of time. Since the stamp is important only for entry and reentry into the United States, a student need not worry if it expires while they are in the U.S. but they must get a new visa to reenter if they leave the U.S. and the existing visa has expired. For more information on obtaining a visa, please visit our instructional page.
Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record
The Form I-94 is the paper attached to the student's passport and officially determines how long the student can remain in the United States. Most F-1 visa holders have their I-94 stamped "D/S" (Duration of Status) indicating that the they can remain to complete studies as along as they maintain student status. The I-94 contains an eleven-digit number which becomes the student's "admission number." This same number is also written on the I-20 at the time of admission and on the student visa in the passport. This number will remain as the student's admission number for the duration of their studies.
I-20 ID
The I-20 is a 3 page document issued by the school to the student and is used for obtaining the F-1 student visa. Students must keep all copies of the I-20 issued to them. When leaving the United States, the student must get the International Student Advisor's signature on page 3 of the document to reenter. The I-20 also contains very important information on rules and regulations. By signing the I-20, students agree to comply with all regulations and understand the consequences of violatons.