H4 to F1 visa stamping risk after not leaving US in 8 years.

USA F1, F2 Visas - CPT - OPT
1

Hi guys,

I came to this country with an H4 visa 7 and a half years ago. After 4 years, my father’s visa expired so he switched to an F1 visa and I became F2. A year ago, I changed my own status to a F1 visa. I am currently attending a community college here in US and have finished one semester. Through the 7 years, I have not gone out of the country, so my passport still has the H4 visa stamped to it. I was thinking of taking a vacation to Colombia this summer, but I am not sure of how much the risk of getting my F1 visa stamping there is. Both of my parents still live here in the US (my father has F1 visa and my mother F2). My sponsor is a person here in the United States. Do you guys think there is a very big risk of my stamping being denied, even with a letter from the community college? What can I do to lower the risk?

Thanks,

Andres

2

Andres,

This is a standard stamping at port of reentry, you need to carry a ‘student in current status’ document from your college. However you must be sure that your father did not go out of status any time during the H-1 to F-1 conversion few years back because that creates a gap. Specific questions on stamping in Colombia can be answered by your local USCIS field office, you can simply walk in.

Best wishes

Dr. Sandeep Shankar, Colorado Heights University, Denver, CO 80223, USA. www.chu.edu; sshankar@chu.edu

3

Hi Dr. Shankar,

Thank you so much for your answer! I know for a fact that neither I nor my parents were ever out of status in here, so on that we are safe. I was just worried that they can somehow deny my stamping even though I have already studied here. Thanks again.