Travel & Visas
» Travel - Outside of the US
» Travel Signatures
» Travel - Inside of the US
Travel - Outside of the US
If you are traveling to locations other than your home country, check to see if the country to which you are traveling requires you to apply for a visa. It is important to note that individuals in student status in the US do not usually have the same type of travel privileges abroad as US citizens or permanent residents.
A list of foreign consulates in the US is available at http://travel.state.gov. Check with the appropriate consulate’s website under the headings “visa” or “consular services.” Look for information on “visiting,” “tourists,” or “short-term travel for pleasure or business.”
Returning to the US
When travelling and returning to the US, please be sure that you have the following documents. You should have these documents available in your carry-on luggage or in a safe place on your person. Please remember to bring any new documents (new I-94, stamped I-20, renewed visa or passport) to the IC after you return. We will need to make copies for your file.
- I-20, signed for travel within the last 6 months
- Passport ( valid for at least 6 months into the future)
- Valid F-1 visa (If visa is expired, you will need to renew it at a US Embassy or Consulate before returning to the US)
- Information on any medications that you are carrying with you during travel
OPT Students- please remember that you should also travel with:
- EAD Card (or OPT receipt notice if card has not yet arrived)
- Employer’s Letter
If you are renewing your F-1 Visa during your travel abroad, please bring these additional documents:
- FSU Official Transcript ( Available from FSU Registrar)
- Certification of Enrollment ( Available from FSU Registrar)
- Updated proof of funding (Bank statement, Department Award Letter, etc)
- Proof of ties to your home country ( Proof of immediate family or family obligations in your home country; bank accounts or property at home; job offers, or proof of need for your job field at home)
To avoid or anticipate F-1 visa renewal delays, keep in mind the following:
- Visit the website of the consulate at which you will be applying for all the details and information on appointment wait times.
- If possible, try to make an appointment before making travel plans to avoid delays.
- It is strongly recommended that you renew your F-1 visa in your home country.
- If you choose to renew your visa in a country which is NOT your home country, there is a higher risk of visa denial. If the visa is denied in another country, you should be prepared financially to travel to your home country to apply for a visa for re-entry.
- Be aware that you could be subjected to security procedures which may delay visa processing from 60 to 90 days
- Renewing an F-1 visa during OPT is not recommended. Please talk to your F-1 advisor if you will require a visa renewal during your OPT period.
- Try to plan for visa renewals during the longer summer break as opposed to the short winter break or Spring break, just in case you do experience delays.
You should NEVER use a tourist visa or the Visa Waiver program to enter the US if you intend to continue your F program. If a USCBP officer at the Port of Entry grants tourist status, you will not be able to study or work at FSU, or receive any kind of payment. Tourist status does not allow these activities. You should keep in mind that your status is actually determined by the I-94 card. The status USCBP assigns you defines what you are permitted to do and for how long.
Only international student advisors at the FSU International Center are permitted to sign I-20 forms for travel. You can request a travel signature during F-1 Advising Walk-In Hours OR you can also drop off your I-20 form at the IC Front Desk. (Walk-in signature I-20s will be signed in the same day. If you drop off your I-20, the signature may take 3-7 business days.)
Be sure to bring your most current I-20 forms for everyone who is traveling. (Check the issue date on page 1 section 10 of the I-20, where the I-20 is signed in blue by your advisor. You should be using the I-20 with the latest issue date. ) Please know your visa and passport expiration dates when you request a travel signature, as these dates are required for the Travel Signature Form.
I-94 & Travel
Remember these important notes regarding travel and the I-94:
- Give up your I-94 upon exiting the US, so that there is an accurate record of your departure (unless using Automatic Visa Revalidation-see below).
- When you re-enter the US, fill in your name on the new I-94 accurately–no preferred spellings, use of nicknames, or reversal of name order.
- Fill in your current residential address as is recorded in SEVIS, not a departmental or work address.
- Try to get any I-94 mistakes resolved at the Port of Entry. Be sure that the USCBP officer does not mark an incorrect status.
- If you notice a problem after you have passed through the Port of Entry, please be sure to come to the International Center immediately to get the problem corrected.
Customs
You should be aware of the limitations on what you can bring into the US and how to fill out customs forms upon arrival. Please review Customs information before you go, so that you can plan and buy accordingly (See www.cbp.gov). You should also review any medications or herbal supplements you carry back into the US to be certain you have proper documentation for these from a medical doctor. Even with proper documentation, some medications and treatments might be prohibited by US law and may be confiscated.
Automatic Visa Revalidation
If your visa has already expired, you may still be able to travel to Canada, Mexico, and adjacent islands under regulations that allow for Automatic Visa Revalidation [22 CFR 41.112(d)]. Very carefully follow all rules and requirements of this program to avoid any difficulties.
- The provisions for this program are that you:
- Are outside the US in Canada, Mexico, or adjacent islands (not including Cuba) for not more than thirty (30) days,
- Do not apply for a visa (you cannot use revalidation AND apply for a visa),
Have an expired non-immigrant visa, - Have retained your currently valid I-94 card indicating D/S, rather than surrendering it when leaving the US,
- Have a valid passport and a valid and signed I-20 form.
It is advisable to take evidence of financial support, which could include a bank statement or an assistantship letter or scholarship letter.
Please note that citizens of countries that have been deemed “state sponsors of terrorism” are not eligible for automatic visa revalidation. The list of affected countries is renewed yearly in a State Department report to Congress. Please check with the IC if you think you may be affected by this provision. More detailed information on automatic visa revalidation is available from your IC advisors.
Smart Travel Planning
When making travel arrangements, you should ask yourself the following:
- Do I need a new visa? How long will it take to get an appointment and be issued the visa? Within what timeframe can I change my tickets if I am delayed?
- Do I need a visa to visit the country to which I’m travelling? (Example: You are visiting another country during Spring Break - not your home country.)
- Do I need a new passport (e.g., Does my passport expire in less than 6 months from my re-entry date)? How long will passport processing at home or at a foreign consulate in the US take?
- Does my layover at my Port of Exit from the US (Atlanta, Miami, New York, for instance) leave enough time for any exit procedures: US-VISIT, or NSEERS (Special Registration)? (See below.)
- Does my layover at my Port of Entry back into the US allow enough time for entry procedures? (At least two hours is recommended.)
- Am I traveling back with anything I will need to declare in Customs? If so, allow extra time at Port of Entry when traveling back into the US (e.g., via Atlanta, Miami, or New York).
Special Registration
Special Registration (NSEERS) applies to very few people these days, with the advent of US VISIT, but if your I-94 has an FINS number listed and/or is stamped “NSEERS Registrant,” special registration exit procedures should be strictly observed.
To avoid difficulties, be sure that:
- the final Port of Exit from the US is a “designated Port of Exit” for special registration procedures;
- the immigration office is open when you will be traveling through the Port of Exit;
- you know how to get to the immigration office (not all offices are located in the airport); and
- You have plenty of time before your flight out of the country for check-out procedures.
This is a list of designated Ports of Departure and Entry: http://www.ice.gov/doclib/pi/specialregistration/BLISTOFP.pdf. For more information on Special Registration in general, go to http://www.ice.gov/pi/specialregistration.
Carry your original passport, original I-94 and original I-20 for travel outside of Tallahassee. Technically, you are not required to show these documents for domestic airplane flight. (But, in order to board a flight, you do need a state or government issued photo-ID card- passport, US driver’s license, or US state ID cards will suffice for identification purposes.)
For travel inside Tallahassee, we recommend that you carry copies of your documents ( I-20, passport, I-94). Keep the original documents in a safe place- but in your possession.
Don’t keep them with family members or friends, if you do not live with those family members or friends. For general identification purposes- we recommend that you keep a Florida ID or Driver’s License with you at all times.