International Student Services: Passports & Visas

Your passport should always be valid at least six months into the future.  

To renew your passport, please visit the issuing country's embassy or consulate website to learn how to renew your passport within the United States.  

Be sure to plan ahead! Processing times vary.   

If you get a new passport, but your F1 visa is in your old passport, be sure to carry both with you when you travel within or outside of the United States. 

When you update your passport, email a copy of the biographical data to internationaloffice@mcneese.edu. 

Your F1 visa is necessary for entry to the United States only. F1 visa holders are admitted for duration of status, which means that if you are maintaining lawful status, you can remain in the US even with an expired F1 visa. Your status is tied to the continuous following of F1 regulations.  

However, if you plan to travel outside the US, you must have a valid F1 visa to re-enter the United States. Students are encouraged to renew their F1 visas in their home countries by connecting with the closest US embassy.  

Although it is possible to renew an F1 visa in a third country (not the US and not your home country), this method is considerably riskier, as third-country visa denials are common. If you feel that this option is the only viable one for you, please email internationaloffice@mcneese.edu to discuss the procedures.  

If you hold a visa status other than F1, please contact internationaloffice@mcneese.edu for further information