Home » US Immigration - Visas » F1 Visa » F1 Visa Defer admission in US schools. I20, Visa issues, Fees? Process – How to Defer?

F1 Visa Defer admission in US schools. I20, Visa issues, Fees? Process – How to Defer?

After going through the complete process from studying for GRE all the way through visa stamping, occasionally due to family situations, financial situations or medical conditions you may not be able to attend the US school for the term you applied though you have visa. This post explains the process of deferring admission in US Universities and other commonly asked questions.

There are three scenarios where you would like to defer your admission.

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  1. You have only applied to a US University, you do not Have an admission Confirmed
  2. You have admission confirmed and have I20. But, have not yet got Visa stamping.
  3. You have admission, I20 and have F1 visa stamping done for a  particular University.

Let me try to explain your options one by one.

Scenario 1 : You have only applied to a US University, you do not have an admission Confirmed :

In this situation, you have only applied and would like to just defer the application. The idea is you want the school to consider you for a different term. Lets say you applied for Fall and immediately before their decision, you want to defer admission to Spring. You will need to have a reason for asking deferral. Could be anything. Just be honest.

Steps for Deferring admission and Consequences : It is very simple, all you have to do is ask the University admission office or Graduate school to defer your applications. Most of the times you do not have to pay extra fee. Your application is valid for one year. But, some schools want you to pay again. You will have to check with the Univeristy you are applying in specific. Ideally, you will email three people

1. Admissions coordinator at The Graduate School about deferring admission

2. Admissions coordinator at The actual school you applied to i.e., School of Engineering or School of Business etc

3. (If applicable) Depending on school. You will have to email the International students office or International admissions office.  Some schools do not have this separate.

You do not have to do anything else. You should get a confirmation from the University official saying that your admission  is deferred for Spring. You will be automatically considered for Spring.

Scenario 2 : You have admission confirmed and have I20. But, have not yet got Visa stamping :

This is a much more likely situation where you have applied and have the admission confirmed. The University have sent you an I20 confirming your admission. But, you have not gone for visa stamping. For some reason you have changed your mind and you would like to go to Spring instead of Fall. As always, you will have to state a reason. Be honest and you do not need to lie.

Steps for Deferring admission and Consequences : It is same process as above, all  you have to do is ask the University admission office or Graduate school to defer your applications. You will also need to contact the International Student Advisor or the DSO ( Designated School official) who issues you the I20.

Typically, the Universities let you defer for next term or up to term anytime that ranges within one year since you applied.  Ideally, You do not have to pay any extra fee But, some schools want you to pay again or ask for fee for reserving the admission. You will have to check with the University you are applying in specific. Here is what you do:  you will email these four people

1. Admissions coordinator at The Graduate School about deferring admission

2. Admissions coordinator at The actual school you applied to i.e., School of Engineering or School of Business etc

3. International Student Advisor or Designated School official(DSO) who have sent you the I20.

4. (If applicable) You will have to email the International students office coordinator or International admissions office coordinator.  Most schools have DSO and this office together, but in case they are separate.

Process after your email them about Deferral :

You should get a confirmation from the University official saying that your admission  is deferred for Spring or next semester. Apart from that, you should get a New I20 from the school. The DSO sends you a new I20 with his signature. You will have to use this I20 for doing any F1 Visa stamping process when you intend to do for visa stamping. You will sometimes be asked by the University to send back the old I20, if so, you will have to send them back. Ideally, they just send you the new I20 and you will have to use this for visa stamping.  In fact, what happens is your SEVIS record is updated and new I20 is released that suits for your New visa application.  When you go for visa, you will have to have a valid reason if Visa officer asks you at F1 visa stamping in Consulate.

Scenario 3 : You have admission, I20 and have F1 visa stamping done for a  particular University:

This is a sometimes a likely situation where you have done everything and something goes wrong. Lets say, you got your visa after the Orientation date due to some query issues or any other emergency.  You have been to the F1 visa stamping and got F1 visa for 5 years and the visa states the University name on it.   You will need a very good valid reason here because you will be asked the question at Port of entry. You should be able to tell the proper reason before entering US at the immigration checkpoint at Airport.  Check Sample Visa and I94 How they look

Steps for Deferring admission and Consequences :  It is similar process as above, you email all the three people as said above. And also, the University  lets you defer for next term or up to term anytime that ranges within one year since you applied.  Ideally, You do not have to pay any extra fee But, some schools want you to pay again or ask for fee for reserving the admission. You will have to check with the University you are applying in specific. Here is what you do, you will email these four people. You MUST mention you got F1 Visa.

1. Admissions coordinator at The Graduate School about deferring admission

2. Admissions coordinator at The actual school you applied to i.e., School of Engineering or School of Business etc

3. International Student Advisor or Designated School official(DSO) who have sent you the I20.

4. (If applicable) You will have to email the International students office or International admissions office.  Most schools have DSO and this office together, but in case they are separate.

Process after your email them about Deferral :

You should get a confirmation from the University official saying that your admission is deferred for Spring or next semester. Apart from that, you should get a New I20 from the school. The DSO sends you a new I20 with his signature. You will have to use this I20 at the port of Entry. It is very critical you have the updated I20 sent by DSO. You will sometimes be asked by the University to send back the old I20, if so, you will have to send them back. Ideally, they just send you the new I20 and you will have to use this at the Port of entry.  In fact, what happens is your SEVIS record is updated and it is reflected in new I20. Be careful and you MUST mention to the DSO that you have F1 visa stamping complete. They will update that information in the SEVIS record. So, when you arrive at the port of entry, the immigration officer knows that you have deferred your admission and you have the right I20 reflecting the same.  Here is a similar question asked  and answered before : I got visa for Fall 2009. Can I come to US for Spring 2010 ? .  Also, Some of you may have ideas to transfer Universities before first semester, if so you should read this article  : Can I transfer to another US University before first semester? Transfer in first week? Issues ?

About F1 Visa validity if admission is Deferred:
[Updated with info from CBP response ]  One of the most asked questions is, “I have got F1 Visa. But I got my admission deferred. Should I go for visa stamping again, after I get deferral”. Simple answer NO, if it is less than 5 months. One of our readers updated that 5 month rule does not apply to new students, it only applies to returning students. He has shared the email confirmation from CBP officer as well.  What it means is that, if your F1 Visa is valid and you have I20 issued for the semester you plan to attend, you are good to go to the same school, without the need to go for stamping gain. Also, if you change schools, you may have to do visa stamping again and you should check with the new school you are coming too about the process.  But, if you are going to same school, you must be good to go.
I always recommend that you check with the school DSO or the local US consulate office as these things keep changing.

   

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307 Comments

  1. Hello, I got admission for this spring semester January, start date 24th. I haven’t submitted my change of status application yet. I planned to post it today, but the school has just sent another i-20 deferring my application to June, same SEVIS number. Should I just attach the new i-20 to the application I’ve prepared (sending both i-20s), or should I refill and sign the i-539 form with the new date (sending only the new i-20)?

    Reply
  2. Hi,
    My sister got an admission from a university and got the visa approval
    After she got the visa,her admission was cancelled, and the university deferred the fall intake to spring, she has other university admissions and active i20 from those universities, can she travel on same visa ? or will the university transfer the sevis or should she apply for a new visa via interview , what’s the solution.
    Any advice and guidance will be greatly appreciated.

    Reply
  3. Hello,

    This is my situation, in 2022 I was granted my F1 Visa. However, I decided to defer and go to the US in 2023 after receiving my US F1 Visa. Currently, I am trying to process my F1 visa and I am not sure what I am supposed to do. I will be entering the same college and I have already received my new I-20 but while filling out DS-160, they ask me if I have been granted a US visa before and if my US visa was ever revoked. How should I answer this accurately? It would be great if anyone could hel pme out.

    Reply
  4. I went for my VISA stamping and got 221g without a decision and if I defer my admission now, will I have to go for another VISA stamping when I get my new I-20?

    Reply
  5. Good day. I booked a visa appointment that was over two month later than the resumption date which was suppose to be by August. However, my school has deferred my admission to spring admission. They are ready to provide a new i20 with the same SEVIS number. But my concern is that will I have to change my profile on the visa application page or I will just go with the new i20 document on the day of the interview without making any amendment to the Ds160 application as well as changing my profile on visa application page that carries the old resumption date.

    Reply
    • Yes you should change your form them log into your profile where you book your admission. them click on profile update. you will have to change the DS 160 number then click save. make sure you print out a new appointment confirmation having the updated DS 160 of the form.

      Reply
    • Rahul,
      They both are very different visa types. Yes, you can get it. But, you need to know why it was denied, if it was fraud, then tricky, if not you can try.

      Reply
  6. Can i join a different college or university after getting a visa using another universities information( I-20…) in my interview???

    Reply
    • Kaleb,
      Only after you enter US. It is not recommended to switch colleges after getting your F1 visa stamped. Check with CBP and DSO to be sure.

      Reply
  7. I have a question. I am sponsoring a student who is unable, due to COVID restrictions at the embassy, to get a visa interview in time for school to start (he cannot go to a different embassy due, again, to COVID). He scheduled a visa interview for ten days after the start of school and then found out they are not offering emergency appointment applications for F-1 visas.

    Many classes at his school have staggered start dates. His school is sending him a new I-20 with a start date in February.

    Will he need to start the process entirely over, submit a new DS-160, and schedule a new appointment? Or is there another way to update his application with the new February start date?

    Reply
  8. I have got F1 Visa last June. But I got my admission deferred due to medical conditions. I never start my study program. I am not changing my school. I will go to the same school. Should I go for visa stamping again, after I get deferral?

    My F1 VISA is issued on 13th JUN 2019 and valid until 12th Jun 2024. Also the university sent me a new I-20 for the upcoming Fall semester. My SEVIS number dosen’t change.
    However, I went to US last November. But I didn’t use my F1 visa at that time, I used ESTA visa. The stamp on my passport was ESTA for the purpose of visit not study.

    Reply
  9. Dear Sir/Madam

    I am considering defer admission to next spring. I have an F1 visa which expires in 2023. And I have just finished my last program this May, I would like to know whether I could enter the United States with a new I-20 and new SEVIS ID without applying for a new F1 visa in 2021 Spring. I would like to know if this would work under the case that I would leave the United States for more than 5 months.

    Best Regards,
    Rui

    Reply
    • Rui Huang,
      This may or may not work as it is a new program and you will be out of the country for 5 months. Write to the US Consulate and CBP officer and check before you plan your travel. Carry the proof of the letter or email from them, if you plan to travel with old visa.

      Reply
  10. Dear Kumar,

    I am a student doing my Master’s degree, and currently residing in the united state on TD visa. I started my program on Spring 2019 and I will be graduated on Spring 2021. My current TD status will expire at the end of 2020. I applied for F1 visa (change of status from TD to F1 by travel) in January 2020, and was able to get back to the US because I has a valid multiple entry TD visa at the time. I got my visa stamped in March 2020 . My visa F1 is single entry and it expires in mid June 2020. However, due to the current situation ( Coronavirus Pandemic) I do not think it is possible for me to safely travel and re-enter the US before mid June. My advisor in the International Student Services at my school defers my I-20 month by month until I can leave the US and re-enter to the country with the new visa. I was wondering if there is any way that I can differ my visa so that I can use it to re-enter the US in a better situation and time (hopefully around mid August when the fall semester begins). Also, I was wondering if you would please let me know of any consequences involved such as the expiration of my SEVIS ID, I-20, etc. I would very much appreciate your guidance in this regard.
    Best regards and thanks a lot in advance!

    Reply
    • Anna,
      I am not familiar with TD Visa and implications. I would suggest you discuss with your DSO ands taken their advice. In general, the rule of thumb is COVID-19 is difficult situation for many, check ICE website and reach out to them, if you need clarity. Your DSO is your best guide to help.

      Reply
  11. I got admission in one of the Catholic schools in New York City Last year. I started first semester this January and end May. I suppose to start second semester this September but had financial problems. However, the school fees is high and I want to change to another cheap school. My First is still valid till 2022 but my Vida is 2 years visa which will expire August next year 2020. How do get to inform the former school now to tell them that I am not continuing? That I want to transfer to a new chapter school?

    Reply
    • You need to talk to the DSO at the school and need to transfer the SEVIS. If you do anything without talking to DSO, you risk your F1 status. Once you get transfer approved by DSO, you take that documentation and then go to the new school DSO, they will take that and transfer your SEVIS to new school. It is a normal process, so nothing to worry. talk to DSO.

      Reply
  12. Hi,

    If I do not travel to USA with an F1 visa for personal reasons and cancel
    my admissions and later reapply for F1 visa on getting admitted again for a
    different school, will it create any problems in obtaining a visa again?

    Reply
  13. Hello,

    If I get admitted to a program, the F1 visa stamped in my Passport, and I travel to the US for the program:

    1. Can I defer the program for a year and still safely stay in the US till the re-enroll into the program set by the defer date?

    2. If I travel out of the US during the deference of the program, will I be able to re-enter the US or I need a new I-20 or new visa? Or the 5-months rule will apply?

    Reply
    • 1. No, You cannot stay in US on F1 without being enrolled as full time student, you will be violating your status.
      2. No, you cannot, if you are not enrolled in school and have valid I-20.

      Reply
      • Hello..
        I got my visa approved last week for Jan’20 intake but due to personal problem i can not begin my study from jan’20.
        Can i defer my admission for april’20 intake?

        Reply
  14. I applied for F1 visa interview but got rejected with unknown reason. Should I apply again without any changes in I20? Will they reject directly or do I have chances?

    Reply
  15. Hi! I completed my Masters program in the US, as well as my OPT and started an Associates Program in a different school. I was told by my international student advisor that there would be no OPT after completion of Associate program . How true is that ? Also, I would like to change school and register for a certification program that could last for a year. Is that advisable?

    Reply
  16. Hi, I applied for change of status from h4 to f1 ( received I20 from a community college for Associate 2 year degree )in fall 2018 and my status got approved in Dec2018. As per law I need to be a full time student in spring 2019 term. However I would like to do MS in a reputed university( I did my MAC in india) instead of doing associate degree, is it possible to transfer from community college to university before first semester? Do I need to go through uscis to change level of study and university?
    As I don’t have much time to get all things sorted out before spring term , should I start first term in current college or wait ? How should I proceed, please help me with your ideas. Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Aafiya

      Hello,
      I got visa in march 2020 for Summer intake, but due to Corona virus and lockdown I did not able to go USA. Now I have deferred my admission to spring intake in the same university and for the same course but my SEVIS number is different from the number stamped in the visa. So what could I do about this?

      Reply
      • Hi..Aafiya
        You can tell to university to send i20 with same sevis number which you have already.
        If you get i20 with same sevis number, you don’t need to go for another visa and other procedure. You can travel on your recent visa.

        Thank you

        Reply
  17. Hi Kumar, I got admission into a university in Arizona for the Spring 2019 Semester. The earliest admission date was 09 December 2018, start of classes is 14 January 2019. My visa interview was scheduled for 07 January 2019 but suddenly changed to 17 January 2018. Please what can I possibly do in this situation?

    Reply
    • Well, write to your school admissions, DSO and your department and seek their advice, if it is fine to join the classes one week or 10 days later. If they say yes, then carry that email print out to interview such that you can explain the same to the Visa officer.

      Reply
  18. Good morning, Am resuming by January 10 2019, and I have gone for my interview twice, but not given, please advice me. Today is 17th ,do you think I should go for the third time or forget about everything, although a lot of money has been involve.. Please response quickly, just confused .Thanks.

    Reply
    • Well, it is hard to say…if you know clearly the reason for not getting visa stamped, you can give it another shot. If you are not sure why you were not given visa, then things may not change much…You need to make that conscious decision based on your experience with VO and your profile with admissions.

      Reply
      • Hi this is pradeep
        When I received the passport from the embassy the classes was
        already started,the university management doesn’t gave me any extension but
        they suggested me to differ the application.
        So,now my question is can I use the visa for the fall
        intake(almost 6 months gap) for the same university
        Thank you and regards

        Reply
        • Pradeep,
          There is mixed opinion on this. Usually the 5 month rule applies, but may suggested that it is not needed. So, I suggest you write to the DSO and then to US Embassy and CBP Officer to double check on this…If needed, you may need to go again…

          Reply
    • Based on section 214b denial,and am thinking of the time interval if I will be judged on that perspective. Please advice me. Thanks. Alot on my head.

      Reply
    • Hey
      Good morning…i applied to a university as an international student for sping 2019 .i applied in October.they ask for my Transcript,Bank Statement,passport which was all sent …The then ask me to take TOEFL because they thought English was a foreign language to me i then reply sayin country is bilingual and i did my studies in English,before they went on Christmas break they said they will review my file. and they still have to send me my i20 so i can go for my F1 visa ..They open their offices on january 2nd and school begins on the 14th of January 2019,can i still make it to the school for this semester?? If the i20 is sent to me on the 2nd??

      Reply
      • Lisa,
        It is up to the school to decide that and give you waiver. It will be very tight, but you may be able to make it, if they give you I20 by Jan 4th. The trick is to get visa stamping slot for F1 visa by Jan 5th ( next day) and you go for stamping immediately. Also, visa officer may ask regarding TOEFL, you need to carry proof that your TOEFL was waived.

        Reply
  19. Hello, i got admitted into a masters degree program in the USA and my i-120 is issued already. However, I haven’t done anything further…I am in a rush to get the i-120 back to the school. I only have few days to turn it to them and school is resuming in a month time. Would it affect my interview with immigration if I defer my admission to the next semester so I could have enough time to follow up? Thanks

    Reply
  20. Hi I have my Visa stamped on July 23/2018 for August intake. I have defered my admission to January 2019 intake. I have mailed to the school DSO he said there is no need for visa renewal or new Visa as long as the sevis I’d is same. And my new I20 as the same sevis id as the old I20. So should I be good to go. or is it advisable to travel on 23/ January as it is 1 month away from my school start date ( 23/January/2019 ) and exactly 5 months from date of visa stamping that is 23/July/2018

    Reply
      • Can you please tell where is this information about 5 months? I have my visa stamped in June 2018 and deferred admission to enter in Dec/Jan for Spring 2019 term. Do you mean in this situation, one needs to re-apply for visa?

        Reply
  21. I got admit for fall 2018, and my visa is approved, due to some reasons I can’t go now, can i go for spring 2019.

    Do i have to apply for visa again?

    what are the steps to be taken, to defer now and go for spring 2019?

    Reply
    • If it is for same school and your start date is less than 5 months and your I20 SEVIS ID is same, you can defer and re-enter with same Visa, no need for stamping.
      You can reach out to DSO at the school and ask them for admission deferral.

      Reply
      • Hi friend
        If I deferred my admission and already get the visa stamping, I will go to same school, but the sevis code on i-20 changed(I told DSO I already get the visa stamping), do I need to get a new visa?

        Reply
        • When did you get your visa stamping ? If it is less than 4 months, you should be good….Check with your DSO and get new I-20 as needed. You can write to the CBP or embassy as well to get confirmation.

          Reply
  22. I just received my F1 visa and the program begins on 16th March 2018 as stated on my i20, I will like to defer my program to the next admission intake which I believe begins on August 2018. Will I need to apply for a new visa or I just need the school to send me a new i20 and I will be good to travel on August? Thank you

    Reply
    • NANA,
      There are some conflicting opinions on this. In general, the guidance is that you need to enter US within 5 months from the date of your stamping or your recent visit to US when you have got F1 status. In one other case, one of the students went to US, but could not enroll and came back, he used the same visa to re-enter, but had updated I20. Rules keep changing and I highly recommend, you write to DSO to get clarity, second to the CBP Office regarding visa requirements and to the US embassy to verify the same. It is kind of risky to assume. You need confirmation in written form so that you can carry the same to port of entry to be safe. Do let us know, once you do this and update us for everyone benefit.

      Reply
    • The decisions vary by school, for fall you can expect anywhere from February to May of next year. You will need to check with schools you apply for exact details.

      Reply
  23. Hi..
    I am applying universities for Spring 2018 and my IELTS scores are going to expire on Dec 19,2017.
    Do I need to keep my IELTS score valid till I reach USA or getting I-20 from universities is enough.
    Should I retake IELTS ?

    Reply
  24. Hi,

    Greeting! Hi I am Shankari Seethalakshmi Mohanakrishnan currently a student of Illinois Institute of Technology. I attended my visa stamping for F1 visa on August 4th 2016 and cleared it but due to unforeseen reasons i was not able to make it up to USA and deferred my admission. I got a new I20 for the spring 2017 semester with a different SEVIS to the one I got for Fall 2016 (previous one). But due to lack of technical knowledge on SEVIS i just entered USA although my SEVIS in the new I20 and my Visa stamping in the I20 was different. Now my SEVIS fee is transferred from old SEVIS ID to the new SEVIS ID. I want to know will there be a problem in the following things and what should i do to resolve these problems.

    1. Going back to home country before completing the course for a vacation.
    2. Moving into CPT status.
    3. Moving into OPT status.
    4. Getting an H1 visa.

    Kindly also let me know if i could correct this issue being in USA itself.

    Thanks in advance.

    Reply
  25. I got admitted to fall-2017 and got my F1 visa stamped but due to I was unable to attend for Spring-2017 and got it differed to fall -2017 and know I got new I-20 for spring-2017 ,

    Do i need to get my visa stamped again?

    If not , What do steps do i take from here

    Reply
    • My son had same problem. Don’t worry, your Visa is very much valid but you need a new stamping. Get your sevis fees transferred to new sevis no. Fill the DS 160 . They will ask you if your Visa is still is valid, say yes. You will be guide you to visa interview waiver program. Fill the details and submit your passport with documents at visa application center. You will get a new visa stamping. You are ready to fly!

      Reply
      • Hi Sailesh,
        Can you please elaborate your son’s case. My brother has a similar problem. He got his visa stamped in November 2015, due to some personal reasons he was not able to attend the school. He now decided to attend the same school, will he need to go for stamping again even if he get a new I20 with the same old sevis ID?

        Please advise..

        Thanks,
        Sandeep

        Reply
        • Hello Sandeep,
          My son had got admission for January 2017 but he didn’t travel. He again applied in the same University and same programme for January 2018. That’s very important. If your brother is getting admission in the same University and same course, it will be easier to get visa again. As I said in my post, when you fill details in DS 160 form, just tick the box that your visa is still valid. I am sure your brother will be eligible for visa waiver programme so you don’t have to go through hassles of tedious paperwork. First of all, get admission in the same University and same course. Try to transfer old sevis fees to new sevis no. Don’t forget to inform the university that your brother has got visa.
          I hope he will be able to join the university without any problem. Feel free to ask if you require further help.
          All the best.

          Reply
          • Respected Sir,
            Can you please provide the timeline of events after you submitted your documents at drop box centre?
            I mean when it went to application received, administrative processing and finally issued.
            Thank you

          • Hi Shailesh ,
            I have secured my VISA in Sept 2020, but due to medical reasons I was not able to fly to the US and I deferred my admission to next term.
            After deferred my admission I got a new I-20 but my SEVIS ID has changed in
            my NEW I-20.
            My university and program are the same which are included in my VISA. Only
            SEVIS ID has changed.
            Can you please let me know same situation happened to your son?

  26. Greetings,

    I’ve been taking classes with ESL school as a full-time student under F-1 Visa since September 2016. By now, I finished three levels of English instruction, and my I-20 expired on the last day of summer semester, August 11th, 2017. I’ve decided that I want to extend my studies with the same school and finish the remaining levels of English. I’m still in the 60-day grace period and haven’t left the U.S. yet. After paying the tuition, I reached out the school’s DSO, and asked her to extend my I-20 for this fall semester, and she told me that she couldn’t extend my expired I-20, and that she’ll issue a new I-20, but then I have to leave the U.S. and re-enter again. My question is, is there any way I could avoid having to leave the U.S. while having a new I-20 issued for this semester?

    The odds of getting rejected for admittance by an immigration officer and the related costs of traveling are making this option unappealing and somehow risky.

    I’d really appreciate your advice regarding my situation.

    Thank you

    Reply
  27. Due to academic dismissal my visa is revoked port of entry.Now my advisor suggested me to go community college for one semister. Can I get fresh visa with new I20 of community college

    Reply
  28. Due to academic dismissal my visa is revoked port of entry.Now my advisor suggested me to go community college for one semister. Can I get visa with new I20 of community college

    Reply
  29. Hello sir,

    I was in Us last year April to Aug 2016 and after completing 1st semester i came back,because my parents were not mentally good,as it was first time for them and me too. Though i had return ticket Usa for 23rd Nov, but i did not go back due to huge confusion. Now, recently i appeared for visa 3 times on same Uni where i studied and i got rejected. So,my question is that,is it wise decision to make 4th attempt in same intake? Is it something that i will not going to get my visa back ever? Or how is it going to be if i change my university? and apply for visa in next intake.

    Reply
    • Pratick,
      It is hard to say what is going on in the VO mind. It could be the school has some issues or it could be that they can think that you are potential immigrant, etc. There is nothing like you will never get US visa…it depends on many factors.

      Reply
      • Respected sir,

        So in this case what would you suggest? Should give GRE and IELTS again and apply for new University or go with same college where i studied?

        Reply
        • It is very hard to say, if you do either of these you will get visa. You need take a conscious decision and try our based on what you think went wrong or look at your application holistically. I wish I could add more, you will need to take the decision on your own.

          Reply
  30. Hello

    I was supposed to attend Duke in fall 2016 but I couldn’t. I have a valid F1 visa but the university issued a new i20 with a different SEVIS aid for Fall 2017. Do I need a new visa?

    Reply
    • Well, you will very likely need one, if the SEVIS ID has changed and it has been over a year. You can write to CBP office to get confirmation. Rules keep changing and I suggest you write to CBP office to get confirmation, so that you can carry the same proof, if not required.

      Reply
  31. Hi
    I recently got graduated in Masters in Computer Science. But unfortunately I am not eligible to apply for OPT because I did not finish my course with full time. My university international advisor told me the only way to apply OPT is to do apply for another masters and for that I have to leave the country and return. What I don’t know is do I have to attend another visa interview? My SEVIS ID got expired too.

    Reply
  32. Hello
    The resumption date on the I-20 for my school is august 13, can i resume this month, July? and when do you advice i should resume?

    Reply
    • I got F1 Visa for this fall 2017 but due to some emergency I am not able to go now. I have already talk with colz authority, they are positive about issuing new i20 and updating same Sevis id. But do I have to go for stamping again? Is the rule same i.e no need to stamp again or it’s been changed? Plz reply

      Reply
      • You won’t have any problem even if you have different sevis no. Just fill DS 160 again and Mark your Visa as valid. It will guide you to visa interview waiver program. Follow the instructions, submit your passport and documents to VAC. You will get a new visa stamping.

        Reply
    • I had applied for a visa for attending a PhD at University of Florida in 2016 fall. Got the stamping done for the visa and could not attend due to personal reasons. I reapplied and have been readmitted for the course in 2017 fall with a new sevis id and have been informed that my previous sevis id is invalid and that I will have to apply for a new visa. Is my previous visa also invalid? Or would it considered canceled/revoked or expired? Or is the previous visa still valid?. I need to answer these questions in the form. Could you please help as this is urgent

      Reply
      • Well, I am not sure, what options you see. You may classify it as invalid because the SEVIS ID has changed. You can write to embassy to clarify the same.

        Reply
      • hey nipun can you tell me the process you went through?
        did u apply for interview waiver program?
        did you get the visa?
        kindly inform me about the process it will be a great help.

        Reply
  33. Dear sir
    I have had applied for i 20 and i got that unfortunately i was lost my passport during travlling so pls sir could you tell me if there is possibility to reissue new i 20 for fall month in same that collage. My collage is santa monica in california in USA. Can i do that and what is the proccedure.
    Thank you

    Reply
  34. I was dismissed from a college however I have a 5 year student visa. If i get re-admission and get a new i-20 do I still have to apply for a new visa stamp? My stamp is still active for another 2 years.

    Reply
  35. I got admitted to spring-2017 and got my F1 visa but due to some reasons I was unable to attend for Spring-2017 and got it differed to fall -2017 and know I got new I-20 for fall-2017.My question is can I travel to US 3-4 months prior to the semester(Sep) starts for Fall-2017 .I have my immediate relatives living there?

    Reply
  36. Hello,

    I have applied for F1 visa for university A and biometrics are also done. I have not got I20 from another university B. I would like to go new university B – what should I do? SEVIS fee transfer and can I use the same visa slot for F1 stamping?

    Reply
  37. Hello,

    I have a doubt, My College major is written as “Bachelors in Cyber security systems” in the college acceptance letter but in my I-20 its written as “Computer and information systems security/Information assurance.” Which one should I write in DS-160?

    Looking forward to your response.

    Reply
    • Robin,
      Are you applying for Bachelors or Masters ? Usually it is the degree name you would need to mention. You can have multiple majors for a degree, depending on your program and how you plan it.

      Reply
      • Its a Bachelors. Please try to understand my question.

        On the university’s website and in my acceptance letter it’s “bachelors in cyber security systems” but in my I-20 it’s basically a similar major chosen from the Sevis major list by the university.

        My question is what should I write in DS-160? The major mentioned in the university’s website or the one mentioned in the I-20?

        Reply
  38. 1) My F-1 visa expires in April but I have not completed my studies, do I need to renew it here in the US? If yes, how?

    2) After obtaining “AA” degree, I intend to stay and continue my studies to another university, what do I need to do? Can I use the same F-1 visa from my previous college even if expired?”

    Reply
  39. i applied to a university but haven’t received any update regarding the I20 as they are on holidays I applied in the last week of November and are there any chances that I will get the admit for this sem or will they differ my admit to next sem if I get this sem admit classes start on jan 9th so what should I do any suggestions

    Reply
  40. I have paid my Sevis for fall 2016, and now after deferring my admit, I am going for visa again with new SEVIS ID but same University and program.
    IS there any means by which i can transfer sevis payment or I need to make another payment again?

    Reply
  41. Hi, I have scheduled for my student visa interview on 27th December 2016 and the orientation starts on 4th January 2017 can I defer my application to next semester or am still in time to apply for the visa coz visa processing in my country takes one day

    Reply
    • Emma,
      You are too close to go to the orientation as the visa processing can get delayed sometimes. If you get approval from the school that you can join a week late, if your visa processing gets delayed, it should be fine. You do not need to wait another semester.

      Reply
  42. I applied for fall 2016 and got my visa approved but my visa underwent a long administrative processing and hence i could not join in for fall, and now I am set to join in spring, so is my visa valid as my new I20 has got new SEVIS ID do i need to go for another stamping?

    Reply
    • Thank you i hope i find this helpful.

      Am olaoluwa,i have been refused for an f1-visa and i got a new I-20 but am to resume for aug 7 or no later than aug 14. Should i book an appointment if i can get a closer date or should i get in touch with my school and ask again for a new I-20 which will be the thirld time.

      Reply
  43. Sir. My daughter went to NYU for her MS in computer science in 2013.But she could not complete it successfully and came back to India in september 2015. Now she got admission to Michigun state university for spring 2017.She has to go for her F1visa again. What reason she can give at visa interview for her failure in ms at NYU. please let me know. Her visa interview is scheduled for 17 November 2017.

    Reply
    • Well, in my view, you should not be telling answer of someone else and fabricating stuff, it will miss the conviction and create more problems when the VO believes that your answers are made up. Take time to think honest reasons and state them, it should be fine. Think of the positive side of it, your daughter is going back to get her degree, she should articulate her passion.

      Reply
  44. I applied to a university in US for Fall 2016, ai got my F-1 visa and travelled to US in August. But, due to my severe health conditions I had to return back in September. I coordinated with the university about the deferral and got my new Admission letter for Spring 2017. They asked me to complete my appliation for new I-20. I did and mentioned that I already have a Sevis ID and a valid F-1 visa. But now they have sent me my new I-20 with a new Sevis ID. My F-1 visa has my old Sevis ID printed. Is this a problem?

    Also, they have asked me to pay Sevis fee.

    Does my F-1 visa becomes invalid?
    Should I apply for a new student visa?

    Reply
      • Since my visa has the Old Sevis ID and the new I-20 has a new Sevis ID, I contacted the US consulate. They suggest:

        “In response to your question, we would like to inform you that if you have got the new I-20 with the different SEVIS number, then you may needs to apply for a new and fresh student visa.”

        Going again for a visa interview will be very difficult for me. What should I do?
        I have lost my chance I guess..

        Please guide me.

        Reply
        • Vallisha,
          Why do you think that you have lost your chance ? If you are really keen on pursuing your dream and passionate about it, be fearless and confident, you will get your visa. You will need to follow the advice given by US consulate.

          Reply
  45. Dear Sir/Madam
    I would like to know whether students can defer to next semester after more than one month passed start date of their first I-20. I mean, Is there any problem for updating the sevis record after one month?
    Best Regards,
    Amir

    Reply
    • It is up to your university. You need to communicate with your university urgently, giving a valid reason about your absence, and ask them politely to defer your admission.

      Reply
  46. I am currently doing PhD in UMD after doing my MS from Cornell University. I have my Student F1 visa stamped in passport which states “Cornell University” and it expires in June 17. Now I have new i20 from UMD and SEVIS transfer also done.

    Please let me know how to obtain the extension of visa stamped in my passport? I am an Indian and currently staying at Maryland.

    Reply

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