Traveling outside of the U.S. requires special attention.
In order to re-enter the U.S. after a temporary absence such as a vacation, you must have the following documents:
- a valid passport
- a valid F-1 or J-1 visa in your passport
- a valid official acceptance document or IAP-66, signed on the back by an your international student advisor for travel
- copies of your financial support documents
- college transcripts
Travel and Reentry to the USA with an Expired F-1 Visa
Immigration regulations state that students cannot reenter the USA to continue their education if their F-1 visa is expired. This rule applies even if the student has an official acceptance document that has not expired and is signed for reentry by an International Student Advisor. In such cases if students depart from the USA they must obtain a new visa at a U.S. Embassy outside the USA.
- Students from any of 26 specific countries are subject to a 20-day waiting period when they apply for a visa to enter the USA. This new regulation applies if you have never had a visa or your current visa has expired. If you are from one of these countries you will have to complete a new form in addition to the usual visa application form when you apply for a visa. You can find this form on the website of the Bureau of Consular Affairs at www.travel.state.gov. The form basically is a check of your background.
It is very important for students to consider this additional processing time if they plan to travel outside the USA with an expired visa. For example, if you have an expired visa and plan to go home for a visit during a one week break between classes it is likely that you will not get back to the USA in time to begin classes because it will take a minimum of three weeks to obtain your new visa.
The 26 countries are: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Dijbouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Additional countries could be added at any time.
- As an exception to the regulation requiring an unexpired visa to reenter the USA there has been a rule that F-1 students can reenter the USA from Canada or Mexico with an expired F-1 visa if they have a valid passport, I-94 and an official acceptance document signed for reentry by an International Student Advisor at their current school and if they have stayed in Canada or Mexico for no more than 30 days. This rule has changed for some students, as follows:
- Students whose country of citizenship or permanent residence is Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan or Syria that travel to Canada or Mexico for any reason are no longer eligible to reenter the USA from Canada or Mexico if their F-1 visa is expired. They must have a new unexpired visa to reenter the USA from Canada or Mexico. If you are from one of these countries and travel to Canada or Mexico with an expired visa you will not be able to reenter the USA unless you can obtain a new visa while in Canada. If the visa application is denied or if you don’t apply for a new visa in Canada or Mexico you will be required to return to your country to obtain a new visa. My suggestion is that if you are from one of these seven countries you do not travel to Canada or Mexico with an expired visa.
- Students from all countries (not just the seven countries mentioned above) have been using the expired visa reentry rule to go to Canada or Mexico to obtain a new visa if their current visa is expired. They knew that if the U.S. Embassy in Canada or Mexico denied the request for a new visa they could still reenter the U.S. with an expired F-1 visa. Effective April 1, any student from any country who applies for a new visa in Canada or Mexico and the visa application is denied cannot reenter the USA with their expired visa. They will have to return to their country directly from Canada or Mexico and apply for a new visa in their country. Of course, if the visa application is approved in Canada or Mexico they can reenter the USA from Canada or Mexico. My suggestion is that no matter which country is your country of citizenship or permanent residence if you have an expired F-1 visa you should not apply for a new visa if you travel to Canada or Mexico.
- With the exception of the seven countries mentioned above (Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria) any student with an expired visa who enters Canada or Mexico solely for the purpose of visiting as a tourist can reenter the USA with an expired visa as long as they have not applied for and been denied a new visa while in Canada or Mexico. This means that if you have an expired F-1 visa and are not from one of the seven mentioned countries it is probably safe to travel to Canada and Mexico as long as you do not apply to obtain a new visa while in Canada or Mexico.
All students traveling to Canada or Mexico must contact the Embassy or Consulate of Canada or Mexico in the USA to find out the documents they need to enter those countries. The documents you need will depend upon your country of citizenship. You may need a visa to enter the country and you may need evidence that you can legally return to the USA, have made arrangements for your return to the USA and have sufficient finances for your stay in the country you will be visiting.
Before traveling abroad, always consult with an international student advisor. Failure to do so may jeopardize your re-entry to the U.S.
