The holiday season is here, and people want to travel. Unless you’re a U.S. citizen with a U.S. passport, pay attention to the travel rules that apply to you before stepping outside the U.S. Here’s a brief overview:
- F-1 Students. To travel to a foreign country and then re-enter the U.S. to continue your studies, you need the required documents to permit entry to another country. You also need a permit to re-enter the U.S. Be sure to check whether you need a visa to enter your destination country and to transit through other countries to get to your destination. You can be refused permission to board a plane if you’re changing planes in a country that requires you to have a transit visa for a very brief period at the airport.
To return to the U.S. after leaving for less than five months, carry the following documents in your carry-on luggage. You won’t have access to checked baggage until after a government official questions you:
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- A Form I-20 endorsed for travel and signed by your DSO (your international student advisor) within the last year
- For most countries – a current passport valid for at least six months after the date of your reentry
- A valid, current F-1 visa – unless you traveled to a contiguous country or adjacent island for less than thirty days
- Financial information showing proof of necessary funds to cover tuition and living expenses
- Recommended: Evidence of full-time enrollment such as a copy of your transcript or class registration; and a copy of your I-901 SEVIS fee payment
The U.S. does not require a visa for student nationals of some countries, such as Canada, but you will need all other documents to enter as an F-1 student rather than a visitor. You can check the government’s ICE page (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) for details and FAQs on student travel, including students and dependents in F or M status.
Rules to travel to Canada, Mexico, or one of the islands adjacent to the United States for less than 30 days are slightly different. You can go through a special process known as automatic visa revalidation. It allows you to re-enter the U.S. with an expired visa if you have a valid Form I-20 and a valid, unexpired Form I-94.
- F-1 Students on OPT (Optional Practical Training). For pre-completion OPT, follow the usual F-1 travel rules above. Students in post-completion OPT are still in F-1 status. They can be readmitted to resume employment for the remainder of the period authorized on his or her EAD (work authorization) card. Have these documents ready to show:
- Form I-20 endorsed by the DSO within the last six months
- An unexpired EAD, and
- A valid F-1 visa (unless exempt from the visa requirement)
- Recommended: an employer letter confirming your employment
DSOs (student advisors) can endorse I-20s for travel even if the program end date on the I-20 has passed, as long as the student also has a valid EAD. We do not recommend traveling out of the U.S., while your OPT EAD application is pending with USCIS.
- J-1 Exchange Visitors and Dependents. J Exchange Visitors (EVs) need similar documents to F Students listed above. But your program sponsor will issue a Form DS-2019 instead of an I-20. Form DS-2019 identifies the exchange visitor, the designated sponsor and essential details about the program, such as the start and end date, category of exchange, and an estimate of the cost of the exchange program. To travel out of the U.S. and then re-enter on the J visa, the program’s designated sponsor must sign the DS-2019 to validate it for travel. The travel validation will be in effect for up to one year from the date of the signature for most programs, but be sure to check before you travel.
It’s imperative to note that a J visa is valid only for the program specified on the visa’s annotation, even if that J visa has not yet expired. In other words, if you change from one J program to another, you must get a new J visa abroad.
- K-1 Fiance/e Visa holders. The K-1 Fiance/e visa allows one – and only one – entry into the U.S. You cannot leave and re-enter the U.S. on a K-1 visa, even for an emergency. The purpose of a K-1 visa is to allow you to marry within 90 days of entering the U.S. and then apply for a green card, aka permanent residence. When you apply for a green card after you marry, you should also apply for permission to travel while the application is pending. Note this can take several months to process.
- Permanent Residents, aka LPRs (Green Card Holders). If you have your green card, you can travel in and out of the U.S. more freely. Also, carry your passport. If you don’t yet have your green card, you should have a temporary I-551 stamp in your passport that says: “UPON ENDORSEMENT SERVES AS TEMPORARY I-551 EVIDENCING PERMANENT RESIDENCE FOR 1 YEAR.” This stamp allows LPRs to re-enter the U.S. before receiving their actual card. The stamp also provides proof of employment eligibility for U.S. employers.
Note that LPRs need to spend more time in the U.S. than outside of it to avoid questions about abandoning their permanent residence. The common myth is that you need to re-enter the U.S. every six months to prevent problems. Some permanent residents treat their green cards as extended tourist visas – they mostly reside abroad but come back to the U.S. at least twice a year to preserve their green cards. This is not a good idea! At some point, a customs officer can question whether you’re maintaining your permanent residence in the U.S. Even if not questioned at the border, you can later run into problems if you apply for citizenship. Read this post for more information on planning for extended trips out of the U.S.
