Travel Abroad
What to carry
F-2 dependent travel
F-1 visa reapplications
Visa exceptions
What to carry
F-1 students who are traveling abroad for a temporary absence (i.e., less than 5 months), should carry the following documentation with them:
- Valid I-20 with a travel signature that is less than one year old. The travel signature must be less than 6 months old when the student is on post-completion OPT.
- Valid passport;
- Valid F-1 visa (see exceptions below);
- Students on OPT: I-797 receipt notice for pending OPT application or Employment Authorization Document (EAD);
- For students whose OPT has been approved, evidence of employment (i.e., job offer letter).
F-2 dependent travel
If your F-2 dependent(s) will be traveling with or without you, they should carry the following documents:
- Their original I-20 with a recent travel signature (no more than 1 year old, six months old when the F-1 student is on post-completion OPT);
- Valid passport;
- Valid F-2 visa (see exceptions below);
- Copies of your immigration documents (I-20, passport, F-1 visa and I-94);
- Evidence that you are maintaining your status (i.e., transcripts for current students, copies of EAD card and documentation of employment for F-1 students on post-completion OPT).
Visa reapplications
F-1 students or F-2 dependents who are traveling internationally and whose F-1/F-2 visa has already expired are required to obtain a new F-1/F-2 visa in order to reenter the U.S. In addition to the preparing the documents listed above, we recommend that you also do the following in preparation for your departure:
- Visit the website of the U.S. embassy or consulate where you will be applying for your visa. You can find links to the websites of U.S. embassies and consulates around the world at http://www.usembassy.gov/. You can also find information about visa wait times at individual consulates here.
- For graduate students, you may also want a letter from your research advisor explaining the nature of your research. This may be useful in case the consulate requests this information.
There is some good information about how to prepare for a visa interview here.
Visa exceptions
- Canadian citizens are exempt from visa requirements.
- F-1 students and F-2 dependents who meet all the following conditions do not require a valid visa to reenter the U.S
- You are traveling exclusively to Canada, Mexico or the adjacent U.S. islands (all islands in the Caribbean except Cuba);
- You are traveling for less than 30 days;
- You are in possession of a valid passport;
- You do not apply for a visa while you are outside the U.S.;
- You are in valid F-1 or F-2 status, and do not relinquish your I-94 when departing the U.S.; and
- You are not a national and/or citizen of a country designated by the U.S. Department of State as a state sponsor of terrorism. Check here for the current list.
This provision is called automatic revalidation of visa. It applies both to those who have expired F-1/F-2 visas in their passports, and those who have valid or expired U.S. visas in another classification in their passport and changed their status to F-1 or F-2 inside the U.S.
