International Travel

Be prepared when making plans to travel outside the U.S. Review all information below to understand what documentation you will need to travel in and out of the U.S. and how your travels may affect your visa status.

Required Documents for Seeking Re-entry to the U.S.

Required Documents:

Before you board your flight or prepare to enter the U.S, familiarize yourself with the documents you might need. Carry your original documents with you during travel; do not put them in your checked baggage. It is also a good idea to take photos of your documents using your mobile device in order to secure digital copies in case you lose anything. Ensure you have with you:

Valid passport (must be valid for at least six months after date of entry to the U.S.)
Valid F-1 or J-1 visa stamp in the passport (not required for citizens of Canada and Bermuda)
Valid travel signature on page 2 of Form I-20 (F-1 students) or page 1 of Form DS-2019 (J-1 students)
- Customs and Border Protection (CBP) does not accept digital I-20 or DS-2019 forms shown on a phone or laptop. Be sure to print, sign, and carry your most recently issued I-20/DS-2019 with you.
- For students who received a new Initial I-20/DS-2019 with a new SEVIS ID Number from UC San Diego, ensure your program start date listed on your most recently issued I-20/DS-2019 reflects the quarter start date for the current quarter you are seeking entry to the U.S.
F-1 Students on OPT:
- F-1 OPT Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card
- Job offer letter or proof of employment (if employed)
- Note: OPT travel signatures are valid for 6 months.
J-1 Students on AT:
- J-1 Academic Training Authorization Letter
- Job offer letter or proof of employment (if employed)

Document Check

Check your Travel Signature:

If your travel signature is still valid, you do not need a new I-20/DS-2019 travel signature every time you travel internationally if your current signature is still valid. You do not need a valid travel signature to leave the U.S., but you do need one to enter the U.S.

Enrolled F-1 Students: If your travel signature will be more than 1 year old at the time of re-entry to the U.S., then you need to request a new signature.
F-1 OPT Students: If your travel signature will be more than 6 months old at the time of re-entry to the U.S., then you need to request a new signature.
J-1 Students: If your travel signature will be more than 1 year old at the time of re-entry to the U.S., then you need to request a new signature.

Learn how to renew your travel signature.

Check your Visa:

F-1 or J-1 student visas are valid until their expiration, regardless of the SEVIS ID number or school name listed, unless the visa is canceled or revoked. See the "Additional Information" section on this U.S. Department of State (DOS) website for further information

If in doubt about your visa validity or status, ISEO encourages students to check with their local U.S. embassy or consulate to verify. Permitting entry into the U.S. is at the ultimate discretion of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials at the port of entry.

Expired Visa Stamp: If your visa stamp has expired you will need to apply for a new visa. If your visa is expired but you are traveling to adjacent countries, you may not need to apply for a new visa stamp. See Automatic Visa Renewal below.
Visa Denial: Any time an individual applies for a U.S. visa, there is a possibility of denial. Therefore, it is advised that an individual be prepared in the case that this may happen.
- A denial may be for a number of reasons, and the likelihood will vary (there is never a guarantee of a U.S. visa or a visa renewal).
- Some of the reasons could be due to 221g (Incomplete Application or Supporting Documentation) or 214b (Visa Qualifications and Immigrant Intent), for more information see the U.S. Department of State (DOS) website.

Returning to the U.S. After Graduation

If you are currently outside of the U.S. or plan to travel outside the U.S. after your program completion date and do not intend to apply for F-1 OPT or pursue a higher degree level within 5 months of your last date of enrollment or comprehensive exam/defense date, you cannot re-enter the U.S. on your student visa (F-1 or J-1) using the Form I-20 or Form Ds-2019 from UC San Diego.

The program end date on your I-20 or DS-2019 will be adjusted to the last day of your final quarter of study. Graduate students that have filed in lieu of registration for their final term will have a program end date of their date of defense. If your most recent I-20 or DS-2019 shows a program end date beyond your final quarter of study, ISEO will automatically adjust the I-20 or DS-2019 to the accurate final term.

To re-enter the U.S. after the completion of your studies, you will need to re-enter the U.S. in another visa category such as a visitor visa. Students from countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program may re-enter the U.S. without first obtaining a visitor visa.

After Arrival

Download your Form I-94:

Your electronic I-94 may be needed for the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, or for local, state or federal agencies such as the Social Security Administration or Department of Motor Vehicles, which require a Form I-94 for granting benefits.

Upon entry, retrieve your electronic Form I-94 arrival record from the Form I-94 website.
If you cannot find your electronic I-94 record, please refer to our tips for locating I-94.
If your I-94 is paper (and not issued electronically), upon leaving, surrender the I-94 to the U.S. government official or airline representative.
- Exception: Keep I-94 when traveling on Automatic Visa Revalidation. If for some reason your physical I-94 is not collected, you may submit it upon your return to the U.S.
- If you were issued an I-94 electronically, you do not need to surrender an I-94 upon departing the U.S. The federal government will record your departure based on the carrier's flight manifest.

Complete the Document iSelfCheck:

Within 15 days after arrival into the U.S., complete the International Student Document Self-Check. It is important for you to verify that your documents were processed correctly at the port of entry. You should fulfill the document self-check requirement every time that you re-enter the U.S.

NOTE FOR STUDENTS WITH A NEW SEVIS ID NUMBER: If you are arriving in the U.S. for the first time after receiving an I-20 with a new SEVIS ID number or for a new program level, you must submit a Check-In Form in iPortal by the deadline specified on our Check-In page.

If you experienced difficulties during your return to the U.S.:

The Department of Homeland Security Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP) is a single point of contact for individuals who have inquiries or seek resolution regarding difficulties they experienced during their travel screening at transportation hubs - like airports and train stations - or crossing U.S. borders, including:

watch list issues
screening problems at ports of entry
situations where travelers believe they have been unfairly or incorrectly delayed, denied boarding or identified for additional screening at our nation’s transportation hubs

For more information on this program, visit the DHS TRIP website.

Additional Resources

The United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has prepared a traveler's guide to help ensure passengers have the answers they need to common security screening questions. You can find this guide on this TSA travel information page.
For additional travel updates and instructions, please refer to information provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Learn more about the I-94, SEVIS Fee, etc. on the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Study in the States website.
Information on Visa Denials from the US Department of State.
Information on Lost or Stolen Travel Documents from the Department of State.

Travel to Third Countries

Travel to a Third Country

To travel outside the U.S. to a country other than your home country, remember that a new set of laws will be in effect, and you may need a visa to enter that country. To learn more about visa requirements, contact that country's closest embassy or consulate in the U.S. or visit their website.

You can search for information about foreign countries' embassies and consulates in the U.S. on the U.S. Department of State (DOS) website.

ISEO cannot advise on other countries' entry-visa requirements.

Travel to Canada, Mexico, or an Adjacent Island: Automatic Visa Revalidation

Automatic Visa Revalidation (AVR)

Automatic Visa Revalidation (AVR) happens when you are reentering the U.S. after a temporary leave from the U.S., and your current expired F-1 visa gets automatically extended to the date of reentry, provided that your current visa has not been canceled, and that you have not applied for a new visa.

To take advantage of AVR your travel must be to contiguous/adjacent entities for less than 30 days. Current rules governing eligibility for AVR can be found on the U.S. State Department's Travel Information website. An overview of these eligibility rules can be found below:

Contiguous countries are: Canada, Mexico, and the adjacent islands: Saint Pierre, Miquelon, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, the Windward and Lee Islands, Trinidad, Martinique, and the British, French and Netherlands territories or possessions in or bordering the Caribbean Sea. Cuba is excluded.
AVR is not available to individuals from Cuba, Syria, Sudan or Iran.
Do not surrender your I-94 card when departing the U.S.
If the flight attendant or officer asks for your I-94, politely inform them that you are taking advantage of the AVR provision.
AVR is only for business/leisure travel for fewer than 30 days.
AVR is not valid for people who travel from a contiguous/adjacent entity, such as Canada, to a non-contiguous country, such as Germany, and then return to the U.S. via a contiguous/adjacent entity.
If you have changed your status while in the U.S. and hold a visa for the previous status, you may still take advantage of AVR, as long as you bring the supporting documents for your new status. For example, if you changed your status from E-2 to F-1, but still only have an expired E-2 visa, you may still use AVR.

Traveling to Mexico, Canada, or Caribbean

For short trips to Mexico or Canada, contact the Canadian or Mexican consulates to find out about their entry requirements and restrictions. Requirements and restrictions are determined by your country of citizenship and by how far you will travel from the U.S. border.

Despite Automatic Visa Revalidation, you may require a visa to enter Canada, Mexico or Caribbean countries. For more information consult the following sources:

Canada: Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Mexico: San Diego Mexican Consulate General (visa application)
Other countries: https://www.embassy.org/embassies/

Travel Delays

ISEO Travel Support Letter

ISEO recognizes that students may experience delays in obtaining visa appointments that can impact their timely arrival to the U.S. For those who may need to enter the U.S. after the official start of the term, ISEO has provided a Travel Support Letter that you may show at the U.S. Port of Entry.

Secondary Inspection

Upon arrival, you will be required to present your immigration documents to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer at the port of entry. If they are unable to verify your information, or if you do not have all of the required documentation, a CBP officer may direct you to an interview area known as “secondary inspection.” Secondary inspection allows inspectors to conduct additional research in order to verify information without causing delays for other arriving passengers.

In the event that the CBP officer needs to verify information, provide them with the following contact information to reach an ISEO Advisor:

Name of Advisor: Designated School Official (DSO) who signed your most recently issued Form I-20
Contact Phone: 858-534-3730 (Note, travelers calling outside of normal business hours will be routed to UC San Diego Police Department who will relay any travel emergencies to ISEO)

Missing Documents and I-515A

If you arrive at the U.S. port of entry without all of your required documents or with unsigned or missing documents, the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer has the discretion deny your entry into the U.S. Alternatively, CBP may send you to Secondary Inspection and ultimately issue you a Form I-515A, which will allow you to temporarily enter the U.S. for 30 days.

If you are issued a Form I-515A, then you must request a replacement I-20/DS-2019 from ISEO upon arrival to UC San Diego, and submit this new document to USCIS based on the instructions on the Form I-515A.
Request a new I-20/DS-2019 by following instructions on our Replacement I-20/DS-2019 page.

Failure to take action and resolve the I-515A request within 30 days will result in problems with your immigration status. Contact ISEO if you have further questions.

Visa Revocation & Inadmissibility

Having a valid F-1 or J-1 Visa does not guarantee entry to the U.S. The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer has the discretion to asses if your intentions to enter the U.S. are in alignment with the visa classification which you are seeking admission in. Although visa holders have already been found by the Department of State to be admissible at the time they received their visa, a CBP officer must also independently find you admissible at the port of entry.

Upon entry, if you receive notice from the CBP Officer that you are facing a visa revocation, are required to voluntarily depart the U.S., or are inadmissible to the U.S., take the following steps:

Contact ISEO as soon as possible
Retain Documentation provided to you
Despite the frustration you may be experiencing, take mental note of the questions you were asked by the CBP Officer, your responses, and any other information provided to you during this experience; it will assist ISEO in determining how to best assess your situation.

While the majority of our students have a safe and pleasant travel experience, we urge students who may experience these challenges to remain calm and respectful in order to properly assess the current situation.

Unable to Depart the U.S. before End of Grace Period

If you are currently inside of the U.S. and do not intend to apply for F-1 OPT or pursue a higher degree level within 5 months of your last date of enrollment or comprehensive exam/defense date, you must depart before the end of your grace period.

F-1 Students have a 60 day grace-period following their last date of enrollment in their final graduating quarter or approved post-completion training period.
J-1 Students have a 30 day grace-period following their last date of enrollment in their final graduating quarter or after post-completion academice training period.

Students unable to depart by their grace period due to travel restrictions, flight cancellations, or other unforeseen circumstances should contact an ISEO Advisor to discuss the following options:

Consider filing a Change of Status to B1/B2 from within the U.S.
Consider departure from the U.S. to another country, such as Mexico or Canada (consider safety and travel concerns).
Remain in the U.S. without valid F-1 or J-1 Status, continue efforts to depart the U.S. (consider implications of remaining in the U.S. without valid status).

Check Your I-94 Arrival/Departure Record

Leaving the U.S. should be quite simple. As you leave, if you were issued an electronic I-94 you do not have to do anything.
However, if you were issued a paper I-94, you must surrender the I-94 card to the U.S. government official or airline representative.
For more information, visit our I-94 page.