Travel

Things to know before you plan for your travel outside the U.S.

While you are studying at OUHSC, you may want to travel outside the U.S. for various reasons including:

to spend a school break/vacation with your family back home
to visit another country on holiday
to participate in a study abroad program

Before you leave the U.S. temporarily, make sure that you will take care of the steps required to ensure that you maintain your F-1 status and a smooth return to the U.S. We strongly encourage that you contact our office prior to finalizing your travel plans if you have any concerns or questions regarding your immigration status and travel. Generally, you must

Request a leave from your academic department/Graduate College, if required
Make sure that your travel documents are valid
Complete a travel registration, if applicable

Check the requirements

You can also find answers to frequently asked questions on the USCIS website here.

If you are an undergraduate student, you will need to

Make sure that your I-20 reflects the current academic program information
Be enrolled for the next semester if traveling during the annual school vacation
Be in good standing with the Bursar's office
Get a travel signature on your I-20 from OIS
Make sure that your F-1 visa will be valid when you re-enter the U.S.
Complete a travel registration, if applicable

To request a travel signature, contact your OIS advisor.

If you are a graduate student, you will need to

Make sure that your I-20 reflects the current academic program information
Be enrolled for the next semester if traveling during the annual school vacation
Be in good standing with the Bursar's office
Request a leave of absence from the Graduate College.
Get a travel signature on your I-20 from OIS
Make sure that your F-1 visa will be valid when you re-enter the U.S.
Complete a travel registration, if applicable

To request a travel signature, contact your OIS advisor.

Documents checklist for undergraduate & graduate students

Passport valid for at least six months into the future
Valid F-1 visa (except for Canadian citizens who are visa exempt)
Valid I-20 with a travel signature signed by a Designated School Official (DSO) within a year
Proof of financial support
Proof of full-time enrollment
SEVIS I-901 fee receipt
Form I-94

If you are on post-completion OPT or STEM OPT, you will need to

Check that your I-20 shows OPT/STEM OPT approved and current employment information
Make sure that you are up-to-date with your OPT/STEM OPT reporting requirements
Get a travel signature on your I-20 from OIS
Make sure that your F-1 visa will be valid when you re-enter the U.S.
Complete a travel registration, if applicable

To request a travel signature, contact your OIS advisor.

Documents checklist for students on OPT/STEM OPT

Passport valid for at least six months into the future
Valid F-1 visa (except for Canadian citizens who are visa exempt)
Valid I-20 with a travel signature signed by a Designated School Official (DSO) within 6 months
Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card from USCIS
Proof of employment
- This can be a letter from your employer on company letterhead stating they know your dates of travel and expect you to return to work after your travel
- If you are not yet employed, have proof that you are actively seeking employment (proof of resumes sent, rejection notices from companies, and so on.) If you do not have a job, you may not be permitted to reenter the US.
Form I-94

Renewing your F-1 visa

You cannot renew your student visa stamp inside the U.S. Except in rare cases, you must have a valid visa to reenter the U.S. It is not guaranteed that the U.S. consulate will renew your visa. If your visa application is denied, you cannot return to the U.S.

Visa applicants should note the following:

Applicants are subject to security clearances that may take several months. Background checks can result from arrests in the U.S., field of study, country of origin, or other factors.
If you need a visa and will be traveling on a short trip, remember, you may encounter visa processing delays.
Appointments are required for almost all non-immigrant visa applications. Check the Department of State website for processing times at the U.S. consulate where you plan to apply.
Graduate students, professors and research scholars who are deemed to be studying certain “sensitive areas of study” may be subject to a security review.
If you are out of status and will be traveling outside of the U.S., you must speak with an OIS advisor before you leave the U.S. to make certain you have the required documents for reinstatement through reentry.

Automatic Revalidation of Visa

Certain nonimmigrants may be able to reenter the U.S. with an expired visa if they meet requirements. Please read the Travel section of our website.

Applying for a Visa from a third country

Applying for a visa from a country that is not your home country is called Third Country National (TCN) visa processing. You must research whether this is a possibility for citizens of your country, and what the requirements are. Availability is increasingly limited or has been suspended in certain countries, including Canada and Mexico. It is strongly advised to schedule a visa appointment prior to departure from the U.S., especially if you will not be processing in/traveling to your Home Country, i.e. a TCN request. Please use the Department of State Website to better understand processing times at the consulate of your choice.

If you plan to travel outside the U.S. to a country that is not your home country, it is also your responsibility to check the visa requirements for that country.

Check the Department of State website on Applying for Visas in Canada or Mexico.