ESTA and F1-Visa

[siniang 0]

Hi,

because of a longer planned journey to the US I wanted to re-new my ESTA (which has expired, because my passport expired). I'd had ESTA 3 times before.

Now, I've been accepted to a US university and hence need to apply for a F1-visa. Because of the timing, I want to apply - and hopefully get - the visa before my trip. The trip will be to another city than where I will be studying and earlier than the 30 days before I can enter on the F1. However, I will return to my home country only when the 30 days period has already started.

Now, I'm worried if my ESTA and my travel plans will jeopardize my visa-application and study-plans in any way. If I already have the F1 in my passport, can I still enter (and depart) on ESTA?

Thanks in advance for any help!

[Unidentified 2,930]

Hi,

because of a longer planned journey to the US I wanted to re-new my ESTA (which has expired, because my passport expired). I'd had ESTA 3 times before.

Now, I've been accepted to a US university and hence need to apply for a F1-visa. Because of the timing, I want to apply - and hopefully get - the visa before my trip. The trip will be to another city than where I will be studying and earlier than the 30 days before I can enter on the F1. However, I will return to my home country only when the 30 days period has already started.

Now, I'm worried if my ESTA and my travel plans will jeopardize my visa-application and study-plans in any way. If I already have the F1 in my passport, can I still enter (and depart) on ESTA?

Thanks in advance for any help!

If I understood this correctly you will have your F1 visa in your passport when you come over on the ESTA? And you will leave the states to go back to your home country and then come back to the states to study?

You should probably try and contact your embassy to be 100% sure but I think you should be fine.

I currently have a F1 visa in my passport but I am no longer studying. As long as you say you're not here on your student visa, just on ESTA you should be fine. I've visited the states two times on ESTA with my F1 visa in my passport.

[siniang 0]

Yes, exactly. I hope to already have the F1 in my passport when I want to enter the States on ESTA (because I am not allowed to enter on F1 until 30 days before courses start). There shouldn't be any problems, because it is two different "visa"-types (yes I know, technically ESTA is no visa). However, if the F1 accidentally gets activated at the port of entry, I will have a problem...

If you still have your F1 in your passport but don't study anymore, it should have expired automatically the moment you ended your studies, shouldn't it?

[Unidentified 2,930]

Yes, exactly. I hope to already have the F1 in my passport when I want to enter the States on ESTA (because I am not allowed to enter on F1 until 30 days before courses start). There shouldn't be any problems, because it is two different "visa"-types (yes I know, technically ESTA is no visa). However, if the F1 accidentally gets activated at the port of entry, I will have a problem...

If you still have your F1 in your passport but don't study anymore, it should have expired automatically the moment you ended your studies, shouldn't it?

If you tell them you don't want to activate it, they won't activate it.

Yes, but the visa is still in my passport so I still get questions about whether I am entering on my visa or ESTA. I guess they would actually have to look it up on their computers but they don't. They look through my passport, look at all my 3 visas that I've had and clarifies that I am here on ESTA and not trying to get in on my student visa. My student visa in my passport still say I have a few years left on it and doesn't have a stamp saying it's been revoked so they have to ask.

[siniang 0]

Thank you. For personal experiences and insights do help a lot!

[Unidentified 2,930]

Thank you. For personal experiences and insights do help a lot!

You're welcome!