Travel outside the U.S. while enrolled at UGA
Students planning to travel outside the United States and return using their F-1 or J-1 documents should plan carefully before traveling.
A student returning to enroll in classes needs the following documents to re-enter the U.S.:
- valid passport
- valid F-1 visa sticker in the passport
- unexpired Form I-20 or DS-2019 signed recently by an Immigration Services Advisor
Valid Passport
A valid passport should expire no less than 6 months in the future. A student needing to renew a passport should contact the Embassy or Consulate of their country of citizenship. Renewal procedures and processing times are different for every country.
Some students who renew passports during their stay in the U.S. will have 2 passports, the old passport containing the valid F-1 visa and the new valid passport which does not contain a visa sticker. USCIS will honor the unexpired F-1 visa sticker in the old passport if both passports are presented at the same time.
Valid Visa
Before traveling outside of the U.S., students should ensure that the F-1 visa stamp in the passport is still valid at the time of re-entry to the United States. If the expiration date has passed, a new visa must be obtained at a U.S. consulate or embassy while out of the U.S. It is not possible to obtain F visas while in the United States. Information about U.S. Embassies is available at: https://www.usembassy.gov/ .
It is best to apply for a new F-1 visa in the student’s home country. Obtaining a new visa in a third country can be difficult, because the U.S. embassy performs a series of background checks on all visa applicants.
Form I-20 or DS-2019 with travel authorization (travel signature)
F-1 and J-1 students and their dependents must have a signature from an Immigration Services advisor on the form I-20 or DS-2019 before they depart the U.S. To obtain the signature, please go to compass.uga.edu, log in, and submit the Replace I-20 Document (for F-1 visa holders) or Replace DS-2019 Document (for J-1 visa holders) form. Select “travel” as the reason for the replacement document.
Travel FAQ
Immigration Services has a Travel FAQ for more information.
Travel outside the U.S. if taking a leave of absence from UGA (NOT enrolled in classes)
U.S. regulations require international students to be enrolled full-time, or for full-time thesis research for two semesters (9 months) each year. If you are not enrolling for full time classes during a term you would otherwise be expected to enroll, it is likely that you will not be able to remain in the U.S. in legal student status. When you plan to depart the U.S. you will need to work with our office to get new paperwork BEFORE you make plans to return to the U.S.
Please contact your immigration advisor as soon as you know you will not be enrolling for a term during which you would otherwise normally be required to enroll.
Travel Outside the U.S. after completion of degree and/or Graduation
If you have completed all degree requirements and / or you have graduated, travel outside the U.S. with the intent to re-enter in F-1 or J-1 student status can be problematic.
If you have applied for post-completion F-1 OPT (Optional Practical Training) or J-1 AT (Academic Training), you will need:
- I-20 form with OPT recommendation on page 3 OR DS-2019 form extended for Academic Training
- Valid F-1 visa or J-1 visa
- For F-1 students only:
- Receipt notice for pending OPT application OR approved OPT work card
- If you have received the work card, you will also need proof of your employment under OPT, in the form of a letter for your employer confirming the terms and dates of your employment.
Automatic Revalidation
In a few cases, you may be able to re-enter the U.S. without applying for and receiving a new student visa. This is called “Automatic Revalidation” of your expired student visa, and it is only possible if:
You are traveling to and returning from Mexico or Canada, or one of the islands adjacent to the contiguous United States
You are out of the U.S. less than 30 days
You are not applying for a new visa while you are out of the U.S.
You can present to the U.S. immigration officers, upon return to the U.S., your original I-94 card showing F-1 or J-1 status, or F-2 or J-2 status for your dependents
For more information on Automatic Revalidation, please visit the:
