OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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If you previously attended OSU and would like to return on new immigration documents, please contact an international student advisor at least two months before your desired return date to discuss how you may resume your studies here.
If you are outside the U.S. and have maintained your full time enrollment at OSU, please go to our Travel Outside the US page, for information regarding the documentation needed to re-enter. If you are not sure whether your F-1 SEVIS record is active, please contact OIS for assistance.
If you are outside the U.S. and your F-1 SEVIS record is no longer active, you will need a new I-20 with a new SEVIS number from the Office of International Services (OIS) in order to re-enter the U.S. and continue studying. Choose the statement that best describes your situation and click the drop-down arrow to learn more
[email protected] to confirm that you have a return program.
If you have been continuing as an enrolled OSU student and are already enrolled for the next term, please skip to the next step.
Submit the Readmit/Returning Student I-20 Request e-form . If you no longer have access to the IP Connect portal, please contact [email protected] for assistance.
Provide the required financial documentation. Students receiving a new immigration document are required to show proof of funding. If you have been gone less than one year, you may be eligible to complete our online financial certification form to meet the proof of funding requirement.
Once the I-20 is created, it will be emailed to you. If you would like the document to be shipped to you, you can create an express shipping order.
In order to activate your new I-20, you are required to pay a SEVIS fee for the new SEVIS ID number.
Information about applying for visas can be found at the U.S. Department of State website.
Once you have completed all steps above, you can make plans to return to the U.S. Keep in mind that you can only return up to 30 days before the start date on your I-20. Make sure to go online and retrieve the Form I-94 travel document once you return to the U.S.
After you arrive in the U.S., you will be required to complete the Immigration Document Check-In through our IP Connect portal. OIS will use this information to verify that you re-entered the U.S. in F-1 visa status and we will activate your SEVIS record.
If you have not been registered at OSU for 3 terms or fewer (not including summer), you are eligible to enroll.
If you have not been registered at OSU for4 or more terms (not including summer), you must reapply at the Office of the Registrar.
If you are suspended from OSU, you must appeal and be re-admitted. Please contact [email protected].
If you have been continuing as an enrolled OSU student, please skip to the next step. It is strongly recommended that you register for your next term’s classes as soon as you are able so you can get into the courses you need.
Submit the Readmit/Returning Student I-20 Request e-form . If you no longer have access to the IP Connect portal, please contact [email protected] for assistance.
Provide the required financial documentation. Students receiving a new immigration document are required to show proof of funding. If you have been gone less than one year, you may be eligible to complete our online financial certification form to meet the proof of funding requirement.
Once the I-20 is created, it will be emailed to you. If you would like the document to be shipped to you, you can create an express shipping order.
In order to activate your new I-20, you are required to pay a SEVIS fee for the new SEVIS ID number.
Information about applying for visas can be found at the U.S. Department of State website.
Once you have completed all steps above, you can make plans to return to the U.S. Keep in mind that you can only return up to 30 days before the start date on your I-20. Make sure to go online and retrieve the Form I-94 travel document once you return to the U.S.
After you arrive in the U.S., you will be required to complete the Immigration Document Check-In through our IP Connect portal. OIS will use this information to verify that you re-entered the U.S. in F-1 visa status and we will activate your SEVIS record.
If you have not been continuously enrolled, contact the Graduate School to ensure that you are eligible to return to your same program.
If you are dismissed from your graduate program or OSU, you find a new program or be re-admitted. Please contact [email protected].
If you have been continuing as an enrolled OSU student, please skip to the next step. It is strongly recommended that you register for your next term’s classes as soon as you are able so you can get into the courses you need.
Submit the Readmit/Returning Student I-20 Request e-form . If you no longer have access to the IP Connect portal, please contact [email protected] for assistance.
Provide the required financial documentation. Students receiving a new immigration document are required to show proof of funding. If you have been gone less than one year, you may be eligible to complete our online financial certification form to meet the proof of funding requirement.
Once the I-20 is created, it will be emailed to you. If you would like the document to be shipped to you, you can create an express shipping order.
In order to activate your new I-20, you are required to pay a SEVIS fee for the new SEVIS ID number.
Information about applying for visas can be found at the U.S. Department of State website.
Once you have completed all steps above, you can make plans to return to the U.S. Keep in mind that you can only return up to 30 days before the start date on your I-20. Make sure to go online and retrieve the Form I-94 travel document once you return to the U.S.
After you arrive in the U.S., you will be required to complete the Immigration Document Check-In through our IP Connect portal. OIS will use this information to verify that you re-entered the U.S. in F-1 visa status and we will activate your SEVIS record.
If you have violated the terms of your F-1 visa status, you should discuss your options with an International Student Advisor. While you are out of status, you are not eligible for any benefits of your F-1 status including on-campus or off-campus employment and travel signatures. Since violating your visa status can have a serious impact on you, it is vital that you understand how you may be affected. OIS is required to terminate your record in the Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and to indicate the type of status violation. A termination of your F-1 record in SEVIS will place a “flag” on your record. This flag may be visible to the Consular officer who processes your visa and to the Inspector at the Port of Entry. You should therefore expect questions about your status violation when you apply for a visa or when you request re-entry to the U.S. in the future. While most students are able to renew a visa and re-enter the US after a SEVIS termination, it is important to know that certain types of violations can impact your ability to renew a visa, enter the US, and may prompt questions from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Please also talk with an International student advisor and immigration attorney before you leave the U.S. if you have had any legal challenges or arrests. These could impact your ability to renew your visa and/or return.
You have the option of traveling outside the U.S. and requesting a new entry. If you choose to leave the U.S. and to re-enter in order to regain your F-1 visa status, you will need to meet the following conditions before OIS can issue you an Initial Attendance I-20 with a new SEVIS record for you:
Once you meet the above conditions, OIS will issue you an Initial Attendance I-20 for a specific term. You will need to enter the U.S. prior to the start date on your I-20, but no more than 30 days before that date. OIS recommends that you enter the U.S. from a country outside North America, preferably from your home country. Your passport should also be valid at least 6 months into the future from your re-entry date. Once you re-enter the U.S. in F-1 status, you should be able to retrieve your most recent Form I-94. It is vital that you receive a new Form I-94 Arrival/Departure once you re-enter the U.S. to indicate that you are again in valid F-1 status.
OIS discourages students in violation of their status from re-entering the U.S. through Canada or Mexico (unless you are a citizen of Canada or Mexico). Students may need to apply for a Canadian or Mexican visa to enter those countries, which may be difficult to obtain. In addition, the U.S Customs and Border Protection Officer at the Port of Entry from Canada or Mexico may not issue a new Form I-94 Arrival/Departure record for you, which is needed for you to regain your F-1 status. It is sometimes possible to receive a new I-94 if you travel by air from Canada and Mexico, but since this cannot be guaranteed, OIS recommends that you re-enter the U.S. from outside of North America.