Travel Outside the U.S. for F-1 Students

If your passport is expired or close to expiring, you should renew it before you travel. Your passport must be valid for at least six months into the future. Contact your home country’s embassy in the U.S. for information on renewal.

If your F-1 entry visa has expired or if you do not have an F-1 entry visa, you must apply for a new visa at a U.S. consulate abroad before you return (except Canadian citizens). It is not possible to renew your visa from within the United States.

Do not mail your documents from the U.S. You must be present in the country where you submit your documents to be considered for an interview waiver from the U.S. consulate.

To obtain a new F-1 entry visa:

• Contact the U.S. Consulate and inquire about their visa application procedures. You may need to schedule an appointment and your visa may take more than a few weeks to process. Visit the U.S. State Department website for links to U.S. Consulates around the world. If possible, schedule an appointment before you depart the U.S.
• Ensure that you have all of the proper documents. You will need to present to the U.S. consulate your valid passport, valid I-20 with a travel signature, evidence of funding, and transcript. You should check the Embassy or consulate website to determine whether an official or unofficial transcript will be required.
• You need to be aware if a security clearance check will need to be done when you apply for a new entry visa. You may be subject to a security clearance check, and these checks can significantly delay visa processing time.

Visa Denials

It is rare for returning students to be denied a new entry visa. There are no guarantees, however, so there is always some risk that your request for a new visa will be denied. This risk increases under the following situations:

• You are applying for a visa in a country other than your home country (Third Country National Visa Applications). You have the right to apply for a visa in any country, but it will be less risky to apply in your home country. If you must apply in a third country, be prepared to present additional evidence that documents why you needed to get a visa in the third country.
• You are pursuing OPT. Students on OPT are eligible for an F-1 visa, but your risk of denial is increased, especially if you do not already have a job. If you must apply for a visa during your OPT period, be prepared to present evidence of employment (a letter from your employer will be best) to the U.S. consulate.
• You have close family members (parents, or siblings) who are citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. If you have close family members in the U.S., the consular official may question your ties to your home country.

Request a new document if the information on your I-20 is no longer correct or your I-20 is about to expire.

For re-entry to the U.S., your I-20 must have a valid re-entry (or "travel") signature on page 2 or 3. Your re-entry signature is valid if:

• You are not pursuing post-completion OPT, and the signature is less than 12 months old.
• You are pursuing post-completion OPT, and the signature is less than 6 months old.

If your signature is no longer valid, you must request a new signature from ISS before you travel.

What if I left the U.S. without getting my I-20 signed, or I forgot to take it with me?

It is important you obtain a re-entry signature from ISS before leaving the U.S. If you did not (or you forgot your I-20) and your visa is still active, you will be issued a Form I-515A by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer at your arrival port of entry (airport, land border, seaport). With this document, you will be admitted into the U.S. for 30 days.

After receiving this document, you must report to or contact ISS immediately to get a newly signed I-20, and you will mail this I-20 and your I-515A to the SEVP Office in Washington, D.C. These documents must reach the office before the 30-day expiration date on your Form I-515A. Before mailing, see the instructions and address printed on your I-515A.

PLEASE NOTE: If you realize you forgot your I-20 or it is missing a re-entry signature and you have sufficient time remaining before your return to the U.S.

You should be able to provide documents that verify the funding information as listed on your I-20. If your current funding does not match the funding listed on your I-20, then you need to get new I20 information. Examples of funding documents are:

• Scholarship verification letter (if you have a scholarship)
• Bank statement (if your I-20 indicates Personal or Family Funds)
• A letter from your scholarship or sponsoring agency

When re-entering the U.S., you must be able to provide evidence that you have enrolled full-time during the entirety of your career as an F-1 student.

An unofficial transcript from the University is the best way to verify enrollment. You can obtain an unofficial transcript through MyU.

Go to www.fmjfee.com to print a receipt if needed.