Visa Reciprocity Table Changes
On July 8, 2025, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) changed their visa reciprocity table for citizens of some (not all) countries.
The change:
- Limits the validity of visa stamps needed for admission to the U.S. to just one admission within three months of the issuance of the visa stamp.
- Does not affect visa stamps issued prior to July 8, 2025 to citizens of any country, including impacted countries.
To determine if your country is impacted by the change:
- Go to the DOS Reciprocity webpage
- Select the letter for your country
- Select your country
- Select your visa classification (for example, click F for F-1 visas)
The DOS visa reciprocity table — and so the list of countries impacted by the change — is subject to further change without notice.
A visa stamp is a small document that is placed (stamped) into your passport by a U.S. consulate abroad.
A visa stamp has just one purpose:
It allows you to travel to the U.S. and to ask Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for admission to the U.S.
For example, an F-1 visa stamp allows you to travel to the U.S. and to ask CBP to admit you in F-1 status.
After CBP admits you to the U.S., the visa stamp’s validity is no longer relevant.
If your visa stamp expires after your admission to the U.S.:
- The status that CBP granted to you is not
- You do not need to leave the U.S.
In other words, the visa reciprocity table change does not affect your ability to remain in the U.S. after your visa stamp expires.
However, if you leave the U.S. and your visa stamp is expired or limited to a single admission, you will need to obtain a new visa stamp before returning to the U.S.
Visa stamps are not available from inside the U.S. They can be obtained only from a U.S. consulate abroad.
If you have questions or concerns about the DOS visa reciprocity table change, please send an email to Immigration Services at GEOIS@vcu.edu
