F1 Travel Information

F-1 visa holding students may leave the U.S. for temporary trips while they are studying. However, some specific details must be observed when traveling:

1. Be certain to have a valid F-1 visa in your passport upon your return. **
2. Be certain that your form I-20 has been endorsed for travel on page two by staff in the International Student Services office. We recommend that this travel endorsement be applied within 6 months of your planned trip. Please plan to get this endorsement at least one week prior to traveling, and if traveling with an F-2 dependent, get the I-20 endorsement for them as well.
3. Be certain that your passport will still be valid for at least six months into the future upon your return to the U.S. This is a mandatory condition of maintaining legal F-1 status while inside the U.S.
4. Before leaving, check for any possible need for transit visas in other countries on the way to your destination.
5. Be prepared with alternate plans in case your travel is unexpectedly disrupted. 

** Automatic Revalidation – for some F-1 visa holders, it is possible to take short trips to Canada or Mexico (30 days or less), under the Automatic Revalidation program, which recognizes expired F-1 visas in combination with Active I-20s for travel purposes. 

Travel Endorsement Request Form