Before you could apply for your student visa, you received a Form I-20 or DS-2019. This document is vital to your lawful presence in the United States. You should protect and store this document securely. There may be times during your time in the U.S. when an update to your Form I-20 or DS-2019 is necessary. You should keep all copies that you receive during and after your time in the U.S. Common reasons for an update to your document are change of major, work authorization or reduced course load.

Learn more about your Form I-20 here.

Your visa (the page in your passport) was issued by the US Department of State to permit you to come to a US Port of Entry. The visa's only purpose is travel. It does not give you status in the US. Your status comes from your Form I-20 or DS-2019 and maintaining your status requirements. The visa can expire while you are in the US. However, you must have a valid visa every time you attempt to enter the US.

Every time you pass through a US Port of Entry, you interact with officers from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). These officers create an electronic record of your legal entry to the US. They may also make a handwritten entry in your passport. You must go to the CBP website to access our I-94. You should do this every time you enter the US as it changes every time you enter. You will be required to have an I-94 to access benefits such as employment and driving. 

Steps to Download your Form I-94

1. Go to https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/ (or just google “I-94”.)
2. Click “Get Most Recent I-94”
3. Click “Acknowledge & Agree”
4. Enter the information exactly as it appears on your VISA.
5. Click “Next”.
6. Click “Print” to print.

The I-94 should always show your correct visa status (e.g. F-1 or J-1) and the Admit Until date should always say "D/S", which means duration of status. This means you have permission to be in the US for as long as you maintain valid status.

Visitors to the US are required to maintain a valid passport issued by their country of citizenship. If your passport will expire while you are in the US, you should visit your country's embassy website to learn about requirements to renew your passport or plan to return to your country for passport renewal.