General Travel Instructions for F-1 Students
If you are planning to travel outside of the United States and wish to re-enter the country under the F-1 visa status, follow the instructions below:
- Make sure your passport and visa are valid.
- You must have a valid I-20 form with a valid travel endorsement from your International Student Advisor. Travel endorsements are valid for one year, except if you are on OPT (see below and your International Student Advisor for more advice if you are on OPT).
- If you will be outside the U.S. for 5 months or more, you are required to apply for and obtain a new I-20 form in order to return under the F-1 status.
- Automatic Visa Revalidation: If you are traveling to Mexico, Canada or one of the adjacent islands, you do not need a valid F-1 stamp in order to re-enter the United States as long as you return within 30 days and are carrying a valid I-20. The adjacent islands include:
Saint Pierre, Miquelon, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica. The Windward and Leeward Islands, Trinidad, Martinique, and other British, French, and Netherlands territory of possession in or bordering on the Caribbean Sea.
If you are currently out of status and your F-1 visa stamp has expired, you are not eligible for automatic visa revalidation.
Travel while on Post-Completion Practical Training
If you are traveling while on Optional Practical Training you will need the following documentation:
- An I-20 Form endorsed within the last 6 months by a Designated School Official;
- Employment Authorization Document (EAD);
- Letter from your employer verifying your job and that s/he knows why you are traveling and when you will return;
- Valid F-1 visa stamp.
For more information and advice on how to avoid complications, please visit the Office of International Student Services before leaving the United States. Do not travel while your application for Post-completion Optional Practical Training is still pending.
Travel while on Severe Economic Hardship
If you have been authorized for economic need work permission, you must see your International Student Advisor before leaving the United States. Travel during that time is not recommended.
