If you plan to leave the U.S. to visit another country, you must have the following documents in order to return to the U.S.:
- Valid Passport: Check the expiration date of your passport. You must have your passport with you for all travel, including travel within the United States. If traveling abroad, your passport MUST be valid at least six months into the future upon your return to the United States. Passports may be renewed at your country's embassy or consulate in the United States. For a list of foreign embassies in the U.S., go to www.state.gov, click on “Countries and Regions,” then “Foreign Embassies in the U.S.”
- Valid Visa: Check your U.S. visa stamp inside your passport. Has your visa stamp expired? If it is still valid, is it for multiple entry, or has the entry been used up? An expired U.S. visa need only be renewed if you will be traveling outside the United States. The exception is travel to Canada or Mexico or adjacent islands of North America (except Cuba). Provided that your travel to those countries is for less than thirty days and you are not applying for a U.S. visa there, you may return to the United States on an expired F or J visa.
- A Valid I-20 or DS-2019: Check the travel signature on your SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019. You must have your SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019 with you when you travel, even for travel within the United States. Be sure that your current I-20 or DS-2019 has an authorizing signature for travel that will be less than one year old from the date you will return to RMC. If your travel plans include a trip to Canada, the signature must be less than six months old from the date you will return to Binghamton. You will need a new I-20 if you have recently had a change in financial support, degree, field of study, or graduation date.
- I-94 card: You must have your white, I-94 card with you for all travel, even travel within the United States. You will need to surrender your I-94 card if you are departing from the United States. You will be issued a new I-94 card upon your re-entry to the United States with a new admission number
Post-completion OPT students: If you have completed your studies, you should NOT travel while waiting for your EAD card (Employment Authorization Document). Once you receive your EAD card, it is still very risky to travel while on OPT. As of February 2005, you must have a job offer to re-enter the U.S.
Travel to Canada and Mexico
Documents required for travel to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean are slightly different than the rest of the world. Most importantly, you DO NOT need a valid U.S. visa stamp to return to the U.S. if you visit Canada, Mexico, or the adjacent islands (except Cuba) for less than 30 days. This process is know as “automatic visa revalidation” and applies to all individuals EXCEPT those whose home countries have been identified as sponsoring terrorism (currently Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria). The following documents are needed for travel to Canada:
- Valid I-94: This is the small white card in your passport that should have an entry stamp and read "D/S" (duration of status)
- Valid Passport
- Valid I-20 or DS-2019 with a valid travel signature (see "A Valid I-20 and DS-2019" above).
- Tourist visa (applies only to certain countries). Citizens of certain countries are required to have a tourist visa (Temporary Resident Visa) in order to visit Canada. To find out if you will need a visa, visit http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/apply-how.asp. Tourist visas must be obtained in person or by mail from the Canadian Consulate in New York City. Applications by mail are normally processed within five working days and then returned, not including mail time.
Travel abroad - SHOULD I TRAVEL ABROAD?
Whether or not to travel abroad is a personal decision. Barring an unforeseen catastrophe or circumstance, we do not anticipate any changes in the immediate future for student travel outside the United States. Students who travel abroad should expect closer scrutiny of their documents upon their return to the United States. Students with valid U.S. visas should not anticipate too many difficulties in their travels. Students who will need to apply for new F-1 or J-1 visas should be sure to allow plenty of time for scheduling a visa appointment. In many cases, you can schedule your visa appointment before you leave the United States. Any student who feels uncomfortable or concerned about their travel plans in a time of uncertainty may prefer to cancel those plans.
Useful links
US Embassies and Consulates Worldwide
ASIRT: Association for Safe International Road Travel
AutoPilot Highway Trip Planner
Centers for Disease Control: Traveler's Health
Educational Housing (student housing in New York City)
Foreign Embassy Information
How to See the World on $25 a Day or Less (25 chapters, 120 illustrations)
IYHF: Hostelling International
Lonely Planet Online
Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door (ETBD)
TravelWeb
Welcome to Let's Go
Permission for use granted by International Student and Scholar Services, Binghamton University, State University of New York
