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Does my Student Visa supersede my Tourist Visa?
To summarize my concerns:
1. Does my Student Visa supersede my Tourist Visa?
2. Can I use my Student and Tourist Visa whenever convenient?
3. May I enter with my tourist visa in April 2015 and exit to Mexico on July 2015?
4. Would there be a problem if I enter using my US Student Visa but I would be coming in from Mexico?
So here's the case..
Hello,
I am an aspiring student from the Philippines. I have both student and tourist visas. I need confirmation if my student visa, valid from August 17, 2015 - February 26, 2020, would supercede my tourist visa that is valid from February 5, 2009 - Feb 3, 2019.
According to the department I have applied for at CSUN, I am to attend a mandatory new student orientation on May 16, 2015, however according to my Student Visa I can only enter 30 days prior to the date indicated on my SEVIS which would be by July 17, 2015. I tried talking to the university's International Student's Office (the office that had processed my SEVIS) to have the entry date on my SEVIS account changed to the date of the orientation, because the purpose of my travel would cover that of the orientation but they said it's not a program of the university, it's a prerogative or a program of the department. So they did not allow it. My next option was to confirm with the embassy or customs and borders office whether I can enter using my tourist visa and by the time I officially start with the university I can declare my student visa then, however I saw in one of the websites that it used to be the case however changes were implemented and I would be required to leave the country and re-enter on my student visa.
Luckily I was told at the embassy when I was interviewed for my student visa that I may still use my tourist visa while my student visa date has not started. I am aware that if I use my tourist visa I would have to present an itinerary proving that I would exit the country within 6 months (allotted time for travel as per tourist visa specifications), then by then enter back into the country by July 17, 2015 with my students visa.
Frankly I have no money to afford another airfare to make this all easier for me. Until I found out that I have friends from California who are traveling to Mexico around July and coming back after 3 days or so. I have already contacted the Mexican embassy here in the Philippines and they said as long as I have an valid tourist visa for the United States, I may enter Mexico without a visa. My next step is to confirm that Mexico Trip so that by July 16-19, 2015 I can exit and re-enter the United States with my student's visa.
Please confirm if this is acceptable, I am hoping to make this happen and I desperately want to attend that orientation. It's difficult enough that I am coming from a far country and that I have so much catching up to do, I hope I don't miss this opportunity to have an equal or fair start with the rest of the class.
Please if you have any suggestions for my case I would greatly appreciate it. If there's an option for me to have my visa status changed without being required to leave the country, that would be a dream come true.
Here's a summary of what I have planned:
April 17, 2015 - departure from Manila, Philippines (cheapest flight I've found)
April 17, 2015 - arrival at LAX, entry using my tourist visa
July 16, 2015 - departure to Mexico, entry as tourist (verified with embassy that I do not need a visa as long as my tourist visa is valid)
July 19, 2015 - arrival at US, entry using my student visa
To summarize my concerns:
1. Does my Student Visa supersede my Tourist Visa?
2. Can I use my Student and Tourist Visa whenever convenient?
3. May I enter with my tourist visa in April 2015 and exit to Mexico on July 2015?
4. Would there be a problem if I enter using my US Student Visa but I would be coming in from Mexico?
I hope you could help me out. Thank you so much for your time.
1. Does my Student Visa supersede my Tourist Visa?
2. Can I use my Student and Tourist Visa whenever convenient?
3. May I enter with my tourist visa in April 2015 and exit to Mexico on July 2015?
4. Would there be a problem if I enter using my US Student Visa but I would be coming in from Mexico?
So here's the case..
Hello,
I am an aspiring student from the Philippines. I have both student and tourist visas. I need confirmation if my student visa, valid from August 17, 2015 - February 26, 2020, would supercede my tourist visa that is valid from February 5, 2009 - Feb 3, 2019.
According to the department I have applied for at CSUN, I am to attend a mandatory new student orientation on May 16, 2015, however according to my Student Visa I can only enter 30 days prior to the date indicated on my SEVIS which would be by July 17, 2015. I tried talking to the university's International Student's Office (the office that had processed my SEVIS) to have the entry date on my SEVIS account changed to the date of the orientation, because the purpose of my travel would cover that of the orientation but they said it's not a program of the university, it's a prerogative or a program of the department. So they did not allow it. My next option was to confirm with the embassy or customs and borders office whether I can enter using my tourist visa and by the time I officially start with the university I can declare my student visa then, however I saw in one of the websites that it used to be the case however changes were implemented and I would be required to leave the country and re-enter on my student visa.
Luckily I was told at the embassy when I was interviewed for my student visa that I may still use my tourist visa while my student visa date has not started. I am aware that if I use my tourist visa I would have to present an itinerary proving that I would exit the country within 6 months (allotted time for travel as per tourist visa specifications), then by then enter back into the country by July 17, 2015 with my students visa.
Frankly I have no money to afford another airfare to make this all easier for me. Until I found out that I have friends from California who are traveling to Mexico around July and coming back after 3 days or so. I have already contacted the Mexican embassy here in the Philippines and they said as long as I have an valid tourist visa for the United States, I may enter Mexico without a visa. My next step is to confirm that Mexico Trip so that by July 16-19, 2015 I can exit and re-enter the United States with my student's visa.
Please confirm if this is acceptable, I am hoping to make this happen and I desperately want to attend that orientation. It's difficult enough that I am coming from a far country and that I have so much catching up to do, I hope I don't miss this opportunity to have an equal or fair start with the rest of the class.
Please if you have any suggestions for my case I would greatly appreciate it. If there's an option for me to have my visa status changed without being required to leave the country, that would be a dream come true.
Here's a summary of what I have planned:
April 17, 2015 - departure from Manila, Philippines (cheapest flight I've found)
April 17, 2015 - arrival at LAX, entry using my tourist visa
July 16, 2015 - departure to Mexico, entry as tourist (verified with embassy that I do not need a visa as long as my tourist visa is valid)
July 19, 2015 - arrival at US, entry using my student visa
To summarize my concerns:
1. Does my Student Visa supersede my Tourist Visa?
2. Can I use my Student and Tourist Visa whenever convenient?
3. May I enter with my tourist visa in April 2015 and exit to Mexico on July 2015?
4. Would there be a problem if I enter using my US Student Visa but I would be coming in from Mexico?
I hope you could help me out. Thank you so much for your time.
