International students must have a valid passport and visa to be admitted with non-immigrant status for the duration of their study in the U.S. Students from Canada are exempt from the passport requirement but must still be admitted properly with the appropriate student visa classification. An international student must report a lost or stolen passport to their foreign embassy or consulate located in the U.S. and obtain a new passport as quickly as possible to maintain proper status while in the U.S.
When admitted to the U.S., non-immigrant students are given a Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record. This form is frequently stapled into the person's passport and indicates the date and location of the person's entry, the visa classification, and length of authorized stay. For most international students, this will not be a specific date, but will be "D/S" for "duration of status".
The duration of status is determined by the date on the Form I-20 for F-1. If Form I-94 is lost, the student should apply for a replacement through the Immigration Service. When the person departs from the U.S., the I-94 will be surrendered at the port of departure, and the person will receive a new one upon their return. If the student is traveling to Mexico or Canada for less than 30 days, the I-94 should not be surrendered, because it will be needed to facilitate their return to the U.S
Reference
page:
http://www.foreignborn.com/visas_imm/other_visas/students/2becoming_academic.htm
http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/tvisa-main.html
You must be a full time student in good academic standing. You will need to notify your current school of the transfer and obtain an I-20 form from the new school. We recommend you to proceed preparing for the transfer further in advance to avoid the violation of visa status.