DOS Extends Initial F and M Visa Filing Window to 120 Days

This February 9, 2006 U.S. Department of State (DOS) cable instructs consular posts that persons applying for initial-entry F-1, F-2, M-1, and M-2 visas may now be issued these visas up to 120 days before the program start date as listed on their I-20s. The prior policy was to issue these visas no more than 90 days prior to the F or M program start date.

The 90-120 day policy change was previously announced in January 2006 in a Rice-Chertoff Joint Vision statement. An additional change announced in that statement would also lengthen the time a student can be admitted to the United States before his or her program start date, from 30 days to 45 days. That change, however, will not become effective until the Code of Federal Regulations is amended by DHS. And so, although F and M visas can now be issued to new students up to 120 days prior to the start date on their Form I-20, new F and M students can still not be admitted earlier than 30 days before their program start date. AMDOC #: 200602006