Travel in F or J Status
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Travel Internationally
The ISSO can advise international students on what is required to enter the U.S. after travelling abroad. If you are travelling to a country other than your home country, the ISSO is not able to advise you on what is required to enter or apply for visas for other countries. Check that country’s tourist information to see if you need a visa.
Review the Department of Homeland Security Aviation Security Enhancements for Select Last Point of Departure Airports with Commercial Flights to the United States. It requires all passengers travelling from, or transiting into, 10 specific overseas airports to place all personal electronic devices (PDE’s) larger than a cell phone or smart phone in checked baggage. The measure will remain in effect indefinitely.
Re-entering the U.S. in F-1/J-1 Status
If you plan to travel outside the U.S. and return in F-1or J-1 status, you must have the following documents upon re-entry.
Required Documents
- Valid F-1 or J-1 visa
- Valid passport with an expiration date that is at least six months beyond your re-entry date
- I-20 endorsed by an international student advisor or DS-2019 endorsed by the program sponsor
- F-1 students pursuing program of study need an endorsement within the past 12 months
- F-1 students on OPT need an endorsement within past 6 months
- J-1 students and scholars need an endorsement within past 12 months
- F-1 students on OPT should also carry their OPT EAD and proof of employment
- Approved leave of absence documents also recommended, see below*
Recommended Documents
- Official or unofficial transcripts
- Proof of financial support
- Proof of U.S. health insurance
- Current course schedule showing full-time enrollment
- Resume and/or CV
- UT Dallas catalog description of your major
- Documentation of the reason for your travel abroad
- Any written communication or emails from your professors excusing your absence if you have missed class for your recent travel
- *Students travelling abroad during an active CPT/OPT/STEM period are encouraged to also carry documentation of either an approved leave or an official business trip while travelling abroad. In general, work during F-1 employment authorization periods should not be conducted remotely while you are outside of the country. Please see our Travel during CPT/OPT/STEM newsletter for more information.
If you are missing any of the required documents when you are entering the U.S. you may be allowed to enter the U.S. temporarily. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer may issue you a Form I-515A, “Notice to Student or Exchange Visitor.” If you receive an I-515A you must respond in a timely manner, otherwise your immigration status is at risk of termination.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers have the authority to search any and all electronic devices such as mobile phones and laptops brought into the U.S. at a port of entry, as well as the social media accounts of individuals entering the US.
Request a travel endorsement
F-1
First, check page 2 of your current I-20 to see if you already have a travel endorsement. If you do need an endorsement, complete a Travel Signature Request through iComet.
Look under the “Current Students” tab for the eForm. Both current students and alumni on OPT can use this option. A new I-20 will be issued and endorsed.
The ISSO will send an email to your UT Dallas email when your travel endorsement is ready. Your I-20 will be attached to the email. Print it and sign it in ink to use for travel.
J-1
Complete a J-1 Student Service Request and submit it to ISSOJ1@utdallas.edu.
J-1 students will receive their original DS-2019 by mail.
Current Student Check-In
Effective Fall 2023, each fall and spring semester you must complete Current Student Check-In in iComet to verify that you have timely arrived to resume your studies in the U.S. and are meeting the physical presence requirements of your student visa status. If you are travelling abroad during the summer or winter breaks, you should ideally plan to return by the start of classes each fall and spring term. If you do not re-enter and complete Current Student Check-In by Census Day of the term, your status may be terminated for failing to meet the physical presence requirements.
Please see our Fall 2023 Check-in and Physical Presence FAQ page for more information.
This page will be updated when the Current Student Check In form is available in iComet with details of when the ISSO will begin accepting submissions for Fall 2023.
I-94s
Most visitors will get their I-94 online. If after submitting the online form you get an error message, try again using a different format of your name. For example, enter it as it appears in your passport, then as it appears on the U.S. visa. Print a copy of the I-94 for your records. You will need it for a variety of uses, such as obtaining a driver’s license or Social Security card.
In the past, the I-94 Arrival/Departure Record was issued as a white card stamped by a port of entry official. If you travel through a U.S. land border, you may receive a physical I-94 card.
Both versions of the I-94 are valid.
If the online information is incorrect or cannot be found, a visitor can obtain a new I-94 at the local Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Deferred Inspection office. The Dallas CBP office is located in D/FW airport Terminal D, Level 1.
DFW International Airport
Terminal D International Arrivals
CBP Reception Office – Arrivals Level
2333 S. International Pkwy, Room D23F157
DFW Airport, TX 75261
Office hours: Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Phone: 972-456-2250
Online: help.cbp.gov/s/questions
- All I-94 corrections requests must be done in person on a walk-in basis at the Deferred Inspection Office
- Documents to bring with you:
- Passport
- US Visa
- Latest I-94 and/or last ink stamp given at time of admission
- For F-1 students: I-20 document
- For J-1 students: DS-2019 document
Visa Renewal
In order to enter the U.S. you must have a valid, unexpired visa in your passport. Once you have entered the U.S., if you are an F-1 or J-1 student and comply with the regulations for your visa category you are eligible to remain in the U.S. until you reach the end date on your I-20/DS-2019 or until the end of your academic program, whichever comes first. The expiration of the visa in your passport has no effect. Once you leave the U.S., however, you will need a valid, unexpired visa to return. For more information, visit Apply for a Visa.
Automatic Visa Revalidation
You may be eligible to leave the U.S. and re-enter with a U.S. visa that is expired if you meet all the following conditions:
- You are in valid F or J status
- You are travelling solely to Canada, Mexico or adjacent islands
- You will stay outside the U.S. for less than 30 days
- You have a valid, unexpired I-94
- You are not a citizen of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan or Syria
- The purpose of your trip is not to apply for a renewal of your U.S. visa
To use this benefit:
- Tell the port of entry official your intention as you leave the U.S.
- If you were given a white card I-94 the last time you entered the U.S., do not surrender it. You will need to present it to the port of entry official upon re-entry.
If you apply for a visa renewal while outside the U.S. you are not eligible for this benefit. If you are denied the renewal and your current visa is expired, you will not be allowed to re-enter the U.S.
Study Abroad and Student Conference Travel
- Students travelling abroad on University business, such as conferences, workshops, sport competitions, etc. must submit an international travel authorization request and obtain institutional authorization prior to departure. For more information go to International Risk and Safety.
- Students travelling abroad on an Education Abroad program must follow the Education Abroad process and obtain institutional authorization to travel prior to departure. For more information go to Education Abroad.
- For more information on how study abroad can affect F-1 status, see the ISSO webpage on Education Abroad for International Students.
Absence from the U.S. for more than Five Months (F-1 only)
- To maintain F-1 status, students must be enrolled full-time every long semester and avoid gaps of more than five months between terms.
- If you leave the U.S. for more than five months, your F-1 status will end.
- To re-enter the U.S., you will need an initial attendance I-20 and a new visa.
- To be eligible for off-campus employment, you will have to re-establish your eligibility by maintaining full-time enrollment for one academic year even if you met that requirement in your previous status.
Travelling Inside the U.S.
You do not need special documents to travel from state to state or to U.S. territories but you must always carry your immigration documents. This is particularly true while travelling through states along the Mexico or Canada borders. You could be stopped by immigration officers at any time and told to produce the following:
- Valid, unexpired passport (expiration date at least six months into the future)
- Valid, unexpired I-20 or DS-2019
- I-94
- U.S. visa (expired or unexpired, unless you are a participant in the Visa Waiver Program)
- Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card and employment verification documents if you are on Optional Practical Training (OPT), the 24-Month OPT Extension, or H-1B Cap Gap Relief.
Non-contiguous US States and Territories
If you are already legally in the U.S., you do not need a visa to visit Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico or U.S. Virgin Islands unless your travel plans include entry to another country en route to these destinations. You will need to take your valid, unexpired I-20 or DS-2019.
