Renewal of F1 visa

[Rajarshi]

Hi Guys,

I have completed my Master's in the summer of 2014 and have joined a PhD program this Fall in a different university. My F1 Visa will expire on May 2015. Following are some of my questions regarding renewal of the visa.

1) Am I eligible for the interview waiver dropbox program?

2) Do I have to pay the SEVIS fee again?

3) Any ideas about administrative processing times.. ? (I'm worried that I wont get a leave of more than a month).

4) I had also applied for OPT just before the completion of my MS (which is still under process). Do I need to formally cancel it or is it going to be automatically cancelled?

Thanks for helping out..!

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[lisaanderson]

Hi Guys,

I have completed my Master's in the summer of 2014 and have joined a PhD program this Fall in a different university. My F1 Visa will expire on May 2015. Following are some of my questions regarding renewal of the visa.

1) Am I eligible for the interview waiver dropbox program?

2) Do I have to pay the SEVIS fee again?

3) Any ideas about administrative processing times.. ? (I'm worried that I wont get a leave of more than a month).

4) I had also applied for OPT just before the completion of my MS (which is still under process). Do I need to formally cancel it or is it going to be automatically cancelled?

Thanks for helping out..!

1. Assuming you are Indian, here is the information for the US Consulates in India for the Interview Waiver program: http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-niv-visarenew.asp
Since you are now at a different institution, it seems you are no longer eligible for the dropbox renewal.
2. No.
3. If you are subject to Admin Processing, it can take 1 month or 4 months. If you are worried about Admin Processing in India, why not try to obtain your F-1 visa at a US Consulate in Canada? Since you obtained your previous F-1 visa in your home country, you may be able to obtain your visa in Canada. Check the US Consulate website for Canada for more details (Ottawa is a good consulate). You just want to make sure you have strong evidence of ties to your home country if you have been in the US for more than 2-3 years already.
4. If you are not planning to use your OPT and planning to study only, then you should withdraw your OPT application as soon possible so you don’t risk losing your OPT time. You should talk to the DSO/ISO at your previous school to obtain specific instructions on what to do.
If you need additional advice about obtaining a visa, you should speak to an immigration attorney. You may visit here to speak with an immigration lawyer: http://consultattorney.visapro.com/

[Rajarshi]

1. Assuming you are Indian, here is the information for the US Consulates in India for the Interview Waiver program: http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-niv-visarenew.asp
Since you are now at a different institution, it seems you are no longer eligible for the dropbox renewal.
2. No.
3. If you are subject to Admin Processing, it can take 1 month or 4 months. If you are worried about Admin Processing in India, why not try to obtain your F-1 visa at a US Consulate in Canada? Since you obtained your previous F-1 visa in your home country, you may be able to obtain your visa in Canada. Check the US Consulate website for Canada for more details (Ottawa is a good consulate). You just want to make sure you have strong evidence of ties to your home country if you have been in the US for more than 2-3 years already.
4. If you are not planning to use your OPT and planning to study only, then you should withdraw your OPT application as soon possible so you don’t risk losing your OPT time. You should talk to the DSO/ISO at your previous school to obtain specific instructions on what to do.
If you need additional advice about obtaining a visa, you should speak to an immigration attorney. You may visit here to speak with an immigration lawyer: http://consultattorney.visapro.com/

Thanks for your suggestions.
If I get a higher degree, is my OPT time for MS even going to matter? The DSO at my last university said that I will lose this OPT automatically. If i dont want to pursue OPT for that degree, there is no point of withdrawing it. Am I right regarding this?