An Indian student recently shared a sad experience while traveling to America after spending holidays in America. When he arrived in Amsterdam from Hyderabad to catch his flight to JFK, he was called by CBP, who informed him that he could not travel to the US because his visa had no validity. The Hyderabad resident was asked to contact the local US Consulate to find out what he should do next. But the immediate step was clear: that they would have to return to India. The student claimed that he had no idea that his F-1 visa had been canceled as he had no DUI or traffic violation or any other law and order incident.The student said he came to the US in January 2025 on an F1 visa, and when he was refused further travel to the US, he learned that his visa was canceled in July 2025. He said he contacted his university and the university informed him that his I-20 and SEVIS records were both active and in good standing.
what are Form I-20 And SEVIS records?
Form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status) is a document issued by a US school that is authorized to enroll international students. SEVIS stands for Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. The SEVIS record is an electronic government record associated with an international student. Schools update this record throughout the student’s stay. It is possible that both of these remained intact when the F-1 visa was canceled because the SEVIS record and compliance with F-1 rules determine whether the student is maintaining status within the US while the visa is for entry into the US.
What to do in such cases?
Apart from knowing the reason why the visa was cancelled, the first thing that students in a similar situation should do is to apply for a new F-1 visa. But in the visa interview they may face questions about previous visa cancellations. Students should not hide the fact that their visa was canceled during their stay in the US.