Your passport should be valid at least six months beyond the date you plan to reenter the U.S. If you are from a country with a passport validity agreement you may be able to enter the U.S. as long as the passport is valid at least until the date of reentry.
Your F-1 visa must be valid at the time of reentry (there is no requirement that visa validity extend beyond this date).
Your I-20 must bear a valid DSO signature (i.e. it must be signed by an ISSS advisor) on page 2. The signature must be less than 12 months old at the time of reentry; if traveling while on Post-Completion OPT, however, the signature must be less than six months old. Make sure that your I-20 reflects the academic plan (major/program of study) that you are pursuing. If you officially change your academic plan, you will need to be issued a new I-20 stating the new academic plan.
Always check the program completion date on your I-20 (under item 5). If the completion date is approaching and you do not expect to complete your program by that date, visit ISSS for information on requesting a program extension.
Visa renewal
If your F-1 visa stamp has expired or you did a Change of Status to F-1 while in the U.S., and you plan to travel, you will need to obtain a new visa from a U.S. consulate in your home country prior to re-entering the U.S.
Please note that a valid F-1 visa (stamp in passport) is NOT necessary while inside the U.S. The visa serves as a port of entry document only. Visa renewals are never guaranteed, so please consult with ISSS or an immigration attorney before traveling to renew a visa.
At the time of application for visa renewal, an F-1 student should have with them a valid passport, a current I-20, proof of funding, current school transcripts (you may or may not be asked to present these) and any required forms, fees, and photographs. Be advised that fees and procedures for visa renewal may vary by consulate and by country of citizenship of the applicant. Be sure to check for specific requirements with the embassy or local consulate at which you plan to apply. You can also visit the U.S. Department of State website for more information.
Students traveling abroad to restart F-1 Status
If you are currently out of status and plan to travel abroad, you will need to meet with an ISSS advisor for appropriate immigration advising. To reenter the U.S. in F-1 status, you will need a new I-20 issued for “Initial Attendance” under a new SEVIS ID number even if you have a valid F-1 visa stamp in your passport. Once you receive the new I-20 you will have to pay the SEVIS (I-901) fee before using the I-20 for reentry. The new I-20 will have a program start date in the future; you will be required to reenter the U.S. within the 30 days before that program start date.
If you are restarting F-1 status in the summer term (i.e. your I-20 is issued with a summer term program start date), you are required to enroll full-time for the summer term. For undergraduate students, this means enrollment in at least 12 credit hours, and for graduate students, this means enrollment in at least 6 graduate-level credit hours.
Upon reentry, you must complete the Check-In process with ISSS, with your passport, I-20, and I-94 in order for ISSS to document and activate the restart of your F-1 status. After arrival in the U.S. you must retrieve your I-94 admission record and upload it in the ISSS Portal.
Students approved a Change of Status to F-1 in the U.S.
If you have changed your status to F-1 in the U.S. since your initial entry and wish to travel, you will need to obtain a new visa from a U.S. consulate in your home country prior to re-entering the U.S. Please be reminded that a Change of Status approval does NOT guarantee an approval of a visa application at a U.S. Consulate. Certain factors (e.g. length of stay in the U.S. from the date of Change of Status approval, ties to your home country, any family members living in the U.S.) will affect your visa application. It is recommended that you meet with an ISSS advisor before traveling abroad.
