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Changes in Earliest Issuance and Admission Datesfor F, M and J VisasAccording to the recent Joint Vision released by Secretary of State Rice and Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff, earliest issuance and admission dates for F, M and J visas are changed that will be advantageous to the applicants. Now foreign Students applying for initial-entry F-1, F-2, and M-1 and M-2 visas can be issued these visas up to 120 days before the enrollment dates as listed on their I-20s. However, these changes are not applied to the continuing students. The continuing students may apply for new F and M visas as long as their student statuses are maintained and their Student and Exchange Visitor Information (SEVIS) records are current. They are also allowed to enter the U.S. at any time before their classes start. And the issuance for J-1 and J-2 visas is even less restricted. The officers can issue J-1 and J-2 visas to exchange visitors at any time before their programs start, as long as their DS-2019 forms remain valid. According to the current regulation, people who hold initial-entry F, M and J visas are not allowed to enter US earlier than 30 days before their programs start. But the Joint Vision stated that, under a new DHS regulation to be issued in a couple of months, the earliest entry date would be advanced to 45 days before their programs start.
(03/16/2006) For more immigration news, please click here |
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