Renewing or Changing Visas
When you received your visa stamp inside your passport, an expiration date was also noted. If you are in F status and your entry visa expires while you are studying in the U.S., there is no need to renew it as long as you stay in the U.S. However, if you travel abroad you must plan to renew it, no matter how short a trip you take to your country of destination (see the section on Travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean for exceptions).
If you wish to obtain a different type of visa than the type you have now, the following instructions are generally the same but you should see the Office for Global Education (OGE) for consultation regarding timing and your particular situation. It is not possible to complete this procedure in the U.S. You may renew your visa at a U.S. Consulate in your home country; countries other than your own may impose stricter requirements or may be unwilling to renew a visa for a citizen of another country. To renew an F-1, you do not need to pay a SEVIS processing fee.
Documents you should have with you when renewing your visa:
- A valid passport
- A properly endorsed I-20
- A recent photograph
- Current financial documentation of your ability to pay for your education and living expenses while you study at Purchase College
For some countries, the following documents may be needed:
- Transcripts from every school you attended in the U.S.
- I-20’s from all the schools you attended in the U.S.
- A Purchase College letter of enrollment issued by the Office for Global Education.
It is best to apply for a student visa in your home country. Once at the American Embassy, you will complete Form DS-156 for a non-immigrant visa and you will be charged a processing fee of $160 or more. (Taiwanese citizens apply through the American Institute in Taiwan; Canadian students are not required to obtain a visa at a consulate, if traveling only between countries in North America.) The amount of time needed to obtain a student visa varies by country, and questions should be directed to the consulate or researched on the US State Department website (http://travel.state.gov) You will probably have to make an appointment to apply.