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I'm a South Asian who is in the US on a student visa. My visa has expired, which means that I need to renew my visa in my home country before re-entry.

I might need to go to the UK for an exchange. Can I get a UK visa within the US, if my US visa has expired? My plan is to go to the UK, and from there fly to my home country to renew my student visa before coming back to the US.

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  • Do you mean that you are out of status (overstaying) in the US? If so, applying for a UK visa gov.uk/government/publications/usa-apply-for-a-uk-visa/… would mean you having to declare the overstay and would likely lead to a refusal.
    – Traveller
    Commented Apr 6, 2021 at 8:47
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    @Traveller US visa expiry doesn't necessarily means out-of-status, especially for students (F-1 or J-1).
    – xngtng
    Commented Apr 6, 2021 at 8:53
  • @zhantongz I know, that’s why I asked the question
    – Traveller
    Commented Apr 6, 2021 at 9:42

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The pandemic situation notwithstanding, if your F-1/J-1 or another status is still valid, you will be able to apply visas inside the US for most countries.

For short-term visas, the UK does not require being a resident at all (but you should be legally present in the country you are applying from); however, it is recommended to submit a confirmation of legal residence to justify your personal circumstances. In any case, your I-94 (proof of legal admission) in combination with I-20 (proof of student status) should suffice. Expiration of your visa does not matter if your I-94 is still valid.

As you are aware, you will need a new US visa before returning to US after your exchange.

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  • The UK only requires permission to be in the country of application. A long-term resident status is not a requirement.
    – uberqe
    Commented Apr 6, 2021 at 12:33
  • You might also note that a visa might be easier to get for a legal US resident. Having the right to return to the US would make an illegal overstay in the UK appear less plausible to the visa official.
    – o.m.
    Commented Apr 6, 2021 at 18:43

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