Reinstatement To F-1 Status After A Status Violation
Apply to Immigration for a reinstatement to regain F-1 status. You must apply within a five-month period from the time you fell out of status. Contact your international student advisor for an application and information about the process. Your advisor will help you decide whether reinstatement is a viable option.
While the reinstatement is in process, you must continue to be enrolled full-time at Portland Community College to show a good faith effort to be a full-time student. It is important to know that a denied reinstatement would have the following effects, as of the date of the denial:
- The visa that the student used to enter the United States is automatically cancelled;
- The student is permanently limited to applying for nonimmigrant visas in the future only in his or her country of citizenship or permanent residence;
- The student will be given a voluntary departure date to leave the United States. The student will begin accumulating days of "unlawful presence" if he/she does not leave the U.S. If the student remains in the United States after the denial for over 180 days, the student will be barred from returning to the United States for three years; if the student remains after the denial for one year or more, the student will be barred from returning to the United States for 10 years.
If you do not apply for reinstatement and continue your studies at Portland Community College, you will remain out-of-status. It is important you understand the consequences of this choice:
- fear of getting caught
- no on or off-campus employment or practical training
- if traveling outside the U.S., you risk not being able to return as an F-1 student
Alternative To Reinstatement: Re-inspection
If you still have a valid F-1 visa issued for PCC, you may regain F-1 status by leaving the United States and reentering with a new SEVIS I -20 for initial attendance. This process is called re-inspection.
If you choose this option, you need to understand that information regarding your current status will be available to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate office and at the port of entry. This may affect your ability to reenter into the U.S.
Since you are entering the U.S. with a new Initial Attendance I-20, you will be subjected to begin the 9-month waiting period for eligibility for practical training or economic hardship employment authorization.
If you do not have a valid F-1 visa, you may leave the United States, apply for a new visa in your home country and return to the U.S. If you have to apply for a new visa you will need the following documentation:
- A valid passport or travel document
- New Initial Entry SEVIS I-20
- Verification of financial support
- Official Transcript