Immigration Documents

The Form I-20 shows that you are eligible for F status. It is issued by the school you are authorized to attend and shows the duration of your academic program in the U.S.

The Form DS-2019 shows that you are eligible for J status. It is issued by the college you are authorized to attend and shows how long you may remain in the United States.

The F-1/ J-1 visa is a stamp in your passport must be obtained at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate outside of the U.S. which has jurisdiction over your place of residence. Note: Canadians/Bermudians do not require an F-1/J-1 visa in order to study full-time and are granted F-1/J-1 status upon entry to the U.S. The expiration date on your visa does not affect how long you may stay in the U.S.; this is based on the program end date on the Form I-20(F-1)/ DS-2019 (J-1). A new unexpired visa will be needed only upon re-entry to the United State after a departure. Think of your visa like the key to the U.S.

The Form I-94 is an important immigration document indicating your immigration status (F-1/J-1) and the time permitted to be in the U.S.. For F-1 and J-1 students, your expiration date should be “D/S” which is an abbreviation of Duration of Status. This refers to the date you complete your studies or the end date of your Form I-20 or FormDS-2019 (whichever is earlier) plus a grace period (60 days for F-1 students/ 30 days for J-1 students). The Form I-94 is accessed online through Customs & Border Protection (CBP) and changes with each entry to the U.S.