US embassy cautions students on overstay

Hyderabad: The US Embassy has cautioned foreign students, including Indians, pursuing various courses in the US on an F-Visa to leave the country soon after the expiry of their visas. It is a caution not to be taken lightly, especially in the wake of the recent crackdown on illegal stay by foreign students — a large number of whom happened to be Indians — in the US.

Around 100 Indian students were arrested by the United States police in February this year as part of the fake university sting operation conducted by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “Foreign students in the United States with F-visas must depart the United States within 60 days of the program end date listed on their I-20, including any authorised practical training,” the US embassy said in a social media post.

Authorities in the embassy claimed it was “an annual and regular note of caution for the students.”

According to an official from the embassy, students on F or M-visas are not permitted to enter the United States earlier than 30 days before the start date of their program and must leave the country within 60 days after the completion of their course. With respect to a change in visa, applicants must contact the US Department of Homeland Security’s Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to change visa status while in the United States.