Visa VS Status: Are they the same or different?

Visa and Status have always confused many non-immigrants, or even immigrants and U.S. citizens. Visa and Status are not the same, so they should not be used interchangeably. The purpose of a visa is for the holder to enter into the US, and that is it! After the inspection by the CBP (Customer and Border Patrol) officer at the port of entry, it becomes useless. While in the U.S., you, instead, have a status, which determines whether or not your stay is authorized and legal. In most cases, your status is determined by your visa type i.e. if you entered into the U.S. with an F-1 visa, you are granted an F-1 status to stay in the US. You may ask for how long, then? Unlike other statuses that have a specific expiry date, F-1 status has D/S written at the bottom of the stamp in their passport. D/S stands for Duration of Status meaning that students with F-1 status can stay in the U.S. as long as they maintain their status in good standing or active, even after their F-1 visa expires.

Any catch? Of course, when you are leaving the U.S.! Remember that a valid visa is used for entry? You have an active status, alright, but that is for you to stay, not to re-enter. You will need a proper and valid visa type to re-enter. If your left the U.S. and your visa has expired, you will have to go back to your home country and re-apply for another F-1 visa to re-enter into the U.S. to resume your F-1 status.

Share or comments with any questions you might have, and we will try our best to answer your questions.