Required Documents
Be sure to have the following documents with you whenever you travel outside the U.S.
In addition, students on OPT or STEM OPT should also carry:
Travel Signature
We recommend requesting a travel signature each time you plan to travel outside the United States. If you left without requesting your travel signature, please email International Student Services so we can assist you.
Visa Renewal
International students must have a valid visa to reenter the United States. If your visa has expired, please plan to visit the U.S. embassy or consulate in your home country to apply for a new visa.
Automatic Revalidation
In most cases an F-1 visa holder with an expired visa is allowed automatic visa revalidation if they have traveled to Mexico, Canada or an adjacent island for 30 days or less, have a valid I-20 and valid unexpired I-94. For more information, please visit the DOS Automatic Revalidation website.
U.S. Embassies and Consulates Worldwide
U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS)
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP)
U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Foreign Embassies /Consulates in the U.S.
Inviting Dependents to the U.S.
The legal spouse and children under the age of 21 of an F-1 visa holder are eligible to apply for an F-2 visa. Similar to the process for requesting an F-1 visa, F-2 applicants must:
To request an I-20 for a dependent complete this form and upload the following documents:
Inviting Extended Family and Domestic Partners to the U.S.
Extended family members and domestic partners need to apply for a B-1/B-2 Visitor Visa in order to visit. B-1/B-2 visa applicants will need to show they have sufficient family and employment ties to their home country and have funding to cover the cost of the trip.
They should be prepared to bring the following with them to the interview:
To support their request to visit you can do the following:
I-20 Request - OPT Recommendation
I-20 Request - Program Extension
I-20 Request - STEM OPT Extension
I-20 Request to Add a Dependent
I-20 Request to Remove a Dependent
New Initial I-20 Document Check-in
Curricular Practical Training Request
On-Campus Employment Authorization Request
OPT Employment/Address Change Form
Request to Authorize Reduced Course Load
The Department of Homeland Security’s latest COVID-19 guidance related to F-1 International Students can be found here. Please use Google Chrome to open the link.