Visa renewal for Dental student

[priyagasti]

Hi,
I am an dentist in India and i came to US on F1 visa for the Master of Public health program in 1 school, later i got admission and transferred to a dental school in US. Now my F 1visa is expiring and i want to visit India,before expiring i want to go to mexico and get stamped. I have a huge student loans for my Dental school. Is there any risk involved for my visa renewal. Please suggest. Eagerly waiting for the response.
Thanks

[topcatin]

Loans are fine.Just make sure you have the right documents to show that you can financially back yourself during your program.

[priyagasti]

Thank you so much for your response

[topcatin]

Your welcome. All the best.

[priya945]

Transfer school- need help

hi priya,

I need your help.I am joining MPH prog. and also trying for admission to dental school. If I get F1 visa for 3-4 yrs on MPH & I transfer to a dental school in between after 6 months/1 yr only, Would I be able to leave US and visit India till till the original MPH F1 VISA for 3-4 yrs expires?Or after transferring schools,MPH F1 would become void?

thankx in advance

[topcatin]

You can switch between universities after coming to the US. The dental school will do the transfer process and issue you a new i-20. At this point it is not necessary for you to go back and get it stamped for a new F1 with the dental school. So what is there on your new i-20 is what matters.
I would recommend travelling to India either on the i-20 with the MPH program or after you join the dental school and travel on that i-20. You can travel with visa issued for MPH. But remember it is the dates on the I-20 which matters. The validity is on the I-20 saying the program is from Jan 2008-Jan 2012. Remember your f1 visa may show "Jan 2008- Jan 2013" but your I-20 is issued for the duration of the course. So if your course is for 3 years then the validity is from 2008 till 2011. So you can travel in this period.

I am not sure what a MPH program is, but which ever university is offering that you should ask their "international student services" dept and find out even from " ISS" at the dental school. They will have a immigration specialist and they can answer these questions too.

[priya945]

I hope I have understood right..

So if my original F1 visa is valid until 2013, and I switch schools in 2009 and I get a new I-20 for 2 years, I can travel to India only till 2011, even though F1 would be valid till 2013?So basically, this means everything depends on the dates on I- 20

Then why is there a risk in re entering once F1 visa expires but you take admission in a new school with a new I 20??

I have heard of people staying on in the US after their first F1 expired, they just took admission in a new school & didnt go back till they finish studies in the new school.

Shouldn't they be able to re-enter US with this new valid I 20 even though their F1 visa is expired?

confused: