A student who has stayed beyond the authorized program completion date on his/her I-20 form or otherwise violated his/her immigration status (see Maintaining a legal F-1/J-1 status) must apply for reinstatement. The reinstatement is adjudicated by INS. The pro edure takes approximately 2-3 months, but sometimes it can take longer.
In the application the student must explain the circumstances of the violation and show intent to follow INS regulations from hereonout. It is also essential to prove that the student did not engage in unauthorized employment. If/when the application is approved, INS will return the I-20 form with an "Approved" stamp and issue a new I-94 card to the student. If the reinstatement request is denied, the student must leave the U.S. by the voluntary departure date issued by INS.