|
SEVIS I-20 Process
Applying to Hostos >
Office of Admissions
> International Students
<--
In order to apply for a F-1student visa or
maintain your F-1 status you must receive a SEVIS I-20 from the
school, which you want to attend.
Hostos prospective students will be asked for
the following documents in order to receive the SEVIS I-20:
-
Application for the Immigration Certificate of Eligibility
(Form I-20)
-
Declaration & Certification of
Finances
-
Affidavit of Support
-
Room and Board Support Information (To be completed
if student will live in the sponsor’s home in the U.S.).
What a
student needs in order to get the F-1:
-
Pay the SEVIS I-901 fee on the
USCIS web site
-
Check the waiting times for
student visa appointment make an appointment at
the
US Embassy of your country
-
Prepare for the interview
What
to Bring With You to the Visa Interview
-
passport
-
required photo(s)
-
visa fee or proof of visa fee payment
-
Federal SEVIS Fee payment receipt
-
U.S. non-immigrant visa application forms (unless you will
completing it at the consulate or embassy)
-
Hostos admission letter
-
Hostos SEVIS I-20
-
proof of financial support
-
evidence of ties to your home country
-
any other documents required by the embassy or consulate
* Strategies for
the Visa Appointment
You are well advised to consider the following matters prior to
your visa appointment, as you may be asked about each item.
-
Academics: Be definite and clear about your
educational plans.
-
English: Anticipate that the visa interview
will be conducted in English.
-
Ties to Your Home Country: Demonstrate
convincing reasons for consular officials to believe that
you intend to return home after finishing
your studies in the United
States.
-
Financial Documentation: Be prepared to
prove financial ability to pay for your education and living
expenses.
-
Be concise: Because of the volume of visa
applications, all consular officials are under considerable
pressure to conduct a quick and efficient interview.
-
Not all countries are the same: Applicants
from countries suffering economic problems or from countries
where many students have remained in the United States as
immigrants will have more difficulty getting visas.
-
Dependents Remaining at Home: If you have a
spouse and/or children remaining behind in your home
country, be prepared to address how they will support
themselves in your absence. This can be an especially tricky
area if you are the primary source of income for your
family. If the consular official gains the impression that
your family members will need you to remit money from the
United States in order to support them, your student visa
will surely be denied.
* Visa Denial
The vast majority of Hostos Community College
students will be successful in obtaining their student visas.
Despite this, a small number of students may have their visa
applications denied.
The most common reasons for visa denial are:
-
failure to prove sufficient ties to your home country, or
-
failure to provide sufficient evidence of financial support
The USCIS officer must verbally inform you of the
reason for the visa denial. If your visa is denied, please send
an e-mail message to
lsoto@hostos.cuny.edu
and provide the date and location of your visa interview, and
details regarding the reason given by the officer for the
denial
Expect to go through both immigration and
customs inspection at the U.S. port of entry. You may also be
required to go through a pre-inspection procedure at certain
airports abroad. At the immigration booth, present your
passport, your SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019, your proof of Federal
SEVIS fee payment, and your completed I-94 arrival/departure
card (if the card was distributed on the airplane). Expect to
have your index fingers scanned for fingerprint purposes and a
digital photograph taken, as required by U.S. federal
regulations.
DO NOT enter on another
school's certificate of eligibility, as that is considered to be
a fraudulent entry by the U.S. Immigration authorities.
DO NOT attempt to enter the
United States on a visitor/tourist visa (B-2) unless it is
designated "Prospective Student" by a consular officer. The U.S.
Immigration Service rarely authorizes a change of status from
B-2 to F-1, and you will be prevented from enrolling in school
until your change of status application is approved, which could
take several months.
DO NOT attempt to enter the
United States under the visa waiver program, available to
citizens from nearly 30 countries throughout the world. The
waiver program is designed for tourists only, and attending
school under the waiver program is a clear violation of U.S.
immigration law.
If you are planning a trip within the United
States by car, bus, train or air plane, to U.S. cities, it is essential that you have your passport and
visa documents with you. Since the attacks of September
11, 2001, there has been heightened security not only at all
border crossings, but also at bus terminals, train terminals,
and airports throughout the United States.
Therefore, students are urged to be sure to have
their passport, visa documents (I-94 card and SEVIS I-20 or
DS-2019), and Hostos Community College student ID card with them
for ALL distance travel, even travel within New York State. In
addition, be sure that your current I-20 or DS-2019 has an
authorizing signature for travel.
If you are applying for a change of
non-immigrant status, visa petition or EAD card, be sure to
carry your application receipt notice as well,
which proves that you have an application pending with U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). A person without
valid travel documents can be arrested, threatened with
deportation and taken into Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
custody.
* PASSPORTS
In order to re-enter the United States, your passport MUST be
valid at least six months into the future. Passports may be
renewed at your country's embassy or consulate in the United
States.
*
SEVIS I-20 OR DS-2019
You should be traveling using your most recently issued SEVIS
I-20 or DS-2019. However, be sure to save all of your previous
SEVIS I-20s (or DS-2019s - formerly known as IAP-66s), as they
represent your immigration “history” in the United States.
The SEVIS I-20 has to be signed for traveling on
page 3 by the DSO.
Once your SEVIS I-20 has been signed, it is
valid for travel for one year, as long as you are registered
full time each semester and all information on your SEVIS I-20
remains the same.
****Lately immigration officers at the airport
ask students for their Initial SEVIS I-20, Continuing attendance
SEVIS I-20 and also proof of the SEVIS fee payment.****
* SPECIAL
REGISTRATION APPLICANTS
If you were required to go through the NSEERS special
registration process either at a U.S. port of entry or as part
of a “call-in” registration at a district USCIS office, because
you are male and/or from one of the 25 designated countries, or
a citizen of either gender from Cuba, Liberia, North Korea,
Iran, Sudan, or Syria, there is a special exit procedure that
you must follow before you can depart the United States. Failure
to do so can result in your being permanently barred from
entering the United States. Although certain aspects of special
registration have been suspended, the exit procedure remains in
effect. Generally, this exit procedure will take place at the
airport where your overseas flight will depart. The exit
procedure can add several hours to your departure schedule, so
be certain to allow plenty of extra time so that you do not miss
your flight! You should have been given information regarding
the exit procedure when you went through your special
registration inspection.
* US-VISIT
EXIT PROCEDURES (PILOT PROGRAM)
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has implemented a pilot
exit procedure under U.S.-VISIT (United States Visitor and
Immigrant Status Indicator Technology Program). This departure
procedure requires that foreign nationals go through a process
of immigration inspection that includes digital photographs and
index prints at the airport prior to leaving the United States.
US-VISIT departure programs are currently being tested at
approximately twenty U.S. airports, including several that are
popular for Hostos students: Detroit, Newark, and Philadelphia.
For more information, visit:
http://www.dhs.gov
* I-94 ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE
CARD
You will need to surrender your I-94 card upon your departure
from the United States. You will be issued a new I-94 card with
a new admission number upon your re-entry to the United States.
However, your SEVIS ID number (printed at the top right of your
SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019) will not change.
SPECIAL NOTE:
F-1 and J-1 students with expired U.S. visas who are traveling
to Canada, Mexico or adjacent islands for up to 30 days , who
are not applying for a U.S. visa while there, AND who will be
resuming their studies upon their return should NEVER surrender
their I-94 card. Canadian or Mexican nationals returning to
their home country should surrender their I-94 card as they
enter their country, and obtain a new I-94 card the next time
they enter the United States. Canadian nationals should be sure
to carry with them their financial documentation that verifies
the information on their I-20 when getting ready to return to
the United States.
* U.S. VISA
Check your U.S. visa stamp inside your passport. Has your visa
stamp expired? If it is still valid, is it for multiple entry,
or has the entry been used up? Finally, is the category for
which the visa was issued the status you currently hold (for
example, if your visa is F-2, are you currently in F-2 status or
did that status change after you entered the United States)? If
you are in F-1 or J-1 status and traveling to Canada, Mexico, or
islands adjacent to North America, you do not need a valid U.S.
visa as long as you have been maintaining your status, have a
valid passport and I-20 or DS-2019 and are entering those
countries for tourist purposes and your stay will be thirty days
or less (you DO need a valid U.S. visa if you are a citizen of
Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, North Korea, or Cuba). However,
travel to all other countries will require that you have a valid
U.S. visa before you may re-enter the United States. This is
especially true if you changed your non-immigrant status while
in the United States (for example, changed from F-2 to F-1).
This will mean applying for a new visa at the U.S. consulate in
the country you will visit.
* HOSTOS ID CARD
Carry your current HOSTOS ID card with you as supporting
documentation.
* LETTER OF CERTIFICATION
This is a letter issued by the Registrar’s Office that verifies
that you are a student at Hostos Community College and that you
are maintaining valid status. It is required for a new visa
application. This letter is also required if you will be
applying for a Canadian tourist visa. Any international student
traveling outside the United States who will be applying for a
new F-1 or J-1 visa should request such a letter from the
Registrar’s Office at least ten days prior to travel.
* MAINTAINING STATUS
If you are an F-1 or J-1 student, this means maintaining full
time registration each semester at the school you are authorized
to attend, reporting changes of address to the DSO within
ten days, refraining from unauthorized employment, not letting
your SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019 expire, and following the appropriate
procedures for school transfer and extensions. J-1s are also
required to have health and accident insurance for both
themselves and their J-2 dependents, and the insurance must
include a medical evacuation and repatriation benefit. If you
think you may have violated the conditions of your status, be
sure to speak to the DSO BEFORE departing the
United States, as you may risk being denied permission to
return.
* TRANSCRIPT
Have an official copy of your Hostos transcript with you ONLY if
you will be applying for a new student visa abroad, to show the
consular official that you have been making satisfactory
progress towards your degree. An increasing number of consulates
have asked for transcripts when students come to renew their
student visas. In addition to the transcript, also have with you
a printed copy of your current semester’s course registration,
stamped by the Registrar’s Office.
* FOREIGN VISA
If you are visiting a country other than your own, you may need
a visitor’s visa to enter. You can find out about entry
requirements for other countries by pointing your web browser to
http://www.state.gov
If you are “transiting” into a country, meaning
that your flight home requires an intermediate stop in a third
country, find out if a transit visa is required, and if so, if
it needs to be obtained in advance. This is most common for
students with flights stopping in the United Kingdom. For
information on the requirements for “Visitor in Transit” visas
in the UK visit this web link:
http://www.britainusa.com/visas
* FINANCIAL DOCUMENTATION
Documented proof of financial support that appears on your SEVIS
I-20 or DS-2019 is only required if you will be applying for a
new student visa abroad, OR if you are a national of Canada or
Mexico who is traveling home to Canada or Mexico for the summer.
However it is recommended that you carry such information with
you when returning from a trip abroad, even if your visa is not
new.
* STUDENTS
ON OPTIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING
If you have completed your studies and have applied for Optional
Practical Training, you may travel outside the United States
while the OPT application is pending, provided that you can
present the USCIS Processing Center Receipt, proving that the
OPT application has been filed. However, once the EAD card for
OPT is issued, and you decide to travel abroad, you can
only re-enter the United States to resume employment.
Thus, you must carry with you written documentation from the
employer verifying your employment or a job offer, as well as
the EAD card. DHS has clarified that the F-1 student does not
need to have already begun actual employment before leaving, as
long as the student has a job offer to which to return.
You must have your USCIS Processing Center
Receipt (if the OPT application is still pending) or your
Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and written proof of
employment with you, as well as your SEVIS I-20 endorsed for
practical training, in order to re-enter the United States. The
travel signature on Page 3 of the SEVIS OPT I-20 must be less
than six months old. If you are on Optional Practical Training
and will need to obtain a new F-1 visa before returning to the
United States, you are advised that visa issuance for
individuals on optional practical training can be highly
problematic, since you may have a hard time proving that you do
not intend to immigrate to the United States. Such students are
urged to discuss their situation with the International
Student Advisor before they travel.
For travel to Canada or Mexico, first check with
your Embassy to see if a tourist visa will be
required to enter either country. You will need to have
your passport, visa documents (I-94 card and I-20 or DS-2019),
and Hostos Community College student ID card with you when you
travel, and be certain that your I-20 or DS-2019 has an
authorizing signature for travel no older than
six months.
Canada now requires tourist visa applications to present a
letter from their school's international student office,
verifying their status as a student.
In 2002, The U.S. Department of State announced
new rules for non-immigrants who use the "automatic
revalidation of visa" benefit [22 CFR 41.112(d)] to
re-enter the United States after a 30-day or less visit to a
"contiguous territory" (Canada, Mexico, and, in the case of F
and J non-immigrants, the "adjacent islands other than Cuba")
without having to obtain a new visa prior to re-entry.
To qualify for this privilege, you must:
-
Presently be in valid F-1 student status.
-
Have a valid SEVIS I-20 in your possession, which has been
signed for travel
-
Have a valid SEVIS I-94 card with you (do NOT
surrender it when you leave the U.S.)
-
Have a valid passport
-
Be in one of the contiguous territories or adjacent islands
for less than thirty (30) days.
Warning/Caution:
If you are planning to travel to any of the
adjacent islands listed below please be aware
that Hostos Community College students have experienced problems
when trying to reenter to the US.
Be sure to check with the INS. The adjacent
islands are: the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, the Dominican
Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, St. Pierre & Miquelon,
Trinidad & Tobago, the Leeward Islands (Anguilla, Antigua,
Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Kitts, and the British Virgin
Islands), the Windward Islands (Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia,
and St. Vincent) and other British, French, or Dutch territories
or possessions in, or bordering on, the Caribbean Sea. Note: The
special exemptions do NOT apply to students who are citizens of
the countries named above. In those cases, students must obtain
an F-1 visa to re-enter the United States, except for Canadians.
Under the new rule, ANY
non-immigrant who chooses to
apply for a new visa while in Canada or Mexico will no longer be
eligible for the "automatic revalidation"
benefit during the course of that trip, but will have to wait
until the visa is approved in order to re-enter the United
States. If the U.S. visa application is denied, that individual
will not be permitted to re-enter the United States, and will
instead have to return to his or her home country.
Also citizens of "state
sponsors of terrorism" (as designated in the
State Department's annual "Patterns of Global Terrorism" report) are no longer eligible for the automatic
revalidation of visa benefit. Section 306 of
the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Reform Act of 2002 lists
the following countries as state sponsors of terrorism: Iran,
Syria, Libya, Sudan, North Korea, and Cuba.. This means that a
person who is a citizen of Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, North
Korea, or Cuba in the United States in any non-immigrant
classification can only enter Canada and return to the United
States IF he or she has an unexpired multiple-entry U.S. visa in
the passport for his or her current status.
However, non-immigrants traveling to Canada or
Mexico for less than thirty days and returning to the United
States (other than citizens of Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, North
Korea, and Cuba) who do not intend to apply for a new U.S. visa
can still make use of the automatic revalidation benefit, and
re-enter on their expired U.S. visas, as long as they have a
valid, unexpired passport, their I-94 card, and a valid and
signed SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019.
SPECIAL NOTE
ABOUT I-94 DEPARTURE CARDS:
F-1 and J-1 students with expired U.S. visas who
are traveling to Canada, Mexico or adjacent islands for up to 30
days, who will not be applying for a new U.S. visa while there,
AND who will be resuming their studies upon their return
should NEVER surrender their I-94 card. Canadian or
Mexican nationals returning to their home country should
surrender their I-94 card as they enter their country, and
obtain a new I-94 card the next time they enter the United
States.
Back to Previous
Page
Need more info about admissions? Call (718)
319-7900 or Send us an e-mail
|
