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Hi all,
I need some advice. I am traveling to the US as a tourist for 10 days next Wednesday. I didn't even think about there being a potential problem with the ESTA until I began applying for it today. I tried to call the visa helpline in London but couldn't get through, so any insight would be appreciated.
Basically I was enrolled as a student last year on an F-1 visa, but had to withdraw and return to the UK for medical reasons. As I was leaving the US indefinitely, the college withdrew my I-20 status. My F-1 in my passport is marked as valid up to September 2012, but obviously I am going back to visit, so want to do so on the VWP.
Applying for the ESTA, there is the question "have you ever been denied entry, denied a visa or had a visa cancelled". This is my grey area. Was my visa cancelled, or just the I-20 withdrawn? According to the school, if the visa is in it's validity period, I would only have to reapply for the I-20 if, for instance, I wanted to go back and study BEFORE september (the expiry date on the F-1). Under these terms, my instinct is to answer NO to the ESTA question, as I am under the impression that my visa is still valid, regardless of the fact that I have no I-20, or that I wish to travel under the VWP.
So I put NO and the ESTA was approved...
My question here is regarding whether my visa is 'cancelled' or not. I'm worried in case I missed something and it actually is. And say that I travel on an ESTA that I gave an inaccurate answer on, what could potentially happen?
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope that somebody will have some insight!!!
Will
I need some advice. I am traveling to the US as a tourist for 10 days next Wednesday. I didn't even think about there being a potential problem with the ESTA until I began applying for it today. I tried to call the visa helpline in London but couldn't get through, so any insight would be appreciated.
Basically I was enrolled as a student last year on an F-1 visa, but had to withdraw and return to the UK for medical reasons. As I was leaving the US indefinitely, the college withdrew my I-20 status. My F-1 in my passport is marked as valid up to September 2012, but obviously I am going back to visit, so want to do so on the VWP.
Applying for the ESTA, there is the question "have you ever been denied entry, denied a visa or had a visa cancelled". This is my grey area. Was my visa cancelled, or just the I-20 withdrawn? According to the school, if the visa is in it's validity period, I would only have to reapply for the I-20 if, for instance, I wanted to go back and study BEFORE september (the expiry date on the F-1). Under these terms, my instinct is to answer NO to the ESTA question, as I am under the impression that my visa is still valid, regardless of the fact that I have no I-20, or that I wish to travel under the VWP.
So I put NO and the ESTA was approved...
My question here is regarding whether my visa is 'cancelled' or not. I'm worried in case I missed something and it actually is. And say that I travel on an ESTA that I gave an inaccurate answer on, what could potentially happen?
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope that somebody will have some insight!!!
Will
