F-1 students, remember to verify that the “Admit Until” date on your Form I-94, “Arrival/Departure Record,” and admissions stamp on your passport lists “D/S” (i.e., Duration of Status) and not a specific date.

If your Form I-94 does not list Duration of Status or D/S, contact your designated school official (DSO) immediately. Your DSO can help you fix this error. Not fixing this error in a timely fashion may result in a loss of status.

The Form I-94 is proof of the terms of your admission into the country, including legal status and length of time you may stay in the country. You receive an admission stamp and typically an electronic I-94 upon arrival at a U.S. port of entry from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

D/S on your Form I-94/admissions stamp means that you may remain in the United States so long as you maintain your nonimmigrant student status, which includes finishing your program by the program date listed on your Form I-20, "Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Status." If you need more time to finish your program or want to apply for a post-completion training opportunity, work with your DSO to print an updated Form I-20.

CBP usually issues an electronic form to nonimmigrants entering the country at an air or sea port of entry, and a paper form to those entering the country at a land port of entry.

It is helpful to have a copy of your Form I-94 to prove your legal visa status in the United States. If you are admitted electronically and do not receive a paper form, or if you misplace your form and need a replacement, follow the steps outlined in the “What is the Form I-94?” Study in the States blog post.

Remember, the visa expiration date does not determine your permitted length of stay in the United States. To find more information on your visa expiration date versus your duration of status, visit the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs’ website and read the Student Visa vs. Student Status: What’s the Difference? post on the Study in the States blog.

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