Renewing your Visa

First, you do NOT have to renew an expired visa if you are in the U.S. and have no plans to leave the U.S., as long as you are maintaining legal status and have a valid I-20 or DS-2019. An expired visa is not a condition of legal status in the U.S. A U.S. visa is only an entry document and needs only to be valid upon entry to the U.S.  

If you do have plans to leave the U.S. and your visa has expired, then you will need to renew your visa at a US embassy or consulate outside the U.S. Please review the web site of the US embassy or consulate in your home country or country of destination for information about how to renew your visa. In most cases, it is recommended that you renew your visa in your home country.  You may qualify for an interview waiver. For details, go to Important Update on Waivers of the Interview Requirement for Certain Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants. 

Renewing your Passport

Your passport must always be valid more than six (6) months while studying in the U.S. If your passport is about to expire, you should contact your home country embassy/consulate to start the passport renewal process.

Report lost passport to your home country embassy

Contact your home country's embassy for information about the procedure to replace a lost or stolen passport. Most countries have Internet web sites with contact information. 

Report lost visa to the U.S. embassy 

To report your visa lost or stolen, email the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate outside the United States which issued your visa. Go to U.S. Embassies to locate the email address and contact information. Be sure to include your full name, date of birth, place of birth, address in the United States, and an e-mail address. Specifically state whether the visa was lost or stolen. If you have a copy of the passport or visa, scan and email this to the U.S. embassy or consulate. Otherwise, if known, report the category of visa, and the passport number from the lost/stolen visa.
 
If you have already reported your visa lost/stolen to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate, and then you later find your misplaced visa, then your visa will be invalid for future travel to the United States.  Therefore, in that situation you must apply for a new visa at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Applying for a replacement U.S. visa

Lost or stolen U.S. visas cannot be replaced in the United States. For replacement of a visa, you must apply in person at a U.S. embassy or consulate outside the U.S. When applying for the replacement of a visa, you will need to provide a written account documenting the loss of your passport and visa. Include a copy of a police report, if applicable.

NOTE: you do not need a valid U.S. visa to remain in the U.S. legally. As long as you have a valid passport (or are in the process of getting a passport renewed) and your I-20 or DS-2019 is still valid, and your I-94 arrival record verifies you are in F-1 or J-1 "duration of status" (D/S), you can remain legally in the U.S. without a visa. However, the next time you travel outside the U.S. you will need to renew your U.S. visa.