As a student carrying an F-1 student visa, you are already familiar with Form I-20 which you used to apply for your visa. This was issued by Furman and provides proof that you were invited by Furman to come to the United States. When your visa was approved, you received a visa stamp in your passport. It is important that both of these documents remain up-to-date.
Once your visa stamp expires, you can arrange to get a new stamp at any U.S. embassy or consulate outside of the U.S. It’s OK if your visa stamp expires while you are in the U.S. You must have an updated one to enter the U.S. Additionally, you should always apply with your home country’s government to renew your passport at least six months before it expires.
At your port of entry into the U.S., an immigration official also stamped an I-94 Departure Record card and likely stapled it into your passport. This is your proof of arrival in the U.S. and you will be required to surrender it at the airport or border any time you leave the country. If you are only leaving for a vacation, you will receive a new I-94 Departure Record card when you return. Any time you leave the U.S., you must be sure that the travel authorization line on the second page of your Form I-20 has been signed within the last year by someone from the Office for Study Away and International Education and carry with you the four original documents mentioned above. It is also advisable to carry photocopies of all the documents with you. Be sure that our office has copies of your most recent documents.