International Students Traveling

International Students Traveling Outside the U.S. For LESS Than Five Months
International Students Traveling Outside the U.S. For MORE Than Five Months

International Students Traveling Outside the U.S. For LESS Than Five Months

A student under the F-1 and J-1 international student status may exit and re-enter the U.S. with the following documents:

SEVIS I-20 (F-1 student) or DS-2019 (J-1 student) with a valid travel authorization from IPS;
A current passport valid for at least six months at the time of entry;
Outside the U.S. for less than 5 months;
A valid, current F-1 / J-1 visa stamp; unless traveling to a contiguous country* or adjacent island**(Automatic Revalidation); and
Proof of financial support.

* Contiguous countries: Mexico and Canada
** Adjacent islands: Saint Pierre, Miquelon; The Dominican Republic; Haiti; Bermuda; The Bahamas; Barbados; Jamaica; The Winward and Leeward Islands; Trinidad; Martinique; Other British, French, and Netherlands territory or possessions in or bordering on the Caribbean Sea [INA, Section 101(b)(5)]

Travel Authorization

The travel authorization on page 3 of the I-20 or page 1 of the DS-2019 verifies your full-time enrollment, determine if you are enrolled for the minimum number of units, and confirm that you are in valid status.

To request a travel authorization, you or your dependent(s) submit the I-20/DS-2019 to IPS office with the completed Travel Request Form. After verifying your records, the counselor will sign the I-20/DS-2019. You are advised to bring the I-20/DS-2019 at least TWO WEEKS prior to the departure date. If you submit the request with a departure date of less than 2 weeks, and the counselor cannot sign the I-20/DS-2019 due to the workload, you may have to change your travel plans or pay for the document to be sent overseas via DHL. Travel authorization requests are signed on a first-come-first-served basis.

The travel authorization is valid for six(6) months from the date it is signed, or until the expiration date of the I-20/DS-2019, whichever comes first.

Visa Expiration

F-1 and J-1 international students are authorized to continue to stay in the U.S. with an expired visa while maintaining their international student status. If you travel outside the U.S. and the F-1/J-1 visa had expired, you MUST apply for a new F-1 or J-1 visa stamp to re-enter the U.S. The documentation needed includes, but not limited to:

SEVIS I-20 (F-1 student) or DS-2019 (J-1 student) with a valid travel authorization from IPS;
A current passport valid for at least six months at the time of entry;
Proof of financial support.

Although the student may apply for the visa at any U.S. Embassy/Consulate, it is advisable for you to apply at your country of citizenship or permanent residence. For more guidelines about visa applications at the U.S. Consulate, please visit the U.S. Department of State website.

A U.S. visa cannot be applied from within the U.S. It must be at a U.S. Embassy/Consulate in another country.

Automatic Revalidation

Automatic Revalidation allows a student with an expired visa stamp to travel to Canada, Mexico, or one of the adjacent islands for less than thirty (30) days and re-enter the U.S. with a I-20/DS-2019 with a valid travel authorization and un-expired I-94 card. At the point of departure from the U.S., do not submit your I-94 card. The automatic revelidation works only with your I-94 card.

Automatic revalidation will not apply if the student:

Applied for a new visa and it has not been issued;
Applied for a new visa and was denied;
Has a terminated SEVIS record indicating the student was out of status;
Has been out of the U.S. for more than thirty days; or
Is a citizen of one of the following countries [8 CFR 214.1(b)(3)]: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria

Dependents

F-2 and J-2 dependents’ (spouse and children under age 21) travel requirements are the same as you under the F-1 and J-1 principals.

Dependents do not need to travel with the principal F-1/J-1. Dependents are issued their own SEVIS I-20/DS-2019.

Because the dependents’ status is tied to the principal’s (F-1/J-1), the student holding F-1/J-1 status must in valid status. Dependents should not travel if the student is out of status. Students who are out of status should consult with an IPS counselor prior to the travel.