Travel Information for F-1 and J-1 Students

At the port of entry into the U.S., be prepared to present the following items:

• I-20 (F-1 students)

  The I-20 must be signed by an adviser in International Student Services (ISS) (not an academic adviser, not a professor, not the football coach) before you leave the U.S. This signature will be valid for one year, for multiple entries, unless you are on OPT. Students on OPT must obtain a travel signature every six months. To obtain a travel signature, submit your I-20 to the ISS front desk. The I-20 will be available for pick-up the next business day. Carry all I-20s you have ever been issued, not just the most recent one.

  Or

• DS-2019 (J-1 exchange visitors)

  The DS-2019 must be signed by an adviser in International Student Services (ISS) (not an academic adviser, not a professor, not the football coach) before you leave the U.S. This signature will be valid for one year, for multiple entries. To obtain a travel signature, submit your DS-2019 to the ISS front desk. The DS-2019 will be available for pick-up the next business day. Carry all DS-2019s you have ever been issued, not just the most recent one.

• Valid passport
  

  You must have a valid passport when seeking admission or readmission to the United States, and your passport must remain valid throughout your stay. Canadian citizens are required to carry a passport if traveling by air to the U.S. Canadian citizens are not currently required to carry a passport for land and sea travel. The passport requirement for land and sea travel will likely go into effect in 2008. Check U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for additional information.

• Valid U.S. visa
  

  You must present a valid, unexpired visa in the category for which admission is being sought each time you enter the U.S. (Canadian citizens are exempt from the visa requirement; however, landed immigrants of Canada are generally required to obtain a visa.) If your visa expires while you are in the U.S., the next time you travel abroad you must obtain a new visa in the proper category in order to be readmitted to the United States. Apply for the visa in your home country, unless circumstances or travel plans make this impossible.If you apply for a visa at a U.S. consulate in another country, your application may be reviewed more critically than if you applied at home. In-person interviews are required for most visa applicants. You are encouraged to contact the U.S. consulate as early as possible to schedule the visa interview appointment. Anticipate delays in visa issuance due to enhanced security reviews.

  An exception to the rule requiring a valid, unexpired visa exists for students in F-1 and J-1 status who travel for less than 30 days solely to Canada or Mexico or islands in the Caribbean except Cuba. Your visa will be considered to be "extended" (and "converted" to the proper visa category if you had changed status while in the U.S.) to the date of re-entry, eliminating the need to obtain a new visa at a U.S. consulate before that particular re-entry. This procedure is known as "automatic visa revalidation." Note that if you apply for a new visa while in Canada, Mexico and islands in the Caribbean, you will not be able to return to the U.S. unless the visa is granted. Also, citizens of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Cuba, Sudan, and North Korea are not eligible for automatic visa revalidation.

• Financial evidence
  

  You must carry evidence detailing the source and amount of your funding. Consular and immigration officers exercise considerable discretion in determining whether your financial support is sufficient to cover all academic and living expenses.

• Current class schedule
  

  You can print your current class schedule from your "MyUW" page.

You and your dependents may be surprised to learn that federal law requires that you carry "registration" documentation at all times. This includes a basic identity document such as a passport, plus your current I-20 and I-94 card. For day-to-day purposes, we suggest you keep these documents in a secure location, such as a bank safe deposit box. However, if you are traveling within the U.S. you should carry these documents with you. If you are traveling by air, train, bus, or ship, you may be required to produce these documents before boarding. Keep photocopies of all your documents in a separate location, in the event your documents are lost or stolen.

Before you leave the United States, contact the consulate of the country to be visited to inquire about visa and travel procedures. If you plan to visit Canada, contact the Canadian Consulate in Seattle to determine if you need a visa to enter Canada.

F-1 students: If you travel outside the U.S. after completion of studies you may return to the U.S. in F-1 status provided you are in possession of:

• A new 1-20 indicating a new program of study, passport, visa and evidence of financial support.

• Or

• An Employment Authorization Document (EAD), I-20 endorsed for OPT and signed for travel within the last six months, proof of employment, passport and visa.

J-1 students: If you travel outside the U.S. after completion of studies you may return to the U.S. in J-1 status provided you are in possession of either:

• A new DS-2019 indicating a new program of study, passport, visa, and evidence of financial support.

• Or

• A DS-2019 endorsed for Academic Training and signed for travel within the last twelve months, proof of employment, passport and visa.

Note: Students who complete studies have a "grace period" during which they may prepare to depart the United States. The grace period for F-1 students is 60 days. (F-1 students on practical training must depart the U.S. within 60 days of the EAD card's expiration date.) The grace period for J-1 students is 30 days. Students who leave the U.S. during the grace period will not be permitted to return to the U.S. in F-1 or J-1 status, except as noted above.

If your pre-completion OPT application is pending or approved, you may travel and reenter the U.S.

If your post-completion OPT application is pending, you may travel and re-enter the U.S.

After graduation, if your post-completion OPT has been approved and your EAD issued, you may not re-enter the U.S. unless you have evidence of employment. You should carry the following documents with you:

• I-20 signed for travel by an international student adviser within the last 6 months
• EAD card
• Valid passport
• Unexpired F-1 visa (unless returning from a short trip to Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean)
• Evidence of employment in your field of study (letter of employment, written job offer)