Domestic & International Travel
Travel Within the United States
Federal law requires that you carry immigration documentation at all times. This includes your passport, plus your current original Form I-20 and I-94 record.
Immigration checkpoints can be as far as 100 miles inside the U.S., so if you are planning to travel near the northern or southern U.S. borders, you must have your passport, visa, and Form I-20 with you.
Always make sure your Form I-20 is signed "before" you travel outside the U.S.
Also, make sure you have an entry visa to the country you are traveling to.
If you are in the U.S. in F-1 Status and want to come back to the U.S. after a short trip, listed below are the documents you will need to bring and show to the immigration officer when you return to the U.S.
F-1 students bring with you:
- Unexpired passport
- Unexpired visa (Canadians are exempt from visa requirement)
- Unexpired I-20 with travel signature (valid for 12 months)
- I-901 SEVIS Fee
- School transcripts
- I-94 arrival/departure record (I-94 record can be retreived here)
- Letter of employment if you are on Optional Practical Training (OPT)
Please visit the International Student & Scholar Office before traveling to Canada, Mexico or overseas.
PLEASE NOTE:
If you are travelling with your F-2 dependent also bring:
- Dependent's unexpired passport
- Dependent's unexpired F-2 visa
- Unexpired (F-2 Form I-20) with a valid travel signature
If the F-2 dependent is traveling without the F-1 visa holder also bring:
- Copy of the F-1 Visa
- Copy of the F-1 most recent I-94 record as evidence of F-1status
- Copy of the I-20 Form
