Form I-94
Travel Information and Resources for F-1 and J-1 Students
During your time at the University of Rochester, you may wish to travel internationally or domestically, for annual vacation or during a school break. In order to ensure smooth travel, we encourage you to plan ahead and carefully read the information on this page.
Possible travel risks
While ISO can help you prepare for smooth travel to the U.S. to the best of our ability, all new visa decisions and entry to the U.S. are ultimately subject to the discretion of U.S. Consulates and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Please review the resources below so that you are prepared to re-enter the U.S. in your valid F-1 or J-1 student status.
If after reading this information you have questions pertaining to your specific situation, please reach out to your immigration advisor before finalizing your travel plans.
Entry requirements for other countries
If you are traveling to a country other than your country of citizenship, be sure to check with that country’s embassy or consulate to see if you need a visa. Remember that you may need a transit visa for countries you pass through on the way to your destination. Any questions regarding entry requirements to countries other than the U.S. are outside ISO’s area of expertise and cannot be answered by ISO advisors.
Travel documents for re-entry to the US
Required travel documents
Please ensure you have appropriate and valid travel documents at the time you re-enter the United States. We recommend that you keep your travel documents organized in a folder that you can bring when traveling.
Below are the required documents that you should bring with you on every trip out of the United States.
A passport that is valid for at least 6 months after re-entry into the United States.
I-20/DS-2019 with valid travel signature upon reentry.
- While you are a currently enrolled student, your travel signature is valid for 1 calendar year. If you are on post-completion OPT or STEM OPT, the travel signature is valid for 6 months.
- Please note that a valid signature is only required for re-entry to the U.S. (not exit).
- To obtain a new travel signature before your I-20/DS-2019 Program End Date, please submit the I-20/DS-2019 Reprint Request form in URcompass. Students on F-1 Post-Completion OPT or STEM OPT Extension should submit the Request Updated I-20 | Travel Signature form in URcompass. We ask that you only submit reprint requests for a new travel signature if it is truly necessary, such as the signature being within a month of expiration or will expire before you return. These I-20/DS-2019s are distributed electronically, so you may request them while abroad, although we encourage you to have your I-20/DS-2019s ready before you depart.
If your F-1 or J-1 visa is currently expired and you need to renew your visa while abroad, please read more about the visa application process in advance.
Travel to countries neighboring the United States may qualify for automatic revalidation. The U.S. government allows travel to these countries with an expired visa if the duration of the trip is under 30 days. Please read the US Department of State webpage on automatic revalidation carefully.
Additional travel documents
Traveling abroad during certain stages of your educational journey might require that you bring more documents in addition to the documents listed above.
The sections below go into detail about additional documents and considerations for each stage. Border officials may or may not ask you questions pertaining to these documents, but if they do, having them on hand always helps.
While these documents are often not required, it’s recommended you bring the following:
The SEVIS Fee (I-901) payment confirmation can be printed online from the I-901 SEVIS Fee Processing Website.
Evidence of financial resources, such as the documents you submitted for your New Student Intake Form (NSIF).
A letter from your faculty advisor describing your research and academic plans.
- If you are on CPT (Curricular Practical Training): Evidence of your employment (offer letter, employment verification letter)
- If you are a J-1 students on Academic Training (AT): AT authorization letter from ISO and Job offer/verification letter from your employer
It is recommended that the employment letter should include the following information: position held/job title, duration/dates of that position, contact information for your supervisor or manager, and a description of the work (with clear indication for how the work is related to your field of study).
OPT and STEM OPT: Additional travel considerations
F-1 students on OPT or STEM OPT should keep the following considerations in mind when preparing to travel outside the US and return to the US.
If you are a currently enrolled student traveling before your program end date with a pending or approved OPT application, you will need to have the travel documents outlined above.
After your program end date, traveling is generally permitted if you have a pending or approved OPT application.
Very important: your OPT application must be submitted and received by USCIS before you leave the U.S! An OPT application must be submitted while physically in the United States, and traveling after your program end date without a pending OPT application (or any action that will extend your F-1 status, such as transferring your SEVIS record to a new program) will result in the loss of your F-1 status and the ability to apply for OPT.
Please be aware that if you travel after your program end date with a pending OPT application (or after your OPT end date with a pending STEM OPT application), and your application is denied by USCIS for any reason, you will not be eligible to return to the U.S. in F-1 status and re-apply.
Please refer to the section above for the list of required travel documents. Note that while in the period of post-completion OPT and STEM OPT extension, the travel signature on your I-20 is valid for only 6 months. Make sure to check the endorsement date on your I-20 and submit the Request Updated I-20 | Travel Signature form in URcompass if the signature is close to expiring.
- For students applying for post-completion OPT: It is recommended that you already have a job secured. Travel and reentry without employment is usually fine if you are returning before your OPT start date. If your OPT has already started, it is more important to have a job at the time of re-entry. Travel during your OPT unemployment time is higher risk and is not recommended.
- For students applying for or in the period of STEM OPT: You must have a job in which your STEM OPT is based on.
Either way, when traveling during post-completion, whether on OPT or STEM OPT, you should be prepared to explain the ways that your employment in the U.S. provides practical training for the degree you received.
Lastly, there is no regulatory limit on the duration of your travel abroad while on OPT or STEM OPT. Nevertheless, you should understand that the longer you are abroad, the more questions you may be asked upon re-entry. You should be prepared to explain to the CBP officer your time abroad and how you are still maintaining your F-1 status, keeping in mind that your OPT/STEM OPT authorization was granted for the purposes of working in the U.S.
- You’ll want to bring employment verification documentation—either an employment letter or proof of employment.
- EAD card: You should also bring an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card, if your OPT/STEM OPT is approved.
- If not yet approved, have your I-797C receipt from the submission of your OPT/STEM OPT application with USCIS
- Keep in mind logistics surrounding your EAD card:
- If your application is already approved, you are expected to have your EAD card with you upon reentry.
- Students who are abroad when their application is approved might not be able to physically retrieve their EAD card when it is mailed to their U.S. address.
- Many students have had their EAD card mailed to trusted friends/family who send a photocopy of the EAD card to them. They will also print out the approval notice so that they can explain the situation to the border official if asked. While many students have successfully reentered the United States in such cases, you should be aware that this is another layer of risk.
Reach out for support
If you have any questions or concerns about your future travel plans, please reach out to our office.
If your travel plans end up delaying your reentry to the US, causing an absence unrelated to your studies, please reach out to your ISO advisor to consult on possibly taking a leave of absence and its impact on your F-1 or J-1 status.