F-1 Student Visa: Arrived 2 days early

[JR loves JR 196]

Hello,

I'm asking this question for my friend who arrived in the USA on December 10, 2015. His classes don't start until January 11, 2016. So by my count he arrived 32 days before classes start. The guide says that first time students cannot arrive more than 30 days before classes start. However, he says the embassy told him that he could arrive in the USA after December 9th. If they told him wrong, what are the consequences of early arrival? Is there anything he can do to fix it at this point? Should he notify anyone about the error? Or should he be okay since they told him the 9th? Is there a place on his visa that would say the date he could legally arrive? Any advice on this would be appreciated.

[teeak 224]

What is the program start date on his I-20? Is that date Jan 11, 2016?

[jan22 3,056]

Was he admitted in F-1 status? If so, no problem.

FYI, the controlling date isn't the date classes start, it's the start date listed on the I-20 - which usually is a couple of days before classes start to give time to finalize registrtion, check into housing, etc.

Edited December 16, 2015 by jan22