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updated 9/8/09
Travel & Re-entry
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Required Travel Documents
In general you must have the following documents order to travel out of the U.S. and re-enter while you are in F or J Status, :
- Current I-20/DS-2019 endorsed for travel with a signature on page 3 of the I-20 or page 1 of the DS-2019 by an advisor at the I-Center
- Valid passport with at least 6 months validity (unless a passport agreement exists between your home country and the U.S.)
- Valid F or J visa stamp (except citizens from Canada)
- Form I-94
F-1 Students on Post-completion OPT must also have:
- Valid EAD card
- Proof of a job offer
Domestic Travel
DHS regulations require that you have in your possession Form I-94 and your valid passport with you at all times. It is also suggested that along with your current I-94 card and valid passport, you travel with your original I-20/DS-2019.
Although this may not be practical in keeping your documents safe, we do encourage that you to have these documents with you whenever you travel off-campus and especially for air travel.
Travel Signatures
Travel signatures must be signed by an advisor at the I-Center unless you are a J-1 whose program sponsor is not Stanford (e.g. Fulbright, LASPAU). You must contact your program sponsor on how to obtain a travel signature from them.
How to get a travel signature
To get your visa document signed for travel, please bring your original I-20/DS-2019 to the I-Center:
- F-1 & J-1 Students and their dependents will have their documents signed immediately (depending on the availability of advisors). If you are unable to come to the I-Center for a signature, please send the original I-20/DS-2019 to the I-Center's address.
- J-1 Scholars (including Visiting Researchers) and their dependents must bring their DS-2019s for a signature.
Travel signature validity
Travel signatures are valid for one year or until the document's program end date, whichever is shorter, except F-1 students on Post-completion OPT whose travel signature is only valid for 6 months.
Because many immigration officials interpret "one year" as meaning one academic year, you should request a travel signature each academic year. Keep in mind if you remain out of the U.S. for more than 5 months, you will need to request a brand new I-20 for re-entry, since the travel signature is not valid for an absence from the U.S. of more than 5 months.
Passport
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months into the future unless your home country has a passport agreement with the U.S. To see a list of countries that have this agreement (as of Nov. 1, 2006) please click here.
Visa Stamp
A valid visa stamp in your passport is also required for re-entry. If your visa stamp has expired, you will need to go to a U.S. consulate or embassy ideally in your home country to apply for the new visa stamp. You may not renew your visa within the U.S.
Form I-94
Form I-94 is the Arrival/Departure record that all nonimmigrant visitors are required to complete each time they enter the U.S. The bottom portion of Form I-94 (I-94 card) must be kept in the possession of the visitor at all times until they depart the U.S.
The I-94 card is usually stapled in the passport and is stamped with a notation of the visitor's visa status and their "duration of status" (D/S) which is the period in which the student or scholar is pursuing their program as noted on their I-20/DS-2019.
When you depart the U.S., you must return the I-94 card so there is a record of your departure unless you are traveling to Canada, Mexico, or adjacent islands for less than 30 days and your visa has expired.
Go to the Customs and Border Patrol website for more information on Form I-94 >>
Traveling to Contiguous Territories & Adjacent Islands - Automatic Visa Revalidation
After initial entry to the U.S., if you have a single-entry or expired multiple-entry visa, you may re-enter the U.S. without obtaining a new visa under certain conditions and as long as you do not surrender your I-94 card upon departure from the US. More information can be found here.
In addition to a passport, you should have a properly endorsed I-20/DS-2019 and a valid I-94 card. However, you will not be able to re-enter the U.S. if you have a newly reissued passport which does not have any U.S. visa stamps; therefore, in this case you should carry both the expired and the new passport.
PLEASE NOTE: You may be required to have a visa from either Canada or Mexico to enter those countries. The visa you have for the U.S. does not automatically grant entry into these countries. If you are in doubt, contact the Canadian or Mexican consulates. Please allow enough time before your travel for visa processing.
Traveling Outside the U.S. While On Post-Completion Practical Training
An F-1 student who has an unexpired EAD issued for post-completion practical training and who is otherwise admissible may return to the U.S. to resume employment after a temporary absence. The EAD must be used in combination with an I-20 endorsed for re-entry by an International Student Advisor.
- It is not recommended that you depart the U.S. if you have a Cap Gap I-20 (expired EAD card) as you are at risk of denial at the port-of-entry into the U.S.
- If you are outside the U.S. and you do not have a job offer at the time of re-entry, it is possible you will not be permitted to re-enter. We strongly recommend that you DO NOT travel without a valid job offer.
- Re-entering the U.S. using a tourist visa (B-1/B-2 or the "visa waiver program") will forfeit your F-1 status, and cancel automatically your permission to work in the U.S.! Once you have been admitted on a tourist visa, you will NOT be allowed to quickly "re-gain" your F-1 status by departing and re-entering in F-1 status again.
The following items are necessary for re-entry after you have graduated and have applied for post-completion practical training:
- Valid passport
- Valid F-1 visa stamp in passport unless you are a Canadian citizen (Visa stamps may only be renewed outside of the U.S., ideally in your home country.)
- Original I-20 that includes:
- the notation for post-completion practical training on page 3
- an I-Center signature on page 3 for travel. This signature should be dated within 6 months of the date of re-entry. Once you have applied for post-completion practical training, this travel endorsement is valid for only SIX months, NOT a year. If you need a travel signature for re-entry, mail your I-20 to the I-Center. Be sure to include the address to which you would like the document mailed after it has been signed.
- Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
- If you have applied for Post-Completion OPT and have graduated, do not leave the U.S. until you have received your EAD card.
Exception– If you have applied for Post-Completion OPT and will re-enter the U.S. prior to the completion date in Section 5 of your I-20, you may re-enter without an EAD card.
- If you have applied for Post-Completion OPT and have graduated, do not leave the U.S. until you have received your EAD card.
- Evidence of a job offer in the form of a letter from your employer that states that you will be employed by that company for the period indicated on your EAD. You may also provide proof of volunteering/internship.
- Proof of sufficient funds in the form of a bank statement if your employment letter does not specify a salary.
Renewing Your Visa
A valid visa stamp in your passport is required for re-entry. If your visa stamp has expired, you will need to go to a U.S. consulate or embassy ideally in your home country to apply for the new visa stamp. You may not renew your visa within the U.S.
Visa stamp applicants are normally required to submit the following documentation:
- valid passport
- current passport-size photographs
- current and valid Form I-20 for F-1 students or Form DS-2019 for J-1 Exchange Visitors (Students - please note if the dates, degree level, and major or department listed on your I-20/DS-2019 have changed, you must request a new I-20/DS-2019 from the I-Center.)
- proof of financial support
- non-immigrant visa application, available from the U.S. consulate abroad
- a valid EAD card and an employer's letter showing evidence of employment or a job offer if the student is on F-1 post-completion practical training
Students. It is also advisable for continuing students to submit copies of transcripts or an academic advisor's letter stating that the student is making good progress toward the degree and explaining the nature of any research. You may also wish to obtain a personalized copy of this letter concerning "Fundamental Research At Stanford." If you have any questions concerning this letter, please discuss them with an advisor at the I-Center.
Scholars. Supporting documentation may take the form of the Stanford invitation letter, correspondence in which funding is promised, bank statements and anything that may be needed to establish ties to the home country; e.g. continuing employment in the home country, evidence of property ownership, or anything else that would tend to suggest that the Visitor is likely to depart the U.S.
Applying for a visa in a country other than your home country
Whenever you apply to the U.S. consulate for a new entry visa stamp, you always run the risk that your application may be denied. It is not recommended that you apply for a visa stamp at a U.S. consulate in a country of which you are not a citizen. If you apply for a visa outside of your home country and are denied, you cannot enter the U.S. and must return from that country to your home country.
If you wish to attempt to apply for a visa in a country that is not your home country (as a "third country national"), you must first check with the embassy/consular office directly to see if they accept visa applications from third country nationals. Consular offices are not obligated to process visa applications from citizens outside their normal jurisdiction.
National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS)
Citizens of certain countries are subject to special NSEERS registration procedures upon arrival to and departure from the U.S. Please check to see if you are subject to these procedures by visiting the NSEERS website.
