Below you will find definitions of some immigration related terms…

Passport: This document is issued by your home government and used for travel purposes. Students in F-1 and J-1 immigration status must keep their passports valid at all times. If you need to renew your passport, you may do so by contacting your consulate or embassy located nearest you.

SEVIS I-20/ SEVIS DS-2019 Forms: these forms are issued by U.S. schools to indicate that an international student has been accepted to a program of study and has the financial ability to study and live in the U.S. for the duration of studies. A SEVIS I-20 Form (for F-1 students) and a SEVIS DS-2019 Form (for J-1 students is needed to apply for a student visa.
 
Visa: A visa is a stamp in your passport issued by a U.S. embassy or consulate office and allows you to travel to the United States. A visa indicates the type of immigration status you will hold upon entry to the U.S., the date until which you may enter the United States, and the number of entries you may make before you must apply for a new visa stamp. An international student planning to study in the United States must apply for an F-1 Student Visa or J-1 Exchange Visitor Student Visa in order to be eligible for entry to the U.S. The length of validity of each visa type varies and is not necessarily tied to the length of your program of study. Student visa stamps cannot be obtained within the United States. Application for a new visa stamp must generally be made in person at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your home country. 

Form I-94: At the port of entry, you will be given an Arrival/Departure form to complete (usually distributed in the plane a few minutes before landing). This form, generally referred to as the I-94 card, is a small white card that will be stapled to your passport. The I-94 card will indicate your immigration status, the date and port of your arrival in the United States, and the date until which you have permission to stay. The I-94 card of international students entering the U.S. on an F-1 or J-1 visa will be stamped with the notation D/S, indicating "duration of status". "Duration of Status" refers to the completion date on the certificate of eligibility (SEVIS I-20 Form for F-1 students & SEVIS DS-2019 Form for J-1 students) and gives permission to those in F-1 and J-1 student status to remain in the U.S. as long as they remain full time students and legally maintain their non-immigrant student status.
 
Status vs. Visa: Your immigration status is determined at the time of entry into the U.S. by the immigration port officer (noted on the I-94 card) and depends on the type of visa you hold at the time of entry. For example, if you obtained a F-1 visa from the U.S. Embassy or Consulate office in your home country, your status upon entry in the U.S. will be indicated as "F-1, D/S" on the I-94 card. You should consider the visa simply as an entry ticket to the U.S; the visa gives you permission to enter the U.S. It does not determine how long you may stay. Your status on the other hand determines the length of time you may stay and is noted on the I-94 card. Your status may not correspond to the type of visa you used to gain entry to the U.S. since it is possible to change your status within the United States.
 
For additional information, questions and/or advice, call the ISO at 312-362-8376



Updated 06.2003