American English Institute
Application Procedures
Forms and Documents
Please be sure to note the date of expiration of your passport. A passport can be extended or replaced through your country's consulate in the U.S. You are required to have a valid passport at all times while in the U.S. If your passport expires before the date on which you plan to leave the U.S., you should present it to your consulate or embassy for renewal; consulates can be found in California (http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/fco).
This is the stamp placed in your passport by the U.S. Consulate. It is only for the purpose of allowing you to enter the U.S. If your visa expires while you are in the U.S., it is NOT possible or necessary to get a new visa unless you exit the country.
This is the stamp on your passport that is proof of legal entry into the U.S. The I-94 record is created electronically and maintained by Customs Border Protection (CBP). Usually the period of stay for a foreign student will be denoted by D/S (Duration of Status) on your passport stamp. This means that you may stay in the U.S. for as long as you are a full-time student pursuing the degree listed on the I-20. To access your I-94 record electronically, please visit www.cbp.gov/I94.
The three-page document that is issued to you by the American English Institute (AEI) office upon admission to the American English Institute as an F-1 student. It is used for obtaining a visa, entering the U.S., transferring schools, and informing the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) when there is a change in your program. As a foreign student, you should always be in possession of your I-20. Before you leave the U.S. for temporary visits, you must have the I-20 endorsed by the AEI DSO. Otherwise, you will not be allowed to reenter the United States. Your I-20 must not expire before you complete your program. It is your responsibility to notify the Admissions and Advising Specialist if you will not be able to complete your program on time.
The F-2 spouse and minor children of an F-1 student shall each be issued an individual SEVIS Form I-20 once the proper documents have been submitted to the AEI.
As an F-1 visa holder, you have certain requirements. If you do not meet these requirements throughout your stay in the U.S., you are considered “out of status.” Being out of status means that your program may be terminated, which means that you must return to your home country.
To maintain your status, you must:
- Enroll as a full-time student & attend classes. Full-time students must attend a minimum of 20 hours of instruction per week.
- Miss no more than 20% of your TOTAL class hours. Absences due to sickness, injury, etc. also make up this total.
- Update the AEI of an address change within 10 days of the change. Update your U.S. address.
If you have studied in the United States for six (6) consecutive months (Fall and Spring), you can take a summer break, which means that you will not have to attend our summer session to maintain your visa. If you take a summer break, you must attend the next available session after your break.