Travel Abroad

So you are traveling! If you are leaving the U.S. and intend to return as an F-1 student, the information below will help you determine what documents you need.

Valid documents (Passport, I-20, Visa)

Valid Passport

  • Check the expiration date of your passport. Your passport should be valid for the duration of your academic program but at a minimum, your passport should be valid for 6 months beyond your expected date of re-entry to the U.S.
  • If you need to extend your passport, contact your embassy in Washington D.C. for instructions. If you are issued a new passport and you still have a valid F-1 visa in the old passport, ask if you can carry both; thereby allowing you to use the visa. Otherwise, on your next trip outside the U.S., you will have to apply for a new F-1 visa stamp.

Valid I-20 form

  • The current form should be up to date. Check the expiration date and major field of study in section 5, and the source of funding in section 8.
    • If any of the above information has changed, you will need a new I-20. Submit proof of funding and a Request for I-20 form to IES. Please allow 3 business days for your request to be processed.

Valid Travel Signature

  • If the information on the I-20 is correct, you will need a travel signature on the 3rd page of your I-20. Travel signatures are valid for 5 months. Drop your I-20 and a completed travel form off at the IES front desk (3116 Mitchell Building). You may pick it up after 2:00 pm on the next business day.

All Previous I-20s

  • Carry all of your I-20s with you when you travel. The Immigration Official at the port of entry may want to see your F-1 history. This is particularly important if you have transferred from one school to another, changed program levels, or extended your I-20.

Valid F-1 Visa

  • Ensure that your F-1 visa is still valid. If your visa has expired or all entries have been used then you will need to apply for a new visa stamp while you are abroad.

 

Special Travel Situations

Automatic Visa Revalidation

Special Rules for Travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean (except Cuba)If you are planning a trip:

  1. To Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean ONLY (Applicable Caribbean islands are listed below)
  2. And your trip will last LESS THAN 30 days
Then you can re-enter the U.S. using an expired F-1 visa stamp if you meet the following criteria:
  1. You are in valid F-1 status
  2. You have a valid passport (for at least 6 months beyond day of re-entry to U.S.)
  3. You have an I-94 marked "Admitted F-1 until D/S"
  4. You have a recent travel signature (within 5 months) on the 3rd page of your I-20. Please note, the Canadian government prefers to see a more recent travel signature (within 2 months) before they issue a Canadian tourist visa stamp.
  5. You have an expired U.S. visa stamp in your passport. It cannot be stamped "canceled." If you applied for a new visa and it has not been issued or has been denied, you will not be able to re-enter the U.S. on your expired visa.
  6. You are NOT from one of the following countries: Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria.

Caribbean Islands Where Automatic Visa Revalidation is Applicable:
Saint Pierre, Miquelon, The Dominican Republic, Haiti, Bermuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, The Windward and Leeward Islands, Trinidad, Martinique, and other British, French and Netherlands territory or possessions in or bordering on the Caribbean Sea.

Traveling while on OPT

If your F-1 visa stamp is still valid, carry:

  • Your Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
  • A letter from your employer indicating that you have a temporary job in your field of study and are returning to employment
  • Your current I-20 with a travel signature.
  • Your old I-20s; see section on valid I-20 above.
  • Your valid passport.

If your F-1 visa stamp has expired, if you have not yet received your EAD or if you are not yet working, then see an advisor before traveling while on OPT.

Travel for F-2 family members

F-2 spouses and children, whether traveling with the F-1 student or not, need certain documents to re-enter the U.S.:

  • Valid passport
  • Valid F-2 visa
  • Travel signature on the F-2's I-20

F-2 visa holders are also eligible for automatic visa revalidation in Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean islands.

Students subject to Special Registration (NSEERS)
If you leave the U.S. after October 1, 2002, including visits to Mexico, Canada or adjacent islands, you must appear in person on the date of your departure before an inspecting officer at a designated port of entry. A list of designated ports of departure can be found at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.