any help is needed for f1 visa re-entry question

[Jose1028 2]

Hi everyone i appreciate any help with my question and situation. thank you in advance.

here is my details and timeline so anyone can give me advise. i apoligize if my question isn't clear but i hope someone can help.

 

I got my F1 visa(5 years) last year ( it is good until 2027 )

Then i came to USA to start my master degree. 

My english was very bad so I changed my master addmision to language school AFTER arriving US. my initial school transferred my SEVIS and I20 to my language school in different state.

I got a new I-20 (from language school), they transferred my sevis and I started my language school.

I studied in US at my language school for 9 months with no problems and I had to return to my country because of losing my father

I couldn't return to US because I didn't have money. (I stayed outside of US 2months) - my school put me on leave of absense. 

Now somebody sponsored me but my previous I20 may or may not be terminated. Maybe my SEVIS is terminated as well. 

 

1 - can i just get a new I20 from my current school and travel with my old valid F1 visa?

2 - Can I just contact to another language school, get new I20 and re-enter USA with my existing visa? (my visa is valid but has my old schools name on it)

3 - Do i need a new visa in all cases? even though my current f1 visa is still good for 4 years.

 

Please let me know if you can help answer my questions. thank you

 

jose.

[Boiler 43,451]

Why did you not apply for a student visa to study English in the first place?

 

Did you study your Masters degree at all?

[Jose1028 2]

39 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Why did you not apply for a student visa to study English in the first place?

 

Did you study your Masters degree at all?

my goal was to start my masters so i applied for masters degree because i didn't have money to spend for language school but then after arriving US, i had hard time with my english so i decided to change school.

i want to study my masters after completing my language school.

 

so i got admitted to university A, got my f1 visa and arrived US with my first school I-20.

Then i transferred school, (to language school), got a new I-20 and studied for 9 months.

I left US 2 months ago and i still have valid F1 visa(with the first school name on it) 

and I have a valid I20 from new school.

 

I didn't study my masters at all but my schools transferred my SEVIS and I20 without issues, so i never went out of status. 

 

I hear i should not have a problem with re-entry but i just want to know if anyone had an issue. 

 

thank you again if anyone can help

 

Edited April 9, 2023 by Jose1028

[OldUser 4,824]

I think neither DHS nor USCIS is going to like the fact you never did masters you got your F1 visa for. Language school is always suspicious in this situation. You may have issues reentering US and or adjusting status.

 

You not having funds to study hurts your case and doesn't make it any strong.

Edited April 9, 2023 by OldUser

[Boiler 43,451]

I suppose the first thing to do is find out what happened to SERVIS. 

 

Will it look odd absolutely.

 

Will you be quizzed about it, I would think but no way to know for sure.

 

Are you going back for language or your Masters?

[Bajinga 136]

I think there is a good chance you will not be allowed to enter if you try to use your existing F1 visa. based on the information you have provided there are several red flags that CBP would be able to notice

•  you never attended the Master program. your explanation of switching to a language school seems quite odd. for getting admitted into a school, demonstrating english proficiency is required usually via TOEFL. how did you get admitted into the master program without proving the language requirement.
• you failed to maintain the attendance in the language school. the school was required to terminate the SEVIS record once you stopped attending the school  to ensure compliance, so its safe to assume it was cancelled. the explanation that you could not come back because of lack of funds actually goes against requirement of the F1 visa that you had committed to i.e  to demonstrate sufficient funds before starting the school.

 

Based on the above i see problems entering on the existing visa, also based on the history its unlikely you will ever be issued another F1 visa.

[Jose1028 2]

14 minutes ago, Bajinga said:

I think there is a good chance you will not be allowed to enter if you try to use your existing F1 visa. based on the information you have provided there are several red flags that CBP would be able to notice

•  you never attended the Master program. your explanation of switching to a language school seems quite odd. for getting admitted into a school, demonstrating english proficiency is required usually via TOEFL. how did you get admitted into the master program without proving the language requirement.
• you failed to maintain the attendance in the language school. the school was required to terminate the SEVIS record once you stopped attending the school  to ensure compliance, so its safe to assume it was cancelled. the explanation that you could not come back because of lack of funds actually goes against requirement of the F1 visa that you had committed to i.e  to demonstrate sufficient funds before starting the school.

 

Based on the above i see problems entering on the existing visa, also based on the history its unlikely you will ever be issued another F1 visa.

 

1 hour ago, Jose1028 said:

my goal was to start my masters so i applied for masters degree because i didn't have money to spend for language school but then after arriving US, i had hard time with my english so i decided to change school.

i want to study my masters after completing my language school.

 

so i got admitted to university A, got my f1 visa and arrived US with my first school I-20.

Then i transferred school, (to language school), got a new I-20 and studied for 9 months.

I left US 2 months ago and i still have valid F1 visa(with the first school name on it) 

and I have a valid I20 from new school.

 

I didn't study my masters at all but my schools transferred my SEVIS and I20 without issues, so i never went out of status. 

 

I hear i should not have a problem with re-entry but i just want to know if anyone had an issue. 

 

thank you again if anyone can help

 

33 minutes ago, Boiler said:

I suppose the first thing to do is find out what happened to SERVIS. 

 

Will it look odd absolutely.

 

Will you be quizzed about it, I would think but no way to know for sure.

 

Are you going back for language or your Masters?

thank you all for replies but i'm very worried by your answers. i think i confused you so you assumed i broke laws or rules. let me clarify and please if you don't mind, give your review.

 

I never failed attenting my classes or school. I went to my master's degree, my toelf wasn't high enough so they forced me to attend language school. i just didn't go to their language school because their tuiton was too high. so i found my own language school, asked my university to transfer my I20 and i got a new valid I20 from my language school and started my classes immidiealy.

my master acceptance was conditional because my toelf wasn't good enough. condition was to attend language school first. i just didn't go to THEIR lanugage school.

 

i never failed the attendance to language school, i went on vacation and leave of absense. 

 

again sorry if i confused you by my poor explanation but in summary if i need to repeat:

I have valid f1 visa that has SCHOOL A on it.

I have valid I-20 From SCHOOL B.

Is my situation different than here: ? https://www.reddit.com/r/f1visa/comments/hfxov2/can_i_enter_the_us_with_and_old_but_valid_f1_visa/

 

Here they say i should have no problem. 

thanks again.

[Jose1028 2]

56 minutes ago, OldUser said:

I think neither DHS nor USCIS is going to like the fact you never did masters you got your F1 visa for. Language school is always suspicious in this situation. You may have issues reentering US and or adjusting status.

 

You not having funds to study hurts your case and doesn't make it any strong.

thanks for reply. please see my update because i think i need to make it clear.

 

i have funds now, i also have valid i20 and unexpired F1 visa.

I never did my masters because my acceptance was conditional. I was required to go to language school when i entered USA.

I just didn't go to my university's language school, it was expensive. so i found a cheaper one and transferred my I20 and attended my language school without a problem

can you please update your review?

[Boiler 43,451]

I am never one to suggest somebody does not use a Lawyer, having said that somebody here on a Student Visa, assuming they are not trying to get a GED, suggests that they can DIY.

[Bajinga 136]

my advice would be

• clarify the SEVIS situation from your current school. a new I-20 from them might or might not be needed based on the status. do not try to get a new I-20 from a different school as that will seem very sketchy at best. the school name on the visa does not matter as long as proper transfer process was followed and no other requirements of the F1 visa were broken while attending the new school.
• try to enter on your current visa and hope for the best. there is a good chance you will face scrutiny if the CBP decides to dig, Its hard to say if they will.

Edited April 10, 2023 by Bajinga

[Jose1028 2]

2 minutes ago, Bajinga said:

my advice would be

• clarify the SEVIS situation from your current school. a new I-20 from them might or might not be needed based on the status. do not try to get a new I-20 from a different school as that will seem very sketchy at best. the school name on the visa does not matter as long as proper transfer process was followed and no other requirements of the F1 visa were broken while attending the new school.
• try to enter on your current visa and hope for the best. there is a good chance you will face scrutiny if the CBP decides to dig, Its hard to say if they will.

thank you. i contacted my current school and they said my sevis and i20 looks good. they said "transfer was made according to rules"

i didn't break any rules as far as my knowdleg but i'm only tring to find out if i missed anything.

 

you think i should be ok?  i just have a F1 visa that has a different school name and a valid I-20 visa from my current school.

 

[Jose1028 2]

1 hour ago, Boiler said:

I am never one to suggest somebody does not use a Lawyer, having said that somebody here on a Student Visa, assuming they are not trying to get a GED, suggests that they can DIY.

thanks again for reply. i am afraid i didn't understand what you mean here.

i think you suggest i get a lawyer but i can't afford

i tried to clarify my situation if you care to read and provide an opinion, thank you again.

[Family 3,483]

Incredible what 9 months at that less expensive school has done for the complexity and  command of English..miraculous. You write well enough to teach at a “ language school”.. I cannot imagine what on earth they will teach you on your return.

 You will likely make it past CBP if as one poster indicated, they don’t “ dig “ deeper. ..

 

https://iss.washington.edu/requests/academic-changes/change-school/

As long as you have followed the proper transfer procedures, you will be able to use your current, unexpired F-1 visa to reenter the U.S. even though it has your previous school name printed on it.

[Jose1028 2]

23 minutes ago, Family said:

Incredible what 9 months at that less expensive school has done for the complexity and  command of English..miraculous. You write well enough to teach at a “ language school”.. I cannot imagine what on earth they will teach you on your return.

 You will likely make it past CBP if as one poster indicated, they don’t “ dig “ deeper. ..

 

https://iss.washington.edu/requests/academic-changes/change-school/

As long as you have followed the proper transfer procedures, you will be able to use your current, unexpired F-1 visa to reenter the U.S. even though it has your previous school name printed on it.

hi, thanks for reply. sorry but i'm not sure what you mean by first paragraph. as i said, my english isn't great so i might made mistakes. what do you mean what they will teach me on return?

 

i just let schools do the transfer thing but i always checked with school officials to hear "if transfer was done right". they said yes. 

i think you're confirming I should not have any issue

1- i have a valid f1 visa even though it has a different school name on it

2 - i have a valid I20 for my language school

correct?

 

besides asking my school about proper transfer, how can i make sure?

 

thanks if you can reply again.

Edited April 10, 2023 by Jose1028

[Allaboutwaiting 2,500]

20 minutes ago, Jose1028 said:

hi, thanks for reply. sorry but i'm not sure what you mean by first paragraph. as i said, my english isn't great so i might made mistakes. what do you mean what they will teach me on return?

It was a snarky remark at your level of English. The person that posted cannot believe you have learnt so much in 9 months -called it miraculous- and thinks you do not need to come back to the US to learn more -actually thinks you're ready to teach English rather than learn it, given the command you've shown on your posts-.

 

Whoever commented is basically implying that you might want to come back to the US not necessarily to pursue a degree but to immigrate. 

Edited April 10, 2023 by Allaboutwaiting