Updates to visa reciprocity
July 11, 2025
On July 8, the U.S. Department of State made several changes to the visa reciprocity schedule. This schedule outlines the fee, number of entries and validity period of a visa that is issued to citizens of a specific country to travel to the United States. The validity period refers to the length of time, from the date it is issued, a visa can be used for entry into the U.S. Several countries have been updated to a shorter validity period of three months and have had the number of entries reduced from multiple to single.
Students and scholars who are applying for a visa to travel to the U.S. should check the visa reciprocity schedule for their country of citizenship to determine the validity period and number of entries.
Visas issued prior to July 9 will continue to be valid for the duration printed on the visa.
Visa vs. immigration status
A visa is a document that is issued in your passport and allows you to travel to the U.S. during the validity period for the purposes intended for that visa type. You must also be in possession of additional documents depending on your visa type to be admitted into the United States.
A visa for F, J and H students and scholars is allowed to expire while you are in the United States. This expiration date does not determine your permitted length of stay in the United States. If your visa has expired and you have plans to travel internationally, you will need to renew your visa prior to re-entry.
Immigration status refers to the immigration classification you are given by the U.S. government when you enter the United States or apply for a change of status. Your Form I-94 should indicate your duration of stay as “D/S”(duration of status) which is your authorized length of stay in the United States so long as you maintain your status.