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The University of Tennessee

Center for International Education

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Visa Renewal

The visa stamp in my passport is about to expire. Do I need a new one?

The visa stamp in your passport is for entry purposes only. Once you are in the U.S., your I-20 and I-94 card become the active documents that permit you to remain in the U.S. You are allowed to stay for D/S which means, “Duration of Status”, in other words, the period of time in which you are maintaining your F-1status. The completion date on your I-20 is the expiration date of your status. Your I-20 can be extended at the Center for International Education (CIE) if necessary.

Applying for a visa in your home country

We recommend that you apply for a visa at the U.S. Consulate or Embassy in your home country. Most consulates require a personal interview with a consular officer, as well as collection of biometric identifiers (fingerprints and digital photograph). It is always advisable to check with the consulate or embassy where you will be applying to determine current application and documentation requirements, as well as processing times. To find out about processing times and procedures, consult the website of the consulate to which you plan to apply.

Background and security checks

Consulates and embassies are more frequently conducting background checks on individuals, resulting in possible delays in visa issuance. Background/security checks can be triggered by, but not limited to, by your field of study, certain courses that appear on your transcript, or arrests in the United States. Background/security checks can sometimes take up to several months and possibly even longer.

Applying for a visa in a third country

F students who apply for a visa stamp in a third country, including Canada and Mexico, will not be allowed to re-enter the U.S. on an expired visa stamp if the new visa is not approved at the U.S. Consulate. If your visa application is denied, you would need to depart directly to your home country to apply for a new visa to re-enter the U.S. Please talk to an advisor at the CIE before making the decision to apply for a visa in a third country.

If you are subject to a background or security check upon application for a visa renewal in a third country, you will have to remain in that country until the background or security check is completed and the visa is approved before you are allowed to re-enter the U.S.

To enter a third country, you may need an entry visa.

The following contacts may be helpful to determine if you need a visa to enter another country:

For information on automatic visa revalidation (re-entry to the U.S. from Mexico, Canada and other contiguous territories), please check with CIE.

Visa application process in Mexico or Canada

The U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, only processes F-1 visas for continuing students in full-time degree programs who can demonstrate that their initial F-1 visa was issued in their home country. Please see the consulate’s website for detailed information.

In order to apply for a visa stamp at a consulate in Mexico or Canada, you will need to make an appointment in advance in one of the following ways:

  • Web Address: https://www.nvars.com/use/
    A flat fee of $15 (Canadian) payable by credit card will be charged.
  • Call 1-888-840-0032 or 1-900-443-3131. A per-minute fee will be charged on your phone bill for the 1-888 number. The 1-900 number is not accessible from all phones, and the charge for the connection can be paid only by credit card.

An operator or web prompt will help you choose a date and consular post convenient for you. After the appointment is scheduled, you will receive an application form and information about the appropriate consular post. Most consulates require a fee at the time of visa application, payable to a local bank.

What will I need to apply for a new visa?

  • Current SEVIS I-20, reviewed and signed (if necessary) by CIE within the last year.
  • Official UT transcript in a sealed envelope.
  • Enrollment letter from CIE.
  • Proof of financial support. You should be able to verify the amount shown as the total on your I-20 with a personal bank statement, Research/Teaching Assistantship verification letter (should include stipend and mention tuition waiver and health insurance), or sponsor’s letter and sponsor’s bank statement.
  • Proof of ties to your home country. From the Department of State website: “Student visa applicants must establish to the satisfaction of the consular officer that they have binding ties to a residence in a foreign country which they have no intention of abandoning, and that they will depart the United States when they have completed their studies. “It is impossible to specify the exact type of evidence required since applicants’ circumstances vary greatly”. Examples of such evidence may include: copies of bank statements from a bank in your home country, evidence of ownership of property or residence in your home country, a job offer letter from home, or letters from family.
  • Visa Application Issuance Fee. The visa application fee is $100. Depending on the country you are from, there may also be an additional issuance fee (also called a visa reciprocity fee). Check the following website to determine if you will be charged this additional fee: http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/fees/fees_1341.html
  • SEVIS Fee, (when required). If you leave and re-enter the U.S. to regain legal status with an I-20 issued AFTER September 1, 2004, or are readmitted to the University and are returning with an new I-20 issued after September 1, 2004, you are required to pay the SEVIS fee of $100 online prior to applying for a visa.
  • Application forms. Form DS-156, DS-158 and DS-157 (required of some applicants) - can be downloaded from the Department of State.
  • One passport-size photograph. (Some consulates may require two photographs). The Department of State website provides information about the photograph requirements.

Department of State websites