changing a visa,” etc. Exactly what is a visa?
A visa represents permission from the U.S. State Department for you to enter the United States for a particular purpose (i.e. study, work, visit, etc.). In the past, visas were rubber-stamped on the passport page with multi-colored ink. Presently, a machine-readable, label-type of visa, with your photograph is issued by the U.S. embassy or consulate overseas. You used the visa to enter the U.S. Your visa is numbered, and shows your name, the visa category (for example, F-1), the date and place of issue, the expiration date, and the name of the consular official who issued it. A visa permits you to request entry into the U.S. at a port of entry (for example at the San Francisco International Airport ). Once you are in the U.S. , your visa may expire without any penalty (as long as you maintain your full-time student status), since it governs only your entry and not your stay. However, if you travel outside of the U.S. and then wish to return to continue your studies after your visa has
