hie, i got a two year visa back home while my 1-20 said my stay in sch would take five years, i want to vist home in May and the visa has only 3mths to go, cos i was given in august 2001, and i was wondering whether i will be asked at the entry of US when i come back from home with just two mths visa? and whether it is possible to renew it before it has expired, and i have been going to sch since i came here.

-- lavender Wambogo (lavemderw@yahoo.com), March 19, 2003

Answers

It is possible to renew your visa if you are in status. However, this process has become much more complicated post-9/11 and may become even worse now that the war is underway. Many people, especially men, encounter delays or even denial. Likewise, you may encounter problems with the INS at the airport returning in the last few months of your current visa. Unfortunately, this can happen even if you are responsible, in-status, etc.

You need to weigh all these factors in deciding whether to travel. You may want to touch base with the foreign student advisor at your school and with other students from your country to see what their experiences have been like.

-- Michael Boyle (info@immigrantcenter.com), March 21, 2003.