If you are in another status and wish to change your status to F-1 to start your program, there are two ways to change your visa status unless you hold a B1/B2 visa. If you are a B1/B2 visa holder, you will have to travel outside the U.S. for the change of status.
Travel Out of the U.S.
You will receive the new I-20, depart the U.S. and attend a visa interview in your home country to receive your new status. ISSS highly recommends this option due to the long process of adjudication for the change of status from within the U.S. Note: ISSS does not recommend traveling to Canada to do this if you are not a Canadian.
Apply From Within the U.S.
You will send an application to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) and the service center will adjudicate your application. Once your application is approved, you can remain in the U.S. on the approval notice. As soon as you travel, you will need to go to a visa interview to receive the visa to enter the U.S. on the new status.
You cannot apply for the change of status from within the U.S. if one of the following is true:
- You are (or were) a J visa holder who is subject to the two-year home residence requirement.
- Your last entry into the U.S. was through the visa waiver program, Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
A change of status can take over seven months for adjudication; therefore, we do highly recommend that you do not apply for the change in the semester before your final semester.
ISSS strongly recommends that students travel to apply for the change of status, as USCIS has taken longer than usual to adjudicate cases and there is no visa expedite process for a change of status.