June 2004:I am a citizen of India. I am currently in the United States on a
valid (till October 2005) H4 visa. I have got admission from a
university in the US for a PhD program beginning Fall 2004.
I am going to India next month to apply for F1 visa(using form DS-156)
from the US consulate in India.
My question is -
If my F1 visa is rejected in India; will my earlier H4 visa be still
valid to return to the US?

The H4 visa that is stamped on your passport is valid for travel to
USA till the expiry date (Oct 2005). Note that a visa simply entitles
you to travel to the country; the decision to do so rests with the INS
officials at the point of entry. They can (and usually do) check for
supporting material to validate your visa status (e.g, if it is H1-B
you'll be asked for proof that you are employed with the employer, if
you're on H4, you may be asked for proof of your spouse's employment
status, etc.).

This is independent of your attempt to change the visa type at a consulate abroad.

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