Us visa renewal

 Be sure the visa in your passport (1) will still be valid on the date you plan to re-enter the U.S., and (2)  still has entries remaining (either has an “M” for unlimited multiple entries or at least “1” entry left). If you must renew your visa while out of the U.S., see the information below on renewing a visa.  If you are traveling to Canada, Mexico, or a country in the Caribbean and your visa has expired, please also read the information below on Automatic Visa Revalidation.

t depends on your situation. Students and scholars are advised to go to the consulate to renew their visas at the earliest possible opportunity to avoid possible delays. Do not wait until the end of your stay abroad. If you know you will be required to appear in person at the consulate, try to make an appointment with the consulate even before you leave the U.S. Many embassies have websites with information about their visa application procedures. View a listing of U.S. embassies and consulates.  Please be wary though of security background checks. 

 If you plan to get a U.S. visa at a consulate in Canada or Mexico, you must make an advance appointment with the U.S. consulate you plan to visit. Please note that only individuals who meet specific requirements will be allowed to do this if Canada or Mexico is not your country of citizenship. If your visa is expired and you apply for and are denied a new visa in Canada or Mexico, you cannot re-enter the U.S. under the terms of automatic revalidation. Instead you will be required to return directly to your home country to apply for a new visa in the U.S. consulate there.

Be sure that you have any visas needed to enter countries other than your own that you plan to visit.  Go to the embassy website of the country you would like to visit to see if you might need a visa to enter the country to which you are traveling. 

Us visa renewal  Some visa applicants may be subject to additional screening. These security checks are performed by the U.S. Department of State, and can take several weeks or months to complete. There are at least three ways a student or scholar can be subject to a security check: (1) country of citizenship: generally for citizens of Middle Eastern or predominantly Islamic countries, although citizens of any country can be subject; or (2) the area of study/research is highly technical or viewed as “sensitive:” citizens of any country (particularly those listed above as well as China and India) have been selected for security checks for this reason. The “Sensitive Majors” list includes most engineering disciplines, chemical and biochemical/biomedical sciences, computer science, genetics, certain branches of physics, nuclear and laser technologies, actuarial science, and even urban planning! Finally, people can be subject to a security check if (3) a preliminary check at the consulate reveals potential criminal history or other “security concerns.”

When a security check occurs, there is absolutely nothing ISSS, the University of Iowa, or any political liaison can do to speed up the process. We strongly suggest that you contact ISSS so that we may assess your situation BEFORE making travel plans.

Representatives from the U.S. Department of State have suggested that students and scholars who believe they could be subject to a security advisory opinion based on the “sensitive” areas of study/research should take a letter from their academic adviser or employing department that briefly describes – in very elementary language – the type of research you are doing or the focus of your studies. The point is to try to illustrate that your work is not a “threat” to U.S. national security. It is still possible you may be subject to the security clearance, but this letter could help speed things up.