I-20 expired, need to re-enter US to reinstate status/activate i20. Going to Tijuana on Sunday. Anybody else done this?

[dallool 0]

This is so new to me. I need all the reassurance I can get.

I'm an international student from Kuwait so technically I don't need a visa to Mexico if my F-1 US visa is valid (which it is, till next year).

I have all my papers that indicate that once I graduate, I will go back to my home country because that's where my job is waiting for me (ie, i have no intention of staying in the US past my graduate degree)

My school's international student center gave me three inconsistent answers to my question above. This is what they told me:

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  You can't re-instate your status through land border. You have to fly. (Unfeasible because I'm a broke ### grad student on a scholarship from my school)

  
  
  
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  You can re-enter though land borders, just make sure you stay at least 72 hours otherwise it would be considered "suspicious activity" (I spoke to two immigration lawyers who said, this is unheard of)

  
  
  
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  Finally, the last person at the international student center said "I've seen many international students re-instate their I-20 by going to TJ and re-entering, in ONE day, ie not even 48 hours. You're good to go and should have no problems coming back".

  
  
  

TLDR: Given their inconsistent answers, my questions to you are this: Is reinstating I-20's through traveling to TJ for one day a normal thing? Do you know anybody who's done it? Do I have to stay for more than a day? Is flying and re-entering by air travel an imperative or is land border ok?

I apologize for the panic but right now i'm freaking out and the people who are supposed to give me answers have not done a proper job at it. Sorry and thank you in advance.

[newacct 688]

Why do you need to "reinstate status"?

[Unidentified 2,930]

Did it expire because you failed to extend the date on your I-20 or did you fail to maintain the amount of classes required? How long have you been out of status?

Just a letter saying you will go home when you graduate won't cut it. You say you're too broke to fly home... How are you going to prove that you can afford more studying, living expenses plus your flight home once you're finished? You will have to supply another bank statement. You will also have to supply a cover letter explaining your failure to extend your I-20 or why you became out of status.

It sounds to me that you have only thought about a small step in the process (at least from the info you've given us) and not the big picture.

[dallool 0]

Did it expire because you failed to extend the date on your I-20 or did you fail to maintain the amount of classes required? How long have you been out of status?

Just a letter saying you will go home when you graduate won't cut it. You say you're too broke to fly home... How are you going to prove that you can afford more studying, living expenses plus your flight home once you're finished? You will have to supply another bank statement. You will also have to supply a cover letter explaining your failure to extend your I-20 or why you became out of status.

It sounds to me that you have only thought about a small step in the process (at least from the info you've given us) and not the big picture.

The i20 expired because it wasn't extended. I've been out of status for 3 weeks (i have a 60 day grace period). Meanwhile, I've been registered with the school and I'm a full time student.

I have sufficient funding from my school to cover my living expenses and tuition and yes I have the funds to afford going home once I'm done (i just can't do it *now* for the i20 activation trip because it's so short notice it costs 3000$).

I'm sorry but I'm confused as to what you mean by the bigger picture? I've never had to produce those documents to an immigration officer at an airport so why would I produce them to a land border control officer?(I'll have them with me just in case)

Ps. I am not applying for an f1 visa, i already have a valid one. I am simply asking abt the process of re-entry through land border in San Diego/Tijuana and doing the trip in a day. Is that feasible?

[newacct 688]

If you are in your grace period, you are in status, not out of status. You would have to stay past the end of the grace period to be out of status. So if you are in a grace period, then you can simply get another I-20 and continue studying. However, I am not sure you have a grace period at all in your situation. A 60-day grace period is only for people who complete their course of study. Did you complete your course of study? If you did not complete your course of study but got permission from your international office to withdraw, you get a 15-day grace period. If you did neither and simply stopped taking classes, you have no grace period.

[dallool 0]

Aha. I understand now. Thank you.