Documents for F-1 students

Passports

Your passport is issued through your government, generally for a specified period of time. Upon expiration, it must be renewed in order for you to remain legally in the United States. To renew your passport, contact your nearest consulate or embassy to complete required documents. Letters of enrollment, if needed, will be issued by the Cal Poly Office of Academic Records.

Form I-20

Cal Poly will issue your Form I-20 which you will use to apply for or maintain F-1 status. Your I-20 must always remain valid while in the USA.  One it expires it cannot be extended.  You will need to have a travel signature not older than one year to re-enter the USA once you are a continuing student at Cal Poly.  

Visas

Before you entered the United States, you had to apply for a visa that was issued by the American Embassy or Consulate in your home country. The visa is a foil stamped on a page of your passport. As long as you remain in the U.S. and maintain F-1 status with a valid I-20,, your visa may expire.  You will need to apply again for another visa if your visa expires. Note: Also see Travel Outside the USA for more visa information.

Port of Entry Stamp

When you enter the USA you will show your passport, I-20, proof of paying the I-901 Fee, and, if coming to Cal Poly for the first time, your acceptance letter.  An officer at port of entry at the airport when you land in the USA will review these documents so keep them with you and do not pack them in your checked baggage. When you have been cleared for entry, the port of entry officer will stamp your passport with an entry stamp. Before your leave the entry desk, be sure they notate the entry stamp with "F-1 D/S" as shown below.  If it is not, please ask them to verify it is correct. It is very hard to correct this after you leave the airport.