I have a valid F-1 visa (issued by the US Consulate) from attending my previous school, do I need to apply for a new visa at the US Consulate before starting at MIT?
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I have a valid F-1 visa (issued by the US Consulate) from attending my previous school, do I need to apply for a new visa at the US Consulate before starting at MIT?
The U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Homeland Security have indicated that a student who has a valid F-1 visa in their passport from pursuit of a previous degree in the U.S. can use that visa to enter the U.S. in F-1 status to begin their program of study at MIT.
Students are advised that they must carry with them all previously issued Forms I-20 to show that the previous visa was used for study at the previous institution (this is due to that in the “Annotation” section of the visa the previous school and possibly a previous SEVIS ID Number for that previous program would be listed and not MIT). Carrying additional proof of attendance/enrollment at the previous program (such as admission letter and transcript/other proof of enrollment) is recommended. Students may also print out their previous I-94 arrival record and travel history information, showing previous entry to the U.S. in F-1 status, from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) I-94 website.
A student could choose to apply for a new F-1 visa at the US Consulate, showing their new MIT program information and Form I-20, if the previous visa would be expiring soon after the start of their MIT program of study.
NOTE: The information above would also apply to students who would be entering the U.S. in J-1 Exchange Visitor (student category) status for the program at MIT if they have a J-1 visa from a previous student category program that is still valid in their passport.
An individual may not use a previously valid F-1 visa to enter the U.S. in J-1 status — the visa and the status document must be the same.
Two references on the USDHS Study In The States website reference that a valid visa in the passport can be utilized as outlined above:
