Traveling

The Slutzker Center strongly recommends that all students attend a Travel Seminar before leaving the U.S.; travel regulations change frequently and individual advising is not possible for every student who plans to travel.

Travel Seminar: 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at 1:30 p.m.

Travel Frequently Asked Questions

Travel Signature: A travel signature from a Slutzker Center advisor is valid for ONE YEAR (6 months if on OPT). If you are uncertain about your status or are concerned about immigration issues pertaining to your particular case, you may request a travel signature more current than one year.

Please bring the following documents for you (and your dependents) in order to recieve a travel signature:

  • Valid passport
  • I-20 or DS-2019
  • I-94 Card
  • Visa
  • Proof of health insurance valid for a full academic year.

Coverage should include Medical Evacuation and Repatriation coverage; if your plan does not include this, please purchase MedEx.

An advisor will review your documents after the seminar and if they are all current and satisfactory, your I-20 or DS-2019 will be signed immediately.

The Basics

The following is a brief summary of the documents you should have with you whenever you travel, whether it's within the U.S. or abroad.

Passport: In order to travel, your passport must be valid at least six months into the future, according to U.S. immigration law. Passports may be renewed at your country’s embassy or consulate in the U. S., www.embassy.org.

U.S. Visa: Check the U.S. visa stamp in your passport to see if your visa has expired. Check your visa stamp to be sure it is the category for the status you currently hold (for example, if your visa is for F-2, are you F-2 currently or have you changed your status to F-1 since the visa was issued)? Also check your visa stamp for the number of entries permitted.

I-20 or DS-2019: Be sure your I-20 or DS-2019 has not expired, and that it has a valid signature for travel. Full-time, matriculated students need to obtain a new signature within 12 months of your proposed entry date. Students on practical training must have a new signature within 6 months of your proposed entry date. Verify that the information on your I-20 or DS-2019 is still accurate.

I-94 card: You will need to surrender your I-94 card upon your departure from the U.S. You will be issued a new I-94 card upon your re-entry to the U.S. SPECIAL NOTE: F-1 and J-1 students with expired U.S. visas who are traveling to Canada, Mexico or adjacent islands for up to 30 days who will be resuming their studies upon their return should NEVER surrender their I-94 card.* Canadian or Mexican nationals returning to their home country should surrender their I-94 card the next time they leave the United States.

Additional Documentation

TRANSCRIPTS - It is highly recommended that F-1 and J-1 students who will need new U.S. visas carry copies of their transcripts with them to show the consular officials that you have been making satisfactory progress towards your degree. An increasing number of consulates are asking for transcripts when students come to renew F-1 visas.

FINANCIAL DOCUMENTATION - It's a good idea to carry financial documentation when re-entering the U.S. You *must* have financial documentation with you if you will be applying for a new visa.

PROOF OF IDENTITY - Carry your student picture ID card with you, and any old passports which you may still have.

LETTER OF REGISTRATION FROM REGISTRAR’S OFFICE

Maintaining Status

Have you been maintaining the conditions of your non-immigrant status? If you are an F-1 or J-1 student, this means maintaining full time registration each semester at the school you are authorized to attend, refraining from unauthorized employment, not letting your I-20 or DS-2019 expire, and following the appropriate procedures for school transfer and extensions. J-1s are also required to have health and accident insurance for both themselves and their J-2 dependents, and the insurance must include a medical evacuation and repatriation benefit. If you think you may have violated the conditions of your status, be sure to speak to staff in the Slutzker Center for International Services BEFORE departing the U.S., as you may risk being denied permission to return.

Can I travel in the US or abroad? There are no restrictions on travel within the U.S. But you should make sure that you have made copies of all immigration and other important documents in case something happens to the originals. When you travel long distances from Syracuse, take with you the I-20 or DS-2019, passport, I-94, and proof of financial support.

Visits to Canada

The original Automatic Revalidation Rule was that a person seeking reentry under specific circumstances with an expired visa will be deemed to have a visa valid through the date on which reentry is sought as long as they had not been outside the U.S. for more than 30 days and had only gone to contiguous territories (Canada, Mexico or the Adjacent Islands).

The New Rule, however states that Nationals of Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria MUST have an unexpired visa if they seek to reenter the U.S. Moreover, because nationals of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and Syria, along with 20 other countries (Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen) are subject to a 20 day waiting period when applying for a visa, relying on visa revalidation is in most cases, no longer as attractive of an option.

Denial of U.S. Visa at U.S. Consulate in Canada: The most significant change to revalidation procedures, and the one that will affect the most people, is that anyone who applies for a visa in Canada or Mexico and is, for whatever reason denied, cannot use the visa revalidation procedure to reenter the U.S.

The State Department's Visa Office and many of the U.S. consular posts overseas have entered the electronic age by developing their own web sites. The initiative is part of an effort to disseminate information on visa application procedures specific to the individual posts. Information on consular post policies, procedures and documentary requirements can be obtained via these web sites.

These sites may be accessed from the State Department's main web page. One feature that a number of the consulates have is an e-mail option. This may be used to ask specific questions of the consulate. The consulate web sites may prove to be a valuable resource for international students and scholars.

VISA Application Requirements

To apply for a new visa, you will need to complete application form OF-156. Blank forms are available at all U.S. consular offices, or may be printed from the State Department website. You will also need one photograph 1and 1/2 inches square, showing full face, without head covering, against a light background.

You will need to have sufficient currency to pay the required visa fees, or a receipt showing that you have paid the visa fees. You will need your currently valid I-20 or DS-2019 form, with a valid travel signature, or a new form if there has been a change in your program of study, level of program, or source of funding.

In these new days, post September 11, 2001, you want to carry a letter from the Registrar’s Office, verifying your enrollment at Syracuse University.

You will also need to show proof of financial support, binding ties to your home country which you have no intentions of abandoning, and that you plan to return to your home country upon the conclusion of your studies. Some U.S. consulates will ask you how you plan to use your U.S. education in your home country.

Many consulates will ask you to present copies of your academic transcripts to prove that you have been maintaining student status in the U.S. and that you have been making satisfactory progress in your program. Plan to have copies with you, but do not present it to a consular officer unless specifically asked to do so.

Where and When to Apply

If you are visiting your home country, you should apply at the U.S. consulate which has jurisdiction over your place of residence. If you will be traveling to a third country, you will need to apply for your visa at the U.S. consulate there. A consulate not in your home country will only issue you a visa if you can prove that you have been maintaining valid status while in the U.S.

There have been significant staff reductions and increased work loads at many U.S. consulates abroad. The holiday periods and the summer months are also peak travel periods. Some consulates may be temporarily closed or have undertaken heightened security measures due to concern over terrorist threats.

It is possible that some U.S. consulates may choose not to accept visa applications except from residents of that country. Therefore, you may wish to contact the specific consulate you plan to visit PRIOR to your departure from the U.S, to be sure that they will accept an application from you.

Consulates in certain countries have instituted new procedures for visa renewal, as opposed to first-time visa applications. At some consulates and embassies, an interview is not required for a visa renewal. Instead, visa applications can be submitted at designated "drop-off" locations, or mailed. At others, visa interviews are still required.

In *all* cases, apply for your visa AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE! Consult the appropriate consulate by phone, fax or web site to ascertain visa application procedures and requirements and approximate processing time. Do not wait until the last minute, or you might have to delay your travel back to the U.S.

Transit Visas: Effective as of March 19, 2002 European Community countries began requiring “airport transit visas” from nationals of certain countries. It is crucial that you check the relevant website of the embassy for each country that you are traveling through BEFORE YOU DEPART the U.S.

Each country may have different processes and requirements for transit visa applications. A good starting point is the website of the French Consulate. This website will have links to other sites. Please note that the UK and Germany each have their own lists of who will require a transit visa and you must obtain this visa BEFORE you travel.

IF YOU DO NOT ATTEND A TRAVEL SEMINAR, YOU MAY TURN IN YOUR I-20 OR DS-2019 FOR AN ENDORSEMENT TO THE CENTER, AND PICK IT UP AFTER 48 HOURS. PLEASE BRING YOUR SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS (PASSPORT, HEALTH INSURANCE, I-94) WITH YOU FOR INSPECTION.