The process for holidays back to China

(Jan, 2002)

1. Book a roundtrip ticket. (1-2 months before your trip. Earlier, cheaper)
2. Have the I-20 Form signed by ISP
...
3. Apply for a new visa in China (3 working days and 200RMB extra fees by the Bank)
4. Confirm your seat in the return trip 3 days before the return flight.
...
Important Documents:
1. Passport
2. I-20
3. Air Ticket

Possibilty of being checked:

(Apr. 9, 2004)

Here is my "experimental report" for F-1 re-entry visa application (may be useful for F-1 students):

• The check is usually about one month. (For my case, it's 5 days more than a month ) If it's more than
  one month, something wrong happens.
• SMTH has a well-established recommended process that you can follow if you get checked. This process may help you drive the inefficient US bureau to work a little bit more carefully.
• If a check is cleared, it will be valid in a year -- you won't be checked again for the following one year.
• They asked me for my own resume -- this is the only required thing besides the required documents (DS156, DS157, DS158, transcript from school, passport, SEVIS I-20).
• A support letter from ISP may also help, too. Some other people suggest to bring a paper version of your advisor's resume/website and a letter from the Dean of Graduate to show that you are enrolled.
• If you want to go back and you are facing the risk of being checked, you'd better to buy a air ticket that can be rescheduled within half a year without penalty. (China Southern is the best in this case -- as far as I know.)