PrincetonUniversity

A Guide for International Students, 2004-2005

 

What Students Need to Know About

Visas Students who have been offered admission to the University, and have accepted it, receive in approximately mid-May a Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student (SEVIS I-20 ) from the international student adviser. This document, together with documentary evidence of financial ability to attend Princeton (the offer of admission and/or a letter from the student's family bank or sponsor), and the student's passport (valid for at least one year beyond the date of a student's projected arrival date), should be submitted to the United States Consul abroad to obtain the F-1 visa. Passport and visa requirements for entry into the United States do not pertain to Canadian citizens or landed immigrants of Canada who are entering the United States from the Western Hemisphere. These students apply directly to an immigration inspector at a port of entry for admission as an F-1 student. (Note: The visa stamp in your passport allows you to enter the United States. As long as you remain in status, your entrance visa may expire while you are in the United States. Student visas are issued only by U.S. embassies outside the United States.) F-1 Student Visa. Most students come to the United States on an F-1 student visa. The Certificate of Eligibility for this status is the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Service) SEVIS Form I-20. Upon entering the United States and presenting a passport with a valid F-1 student visa, Form I-20, and documentary evidence of support, a student is issued a Form I-94 (Departure Record), a small card that ordinarily is stapled to the passport. The I-94 will have an ''admission number'' printed in the upper left-hand corner; students will receive a new I-94 and new admission number each time they leave and re-enter the United States. The F-1 student is admitted to the United States for ''duration of status,'' noted as ''D/S'' on both Form I-94 and Form I-20 (the student copy). Duration of status means the period during which the student is pursuing a full course of study in any educational program (for example, a bachelor's or a master's degree or a doctoral program) and any periods of authorized practical training, plus 60 days within which to depart from the United States or apply for a change of status. All Visa Holders. The Form I-94 should be kept attached to the student's passport at all times since it indicates the purpose of the student's admission and the length of time for which his or her stay is authorized. Students should also always have with them their passport and Form I-20 (student copy) particularly when they travel -- even within the United States -- since these serve as personal identification. Whenever a student plans to leave the U.S., he or she must consult with the international student adviser, and the international student adviser must sign the I-20 at least once each year. Without these documents, a student may not be allowed to return to the United States. Students should also remember that for re-entry they must have a valid visa and a passport valid for at least six months. Similarly, in order to maintain their student status, their passport must be kept valid at all times for at least six months (which means they will have to apply for an extension of their passport at least six months before the expiration date). More detailed information concerning maintenance of F-1 status is available at orientation. For the most up-to-date information on the ever-changing regulations pertaining to nonimmigrant visas, consult the USCIS Web site at uscis.gov/graphics/index.htm. Transferring from Another Institution F-1 Status. Students coming directly to Princeton from another U.S. educational institution (that is, without traveling outside the U.S. prior to attending Princeton) must inform the international student adviser at their current institution regarding their intent to transfer. This must be done within 15 days after enrollment ends in order to complete the transfer notification process with the USCIS.
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