<p>So I am currently an undergraduate student in Illinois and I will graduate in May 2013, but officially my visa expires sometime in 2014. Suppose I get accepted to grad school and will join them in August 2013, do I have to return to my home country to renew the visa during summer 2012? I plan to do some volunteer work and some travelling WITHIN the US this summer and was thinking to renew my visa when I fly home in december 2012. Is that legally allowed? Will I considered be out of status right after I graduate from College in May?</p>
<p>From my years running the graduate admissions office at [Illinois</a> Institute of Technology](<a href=“http://www.iit.edu%5DIllinois”>http://www.iit.edu) I think that the answer to your question is that as soon as you graduate, your I20 expires and you will not be able to renew your Visa without a new I20 from the school you are attending for your graduate program. You can transfer your I20 to the new program and stay with your current F1 Visa but will have to renew it later on the new I20.</p>