Re-entry after a temporary absence of less than 5 months

You are permitted to return to the U.S. after a temporary absence of five months or less to continue your program of study if you present:

• A current Form I-20 or DS-2019 that has been endorsed for re-entry by the designated school official (at OIS); or
• A new Form I-20 or DS-2019 if there has been a substantive change in any of the required fields on those documents, e.g., new major, correction to personal or financial information;
• Valid passport or travel document;
• Valid visa;
• Evidence of financial ability to attend;
• Evidence of student status (copies of transcripts or recent tuition payments); and
• Contact information of your designated school official.

This allows students to return home to visit their families during the winter and summer breaks, or for miscellaneous reasons such as business or emergencies, while maintaining their student status in the U.S.

Re-entry after an absence of more than 5 months

If you plan to leave the U.S. for more than 5 months, you will need to speak with the DSO/RO in OIS regarding how your absence will affect your immigration status. You will need a new document and visa to re-enter the U.S. to continue your studies. You will also have to pay the SEVIS fee again.

Travel to Canada, the Caribbean, and Mexico

Whether or not you need a visa to enter a specific country depends on your country of citizenship and legal permanent residence. Check with the embassy or consulate of each country you intend to travel to or through to find out if you need a visa for that country. Plan ahead because visa applications can be both costly and time consuming.

If you are traveling for pleasure or a vacation for less than 30 days to Canada, Mexico, or one of the islands off the U.S. (except for Cuba), you can return to the U.S. using an expired U.S. visa as long as you have a valid passport, I-94 (don't give this up when you leave the U.S.), and a signed Form I-20 or DS-2019. This is possible through the "automatic revalidation of an expired visa policy."

Exceptions to this rule:
1) Citizens of Cuba, Iraq, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, and the Sudan are not eligible for automatic revalidation.

2) As of April 1, 2002, changes were made to the policy, which state that a person who goes to Canada or Mexico for the purpose of securing a new U.S. visa and who is denied will not be able to re-enter the U.S. on an expired visa. In such cases, the Form I-94 will be taken and the passport will be stamped with "Application Received" or "214 (b) Refusal." It is possible that a person who is denied on "technical" reasons (as opposed to security or name check reasons), may be allowed to re-enter the U.S. IF the person's U.S. entry visa is still valid. Others will be required to wait in Canada or Mexico for name check clearance (for 20 days or longer) or will have to return to their home country to apply for a new visa to re-enter the U.S. to continue their educational programs.

Travel while on Optional Practical Training (OPT) or Academic Training (AT)

To re-enter the U.S., you need a Form I-20 or DS-2019 that has been properly endorsed within the last 6 months of the date of re-entry, a valid passport and visa, a valid EAD (Employment Authorization Document) for OPT or a valid letter authorizing employment for AT, and a letter of offer (from you employer detailing your employment opportunity) or proof that you are re-entering to resume employment.

Graduating students

Many students want to travel to Canada or Mexico after graduation then return to the U.S. to pack up and leave for their home countries. Your Form I-20 or DS-2019 cannot be signed once you have graduated unless you have applied for post-completion optional practical training or academic training. Even if signatures are current and documents appear to be valid, it is unlawful to use these documents to re-enter the U.S. after completing your studies unless you have been approved for practical or academic training. That means you should not make plans to travel out of the U.S. and return on your same student documents after you have completed your studies. You could, however, apply for a B-2 visa or visa waiver to re-enter, if you are qualified.

Dependents

This information applies to F-2 and J-2 dependents as well.

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