A current passport is required for students to apply for student visas including the F, M and J visas. Due to the political situation in Egypt, passport processing systems have been disrupted. The Egyptian Embassy in Washington, D.C., provided guidance to Egyptians to assist them apply to USCIS and inform them of new processing periods to renew their passports. The Egyptian Embassy recommends that any Egyptian applying to renew a passport should follow this process:
- Contact the embassy in Washington, D.C.
- Inform the representative of the intent to renew a passport.
- Report in person to the embassy with whatever documents the representative requires.
- Have embassy representative review all documents and submit them to Egypt for processing.
- Inform the representative if renewing the passport for submission to USCIS.
The representative will provide the F, M or J nonimmigrant with a letter informing USCIS of the passport renewal application. USCIS will accept this letter as a part of the benefits package. The average processing time to renew a passport is 60 days. Contact the Consular Section of the Egyptian Embassy in Washington, D.C. at 202-966-6342 for questions, to schedule a meeting or to speak to a representative.
USCIS instructs any F, M or J nonimmigrant applying for a benefit to submit all required documents at the time of filing. For an Egyptian nonimmigrant with an expired passport, USCIS recommends submitting a letter of explanation with a brief description of the situation (i.e., the F, M or J nonimmigrant applying to renew an Egyptian passport) and provide substantive evidence, such as a receipt from the embassy, with the letter. In addition, the student may provide additional documentation to assist USCIS determine eligibility for the benefit.
