Applying for Schengen Visa while near I-20 expiration. Would it affect my application?

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I am an international student on F-1 Visa in the US. Does the Schengen Visa application require my I-20 to be valid for a minimum of 3 months after the travel end date?

From the consulate website

Alien Residence Card (Green-Card) or residence visa valid in USA with I-20/IAP-66 (except B-1, B-2), those documents must be valid for a minimum of three months from the expiration date of your visa.

It is not clear to me whether the 3-month requirement is only for the F-1 Visa or if it includes I-20 as well. In my case, my F-1 visa would be valid for the 3 months after my Europe travel but my I-20 would not be.

Thank you.



Best Answer

Yes, since it seems that a valid I-20 is needed to re-enter the United States, it forms a part of the travel document that the Schengen Code requires to be valid 3 months after the expected exit from the Schengen Area.

So if your travel itinerary includes a return back to the United States, then the conditions of Article 6 (1)(a)(i) of the Schengen Code must be fulfilled.


The wording of your quote (which I found at a Spanish Consulate site) is slightly different than that of the Visa requirements pdf of the German Missions in the United States, where plus endorsed I-20 is stated and no meantion that the F-1 must be valid for a further 3 months.

The Schengen Code does not deal with the details of what is considered a valid foreign residence permit for reentry into that country.

The Schengen Code does require that the persons travel document must be valid to return after that person's visit plus 3 months (Article 6 (1)(a)(i)).

Based on the Wikipedia I-20 (form) article, a valid I-20 is needed to reenter the United States. So the I-20 will be considered part of the travel document.


Schengen VISA (all stays of up to 90 days)
...

  • Original of valid US alien registration card or valid US resident visa (type A, E, F plus endorsed I-20, G, H, I, J plus J1 document, L, O, R) and one copy

Travel and travel signatures
Whenever the student re-enters the United States after traveling, the student must have all of these at the time of arrival at the port of entry:

  • A valid passport (valid for at least six more months)
  • A valid F or M visa
  • A valid I-20 (i.e., an I-20 whose program end date has not yet arrived)
  • A travel signature on the I-20 (page 3) from the DSO that is at most one year old (six months in the case of students currently on post-completion Optional Practical Training)

...


Sources:




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Can I apply for Schengen Visa before it expires?

Can I apply for a new visa in advance? Yes. The validity of the new visa will start from the expiry date of the previous visa. My Schengen visa has a 6-month validity.

How many days before should I apply for Schengen Visa?

You will have to wait at least 15 days for your Schengen Visa to be processed, though the processing time will depend on your case. In specific cases, embassies can take 30 days to process a visa, and the Schengen Visa processing time could even be as long as 60 days in extraordinary circumstances.

How many months before you can apply for Schengen Visa?

Applying six months in advance of a trip is now possible While so far Schengen visa applicants could file an application ad early as three months in advance of their trip to the borderless Schengen area, now this rule has changed. The updated code makes it possible for travelers to apply six months before their trip.

Can I apply for Schengen Visa before 90 days?

Your visa will be valid for a specific period. This period may be shorter than 90 days. You can travel freely between the 26 Schengen countries while your visa is valid. If you want to leave and re-enter the Schengen area within the 180-day period, choose the multiple-entry option when making your application.



REASONS WHY SCHENGEN VISA APPLICATIONS GET REJECTED (Highly requested)




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