International Travel

As an international student in the United States, you may be able to travel during your time of study. If you’re planning to travel outside of the country during school breaks, make sure you take the appropriate steps before you travel to help ensure a smooth and enjoyable travel process.

Before You Travel

  • Meet with an ISSS advisor before your trip to ensure that your SEVIS I-20 is up to date and in active status.
  • Make sure you have ISSS contact information, including a daytime phone number and an emergency phone number.
  • Check that everything you packed is allowed through Transportation Security Administration security.
  • Make sure to pack your passport, student visa, and I-20 or DS-2019 with valid travel signature.

Upon Return to the US

  • When returning to the United States, be sure to keep your passport, student visa, and I-20 or DS-2019 in your carry-on bag and not in your checked luggage. When you arrive at a U.S. port of entry, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer will meet with you for inspections and may ask you for these documents. 
  • The CBP officer could issue you a Form I-515A, “Notice to Student of Exchange Visitor,” if you do not have an active I-20 or forgot to get a travel signature. Form I-515 allows you to enter the United States for up to 30 days while you obtain and submit the required documentation to the Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP).
  • Notify an ISSS advisor right away if you receive a Form I-515A. If you do not respond to a Form I-515A within 30 days, it could negatively affect your F or M status and you may be required to leave the United States.

Carry these documents when re-entering the U.S:

  • An unexpired passport valid least six months into the future
  • An unexpired F-1 or J-1 entry visa*
  • An unexpired I-20 or DS-2019 with a travel signature no more than one year old on the date of your return
  • Recommended:
    • Evidence of full-time enrollment such as a copy of your transcript or class registration
    • copy of your I-901 SEVIS fee payment
    • financial documents such as bank statements or scholarship letters

*Canadian citizens are not required to have a visa to enter the US, but must present all of the other documents listed above to request F-1 or J-1 status when entering the US.

Travel to and from Mexico, Canada & Adjacent US Islands

F-1 and J-1 students may travel to Canada, Mexico, and Adjacent Islands and re-enter the US on an expired F-1 or J-1 visa if the trip does not exceed 30 days and the purpose of the trip is not to apply for a new F-1 or J-1 visa at one of the US consulates located in these countries. This ability to travel on an expired visa is referred to as automatic revalidation. In order to benefit from automatic visa revalidation, you must carry the documents indicated above as well as your latest I-94 arrival record. To retrieve your I-94, go the the I-94 CBP Travel Website and click on 'Get Most Recent I-94.'

A visitor's visa may be required to enter Mexico, Canada & Adjacent Islands, depending on your country of citizenship. If you are planning a trip to Canada or Mexico, you should contact a consulate from one of those countries to determine whether a visa is required prior to your trip. Please plan ahead as it may take some time to obtain a visitor visa to one of these countries.

Travel to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and U.S. territories and possessions

Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and certain other U.S. territories and possessions are part of the United States, so an F and J nonimmigrant does not need a visa to travel to those locations from within the 50 United States, or to return to the 50 United States from those locations. However, students and scholars should always carry full documentation (passport, I-20 or DS-2019, and most recent I-94) during such travel. Also, exchange visitors should be careful to verify that their travel does not involve transit through or short stays in other countries, since full documentation (including a visa) for return to the U.S. may be necessary.