While you are studying at OUHSC, you may want to travel outside the U.S. for various reasons including:
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
You can also find answers to frequently asked questions on the USCIS website here.
If you are an undergraduate student, you will need to
To request a travel signature, contact your OIS advisor.
If you are a graduate student, you will need to
To request a travel signature, contact your OIS advisor.
Documents checklist for undergraduate & graduate students
If you are on post-completion OPT or STEM OPT, you will need to
To request a travel signature, contact your OIS advisor.
Documents checklist for students on OPT/STEM OPT
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:
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 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.