At the Port of Entry

At the port of entry, students request permission to enter the U.S. The decision to allow entry is made by a Customs and Boarder Patrol (CBP) officer. When entering the US the length of stay is determined by an immigration (CBP) officer, who will place a stamp in the student’s passport (usually on the page opposite the Visa stamp.  The notation on stamp placed in the passport should say “D/S” meaning “Duration of Status.” This notation refers to the period of time in which the F-1 or J-1 status (and F-2 or J-2 dependent status) can be maintained. The student may maintain D/S and remain in F-1 or J-1 status as long as the I-20 or DS-2019 form remains valid, does not expire and the student continues to actively maintain his status through activities such as attending classes full-time.

The immigration officer will also create an I-94 record. the I-94 should also say “D/S”. The I-94 record may be accessed online at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/. Students should check their entry stamp and I-94 record each time they enter the U.S. in F-1 or J-1 status.