PBH / colombia (travelguide, pictures) / post

Getting Student Visa

(I posted this on the Friently Talkzone but thought it might be better on the Visas forum.) My girlfriend Claudia is in a legal battle with an acquaintance who had stolen money from her. Under oath, the guy said he came here to the U.S. on a tourist visa in the mid-1980's (which we think is true) but then went to college on a student visa a year or two later which was provided to him by the college. Is this possible? I thought you had to apply for a student visa while still in Colombia. Our suspicions are that he used a fake social and used a slight variation on his name with the side benefit of cheaper tuition. Could he have gotten a legitimate student visa while here on a tourist visa?

I thank you in advance for any insight.

By EdgarL on Oct 27, 2006, 12:59 in Visa & paperwork.

Gator says on Oct 27, 2006, 19:16:

Since Student Visa was Pre 911... that's true-now he must apply to the embassy in Bogotá and have, in hand, a SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) generated Form, I-20, which was provided to him by his/her school of choice. There is a lot of other paper work involved.

At that time the B visa would have been cancelled and a new F-1 student visa issued-no social security card involved.

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

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EdgarL says on Oct 28, 2006, 21:03:

Just to clarify Thanks Gator! I was unclear on your answer. Are you saying that he would have needed to return to Colombia in order to get the student visa? Or could he have gotten it while in the U.S. on the tourist visa?

Thank you again for helping me understand how it worked.

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