Traveling Inside the United States
We know many of you have family and friends in various parts of the United States. Please be aware that you may be asked to show proof of your student status at ANY time in the United States . . . and especially when you take domestic flights. When you travel, be sure to take your passport and current I-20 with you!
Traveling Outside the United States
Students should visit the ISP office prior to traveling outside the U.S. Students may re-enter the U.S. with their current and valid visa and I-20 if they traveled outside the U.S. for less than 5 months. Students must have the following documents with them in order to re-enter the U.S. The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) provides helpful infomration for re-entry on an F-1 Visa at http://www.ice.gov/sevis/travel#countries
- PASSPORT - un-expired and valid for at least 6 months into the future. If your passport is expired or will be in the next 6 months, you must renew it through your home-country consulate.
- I-20 - un-expired and with a travel signature less than one year old. If any information on your I-20 has changed, please contact the ISP Office to receive a new I-20.
- VISA - un-expired and valid for re-entry into the United States (if your visa is expired please be fully prepared to interview in your home country for a new visa).
- PROOF OF FULL-TIME ENROLLMENT - in the form of transcripts from the registrar's office or a letter from your immigration advisor in the ISP Office.
- PROOF OF FINANCIAL ABILITY - Financial information showing proof of necessary funds to cover tuition and living expenses.
If you are on OPT, you will need to bring additional documents with you when you travel. These documents are as follows:
- I-20 - signed within the last 6 months
- EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION DOCUMENT (EAD) CARD - issued by USCIS for F-1 students on OPT
- A LETTER FROM YOUR EMPLOYER - complete with your job title, job description, begin and end dates, and verifying that your employer knows you are traveling and expects you to return to complete your job. If you do not have a job, you are advised not to travel as you may not be permitted to re-enter the U.S.
- IF YOUR VISA HAS EXPIRED, it is advised that you do not travel outside the country, as it will be difficult for any student on OPT to receive a new visa
- Students are allowed 90 days of unemployment while on OPT. You must ensure that you do not exceed 90 days of unemployment during your travels outside the U.S.
