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F-1 Student Reinstatement

Students who have violated the terms or conditions of the F-1 status, and who have not been employed without authorization, should submit these items to the Office of International Student Services (OISS) so that a new I-20 can be issued to you for your reinstatement application:

  1. Request for a New I-20, which can be found here.


  2. New Financial Affidavit Form and Supporting Documents showing adequate funding for the remainder of your studies including all living costs for you and any dependents, which can be found here (For example: graduate students may provide an award letter from the Graduate School, and undergraduate students may provide a recent bank statement as their Supporting Documents). Please consult with the OISS for the amount of funding you will need to show for your new I-20.


  3. A letter from your academic department showing your expected date of graduation and any funding you might be receiving from the department.


  4. Written statement from the student requesting that a reinstatement be granted and establishing that:

    a. The violation of status was due to circumstances beyond your control or that      failure to reinstate would result in extreme hardship;
    b. You are pursuing or will pursue a full course of study;
    c. You have not been employed without authorization; and
    d. You are not in removal proceedings (where you have been ordered to depart the     U.S.)

Once the new I-20 has been issued, the following items should be mailed in the order listed below to the address provided at the bottom of this page after you make arrangements for the OISS to review them for you:

  1. Bank check or money order for $300 made payable to "USCIS";


  2. ORIGINAL I-94 Arrival-Departure Record (small white card usually stapled to your passport);


  3. Student's Written Statement as described above;


  4. Completed I-539 application with "REINSTATEMENT" written in BOLD faced letters at the top of the form, and with "Reinstatement to F-1 Status" added to Part 2 Item 1. The I-539 can be obtained on the USCIS web site: www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis Opens in a new browser window. Click on the "Immigration Forms" tab.


  5. New I-20 issued by the OISS for reinstatement purposes and signed by the student and the OISS;


  6. Copy of your passport with your name, date of birth, and passport expiration date;


  7. Copy of your most recent F-1 visa.

Special Notes:

The $300 fee and each item listed above will need to be sent for each person applying for a reinstatement (including all F-2 dependents). The $100 SEVIS fee must only be paid by students who have been out of status for 5 months or more, and the receipt must be included with the reinstatement application. Once you receive an I-797 Receipt Notice for your reinstatement application, you can check the status of your application on line at: www.uscis.gov Opens in a new browser window by going to the Case Status tabs and entering your receipt number.

Mailing Address for Reinstatement Applications:

USCIS Vermont Service Center
ATTN: I-539
75 Lower Weldon Street
St. Albans, VT  05479-0001

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