Immigration Documents

Passport

Your passport must be valid at all times. Keep your passport in a safe location, and report a lost or stolen passport to the police as soon as possible. Your government may require a police report before issuing a new passport. To renew or replace your passport, contact your country’s consulate in the U.S.

Visa Foil

The visa foil is the sticker or stamp that the U.S. consular officer placed on a page in your passport.

F-1/J-1 Visa

All students* requesting admission to the U.S. in F-1 or J-1 status are required to have a valid visa stamp in their passport.

Your F-1 or J-1 visa stamp permits you the ability to enter the U.S. as an international student, but it does not affect how long you can stay in the United States. Your F-1 or J-1 visa status dictates the duration for how long you’re permitted in the U.S. You’ll notice your Form I-94 Admission Record states your Admit Until date as “D/S” (meaning Duration of Status) which allows you to remain in the U.S. for as long as you have a valid Form I-20, Form DS-2019, or Form I-797 and you have maintained F/J status. As such, your visa stamp does not need to remain valid while you are in the U.S., however, if your visa expires before your program completion and you travel internationally, you will be required to obtain a new F-1 or J-1 visa before returning to the U.S.

Review Visa Application & Renewal Instructions for more information.

* Canadian and Bermudian citizens are exempt from this requirement and are not required to have a visa stamp in their passport.

Certificates of Eligibility

Form I-20: Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status (For Those with F-1/F-2 Visa Status)

The Form I-20 is a printout of your SEVIS record, created by a Designated School Official at High Point University. This document allows you to apply for an F-1 student or F-2 dependent visa, enter the U.S. in F-1/F-2 status, and prove your eligibility for various F-1/F-2 benefits. It indicates that you are permitted to study a specific field of study at High Point University for a specific program length, typically four years for new undergraduate students and one or more years for new graduate students. Your program may be extended if your request is approved by a Designated School Official based on the allowances in SEVP regulations. A request for program extension must be made prior to your Form I-20’s expiration date. Contact the Office of Global Education if you would like to extend your program at HPU.

Form DS-2019: Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status (For Those with J-1/J-2 Visa Status)

The Form DS-2019 is a printout of your SEVIS record, created by a Responsible Officer at High Point University. This document allows you to apply for a J-1 exchange visitor or J-2 dependent visa, enter the U.S. in J-1/J-2 status, and prove your eligibility for various J-1/J-2 benefits. It indicates that you are permitted to study a specific field of study or participate in a specific exchange visitor program at High Point University for a specific program length. For degree-seeking students, this will be for the duration of your degree plan, typically four years for new students. For exchange student, this will be for either a 4-month, 9-month, or 12-month period, depending on the term(s) listed on your application and confirmed by your home university. For short-term scholars, this will be for up-to 6 months. For research scholars and professors, this will be for between 3 weeks and 5 years, as directed by your program. Your program may be extended if your request is approved by a responsible officer is the maximum length of time for your exchange visitor category hasn’t been reached. A request for program extension must be made prior to your Form DS-2019’s expiration date. Contact the Office of Global Education if you would like to extend your program at HPU.

Form I-94: Arrival & Departure Record

The Form I-94 is your arrival and departure record. When you enter the U.S., a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer will scan your passport creating an electronic arrival record and stamping your passport with an admission stamp noting the place and date you entered the U.S., your immigration status, and your authorized period of stay. Make sure the information provided is correct. You should notice a handwritten note stating “F-1” for your status and “D/S” for “Duration of Status”.

If you entered the U.S. at a land boarder, you may receive a paper I-94 in place of an electronic I-94 and admission stamp. This will be a small white card stapled to page in your passport normally opposite your F-1 visa. If you receive a paper I-94, keep it stapled to your passport. A $330 fee is required to replace a lost, stolen or damaged paper I-94 card.

You will need your I-94 in order to apply for various benefits such as a Social Security Number or campus employment. You can print a copy of your I-94 record online.

Additional or Helpful Immigration Documents

When traveling, you may also be asked for additional documents, such as:

• Proof of Financial Support
• Admission Letter or Current Class Schedule
• SEVIS I-901 Fee Receipt

If you cannot find your SEVIS fee receipt, visit the Student and Exchange Visitor Program SEVIS I-901 fee processing website to request a copy of your receipt.

Unique Immigration Documents for Guests and Visitors

Students and scholars often invite guests to visit them in the U.S. Perhaps your family wants to help move you into your campus residence hall and get setting as you begin your studies at HPU, friends may come visit during breaks to travel around the U.S., or your loved ones want to celebrate your graduation by attending commencement ceremonies. We would love to have your friends and family visit HPU!

Travel Visas

If your visitors do not already have travel authorization, they will need to apply for an appropriate nonimmigrant visa (e.g., ESTA, B-2 visa). They should review the U.S. Department of State’s website to identify the best option for their travels. A good place to start is the visitor visa information page to learn about the B-1/B-2 visa. Many individual consulates will have more specific information about inviting family members on their websites. You can find links to US Consulates around the world on the above site or at USEmbassy.gov.

Letters of Invitation

We often get asked about invitation letters. Are they required? Do they help visitors apply for a tourist visa? Will HPU provide letters for loved ones to attend graduation events? These are great questions to research. The following information can help you and your visitors understand what documents may help best when applying for a U.S. visitor visa.

The U.S. Department of State has provided guidance that the letter of invitation is not required, noting:

“Visa applicants must qualify on the basis of the applicant’s residence and ties abroad, rather than assurances from U.S. family and friends. A letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support is not needed to apply for a visitor visa. If you choose to bring a letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support to your interview, please remember it is not one of the factors used in determining whether to issue or deny the visa.”

Should you and your parents decide that you would like a letter of invitation, you should consider writing the letter as the host or inviter of your parents, family members, or friends. A letter from a DSO, ARO, or other university official would not aid your visitor in the B-2 visa application process. The U.S. State Department has announced that they will not look at letters written by schools – the letter must come from the student who is inviting their guest. Writing the letter as the host can provide a bit of information to corroborate your visitors’ need to travel to the U.S. for tourism purposes. You should consider including any information that may be most applicable to their visit. For example, if you have tickets reserved for them to attend your commencement ceremony, include this detail in your letter of invitation. Other considerations include:

• your name and your reason for living in the US (explain that you are a full-time student studying on an F-1 visa at High Point University),
• the names of your family members who wish to visit and their relationship to you,
• the purpose and approximate length of the visit, and
• whether you will provide room and board or any other financial assistance for the visit.

Additional supplemental or required documentation that your guests could consider for their visa application include:

• If visiting for commencement, orientation, or a special event, your visitors should bring proof of the event, such as a letter confirming that you are completing your degree, copies of commencement ceremony tickets or invitations, etc.
• Evidence of financial support:
  • If you will provide room and board or any other specific expenses of the trip (such as airfare), you should supply evidence of your funding such as a bank statement or employment letter. There is no minimum dollar amount that you must reflect, but you should indicate an amount that is reasonable for the level of support you are providing. If you’re providing a bank statement, you may want to make sure it shows not just your current balance(s), but also the history of the account, making clear that the current balance is not the result of a recent, large deposit. Include information about the date the account was opened and the average monthly balance. You may also need to submit Form I-134 Affidavit of Support.
  • If your family members intend to cover their own expenses, they should provide a bank statement, employment verification, or other evidence of funding; however, you are not required to complete Form I-134 on their behalf.
• Evidence of intent to return home:
  • Your guests must prove that they will return home after visiting the United States. Documents showing employment, property ownership, close family relations in their home country, or enrollment in school in the home country are considered good evidence of intent to return home.

Special Note: The reason U.S. consular officers most frequently deny B-2 visa applications is the lack of evidence of strong ties to the visitor’s home country. Under U.S. law, consular officers are not supposed to issue a B visa if they do not believe the applicant has ties that will bring him or her back home. Read more about visitor visa denials. Examples of proof of ties to the home country include:

• Proof of employment – a letter from the employer indicating that this individual is currently employed and taking time off, but is due back at their job on a specific date
• Proof of property ownership – house, apartment, or business
• Proof of contact with other family members in the home country
• Proof of finances – bank statement, stocks, property

Letters of invitation seem to not make a positive or negative impact on the approval rate of the B-2 visa, and if the Embassy or Consulate where your guests applies for their visa advises they bring no additional documents to their appointment–not common, but is a requirement of some embassies and consulates–then your guest should not bring the letter with them. Applicants should provide a letter of invitation only when requested by a consular officer, whether in response to an inquiry or as stated on their consular office’s website.