F-1 Visa Status

Other Information

Travel and reentry: Temporary 30-day admission with Form I-515A

Occasionally a student will leave the United States temporarily and seek to return to this country without his or her Form I-20. If while abroad the student discovers the absence of the Form I-20, and time permits, the DSO should issue and send the student a duplicate Form I-20 for use upon reentry.

Students who do not have all the required documentation may be denied entry to the United States. However, immigration inspectors do have the authority to admit F-1 students (and accompanying dependents, if applicable) for 30 days on Form I-515A, if they are otherwise eligible for readmission after a temporary absence, but have some documentary deficiency. This is a highly discretionary action, however, and there is no guarantee that the immigration inspector will issue an I-515A.