An Indian student on an F-1 visa recently shared their experience on Reddit after losing their Indian passport in the US. The student revealed that the recovery process took nearly a year to resolve fully.
Losing a passport that contains a visa does not affect legal status in the US. Students can continue to prove lawful presence using their I-20 and I-94 forms.
The student first filed a report with the local police. This police report is a crucial document and is required for every further step in the process.
After that, the student applied for passport reissuance. For Indian nationals, this process is handled by VFS Global.
However, getting a new visa stamp is not possible within the US. A fresh visa stamp requires travel to an Indian embassy in India.
As a result, the student had to return to India for a visa interview. During the process, officials verified that the student’s SEVIS record was active.
Based on the experience, the student offered advice to others facing similar situations. They strongly recommended keeping digital copies of all important documents.
Documents can be scanned and stored securely on cloud platforms. Another option is to e-mail scanned copies to oneself for easy access.
The student also advised informing all relevant authorities by e-mail. This includes the Indian embassy or consulate, the US embassy, and US Visa Scheduling officials.
Additionally, informing the Designated School Officer is critical. DSOs often provide the most guidance and support during such issues.
While the passport reissuance process is relatively straightforward, it can be expensive. The student emphasised that maintaining digital copies of documents can prevent major complications.
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