Depending upon your circumstances, your procedure for leaving the US may be different. Review the information in the section below that applies to your situation.
You can read additional information about travel on an F visa on the US Department of Homeland Security website linked here.
Recommended documents to carry when travelling internationally. Only show documents requested.
I-94 Arrival/Departure Card
Entering the US after May 21, 2013 by air or sea port means your I-94 is electronic and you do not need to do anything.
Entering the US by a land port or before April 26, 2011, surrender your paper I-94 card at the point of departure from the US (unless traveling to Canada or Mexico)
Passport valid at least six months into the future
Form I-20 or DS-2019 with a travel signature.
Travel signatures are valid for one year from the date of the signature on page 2.
Students on OPT or OPT STEM Extension - your travel signature is only valid for 6 months.
Valid F-1 or J-1 visa stamp in passport
Financial Documentation (bank statement, scholarship/assistantship letter)
Proof of enrollment (transcript, printout of current enrollment, and next semester’s enrollment, if available)
You cannot renew your student visa stamp in the US. Except in rare cases, you must have a valid visa to reenter the US. It is not guaranteed that the US consulate will renew your visa. If your visa application is denied, you cannot return to the US.
Visa applicants should note the following:
It is important to remember that while you are on an OU Study Abroad program you are still an OU F-1 student and your SEVIS record will be maintained by OU ISS office.
Please complete the online Study Abroad form to inform ISS of the details of your study abroad experience.
If you plan to travel outside the US to a country that is not your home country, it is your responsibility to check the visa requirements for that country.
If you will need to apply for a visa to that country, review their visa application requirements carefully. Some countries require that you have a travel signature on your OU I-20 at the time of your visa appointment, even if your travel and reentry to the US are in the future.
Want to depart the US prior to completing your program? Complete the Departure Form. Departing the US without completing this form could result in a termination of status for Failure to Enroll.
If you plan to return to the US to resume your OU program at a later date, please discuss your plans with your ISS advisor.
For most students, travel to a country that is contiguous to the US (Mexico, Canada, St. Pierre, Miquelon, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Bermuda, Jamaica, Winward and Leeward Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Martinique) with an intended stay of less than 30 days (not applying for a new visa) may return to the US on an expired visa. This process is known as automatic visa revalidation.
If you travel to Canada or Mexico, you may need a visa to enter that country.
For more information and retrictions, visit travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/general/automatic-revalidation
If you plan to use automatic revalidation, our office recommends that you carefully read the information at the US State Department link above and print the page to carry with you when you travel.
After you have completed your program, you have a grace period within which to depart the US. If you remain in the US after the end of your grace period following the end of your program, you will be unlawfully present in the US. Being unlawfully present in the US could make you subject to removal and future bars from entering the US, even if you qualify later for a new US visa through study, work, or marriage. Submit a Departure Form to prior to leaving OU.
If you wish to remain in the US lawfully, you must do one of the following:
If you wish to remain in the US lawfully, you must do one of the following:
If you plan to travel outside of the US and then return for Optional Practical Training (OPT), we recommend you carry:
