Always hand-carry your documents onto the plane in your personal item. Do not baggage check these documents. Make certain that you have all the required documents: 

A. Passport that is valid for at least 6 months in the future:
NOTE for Dual or Multiple Passports Travelers: Please only use the passport listed on your I-20 or DS-2019 for entry to the U.S. The I-20/DS-2019 can only list one country of citizenship and it is the same passport which will hold the F-1 or J-1 student visa. Booking travel should also be done using the same passport. Presenting or using a different passport can cause issues with your U.S. immigration & other U.S. government records.

B. Unexpired F-1/J-1 visa stamp in your passport (Canadian citizens are exempt):
NOTE: If your passport has expired, but your F-1/J-1 visa is still valid, you can travel to the U.S. with two passports as long as the visa stamp is not damaged. Both passports (the valid and the expired one with the visa) must be from the same country. When you arrive at the U.S. port-of-entry, the immigration officers will check your visa in the old passport and will stamp your new passport with an I-94 admission stamp along with the annotation "VIOPP" (visa in other passport).  

C. Valid I-20/DS-2019 with a current travel signature:
Travel signatures are valid for reentry to the U.S. for one year from the date of the last signature for enrolled students. Please review the instructions at the top of this page to obtain a travel signature online.

D. Evidence of Financial Resources:
Graduate Students — Depending on what your source of funding is, you should have one, or the combination, of a following documents: Princeton Re-enrollment Reply or first year students should use Princeton Admission Reply, a letter from your department outlining support if not detailed on your Re-enrollment Reply, outside fellowship or scholarship letter, bank statement, etc.

Undergraduate Students — Depending on what your source of funding is, you should have one, or a combination, of the following documents: Princeton Financial Award letter, outside scholarship letter, bank statement, etc.

E. Evidence of student status:

You can print your current transcript or enrollment verification letter from TigerHub.

There are still COVID-19 backlogs at some US Embassies and Consulates around the world. US embassies and consulates abroad continue to operate based on the conditions where they are located. Most locations have been offering expedited visa appointments for students and academics. Those who have already received an F-1 or J-1 visa may be eligible for a visa interview waiver when renewing their visa. Procedures and eligibility will vary for both expedited appointments and visa interview waivers depending where you are applying. Click here for links to individual websites for embassies and consulates. 

Students with expired F-1/J-1 visas stamps who have traveled internationally must apply for a new visa before returning to the U.S. Canadian citizens are exempt from the U.S. visa stamp requirement. Since processing times can be lengthy, we don't recommend that students apply for new visas during the academic year.

For your visa application, at the minimum, you will need: 

1. Valid SEVIS I-20/DS-2019 with a current travel signature;   
2. Evidence of Financial Resources (see above);
3. Evidence of student status, such as your current transcript; 
4. Valid Passport.
5. Receipt of I-901 SEVIS Fee payment

NOTE: An F-1/J-1 visa stamp cannot be obtained from within the United States. Often the terms "status" and "visa" are misused and misunderstood. The U.S. entry visa is the permission to enter the country. It is issued by a U.S. Embassy/Consulate abroad. The visa must only be valid for an F-1/J-1 student to enter the U.S. What defines a student's legal presence in the U.S. is the "status" conferred on him/her at the time of immigration inspection at the port of entry. Therefore, it is possible (and quite common) to be legally in the U.S. in F-1/J-1 status and to have an expired visa F-1/J-1 stamp in the passport. 

• Allow time for visa processing. Check with the U.S. Embassy/Consulate about their visa application procedures. The procedures may have changed from the last time you applied for a visa.
• Have all the proper documentation the first time.
• It’s best to apply for the visa in your home country. You should plan for visa application processing delays if applying in another country.
• Be ready to show ties to your home country. Visa officers need to see that your intent is to return to your home country at the end of your studies. F and J visas are non-immigrant visas.
• Be prepared for delays due to security clearance processing by the Department of State. If subject to a security clearance, visa issuance may be delayed indefinitely. Please consult with your international student advisor about additional documentation you may need to take with you.  

Some visa applications require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after the visa applicant's interview by a consular officer. Administrative processing may be applied to students for any of the following reasons:

• Due to the country of origin;
• Due to the applicant's name being on a U.S. Government watch list or sharing the same name with someone who is on that list;
• Doing research in a field of study that is considered "sensitive" by the U.S. Government;
• Concerns about technology transfer, especially for students from countries considered to possess nuclear capability, etc.

All students who need to apply for a new visa should discuss their travel plans with their Davis IC advisor. The advisor will determine if any additional documentation (for example, a letter from an academic advisor describing the nature of research) is needed, and whether the timing for travel is right.

You will be informed by the consular officer if further administrative processing is necessary for your application. The time required for security clearances can vary from one week to several weeks or even longer.   The amount of processing time depends on individual circumstances. Your visa will not be issued until the clearance is received. Once a visa application is subjected to security clearance, there is not much you can do, except to inform the Davis IC at [email protected] and wait.

PLEASE NOTE: Security clearances cannot  be expedited by Princeton University nor by U.S. Congressional intervention. The U.S. Government considers this to be a matter of national security and will not bypass the process. 

If your visa application is denied, you should politely request a written explanation of the denial from the U.S. Embassy/Consulate. The most common reason for visa denial is a failure to demonstrate non-immigrant intent. 

To obtain an F-1 or J-1 visa, the U.S. Consular Officer must be convinced that you have non-immigrant intent; that is, that you have a residence abroad that you do not intend to abandon. You may be able to demonstrate this through family, educational, business, or financial ties to your home country. In addition, you should be prepared to answer questions about how your field of study relates to your future employment and career goals. 

Should your visa be denied, please let us know immediately. You may be able to re-apply for a visa at a later date. However, it is not advisable to simply re-submit the original application materials. You should only re-apply if you are able to submit updated evidence that addresses the reason for the initial denial. Additional information about visa denials is available on the DOS website by clicking here.  

U.S. Embassies/Consulates adjudicate visa applications that are based on a same-sex marriage in the same way that they adjudicate applications for opposite gender spouses. Please reference the specific guidance on the visa category for which you are applying for more details on documentation required for derivative spouses. For more information, please see the Department of State U.S. Visas for Same-Sex Spouses FAQ's.  

Most F-1/J-1 students traveling to Canada, Mexico and islands adjacent to the United States for a visit of  30 days or less do not need to obtain a new F-1/J-1 entry visa to re-enter the U.S. This process is known as Automatic Visa Revalidation (AVR). NOTE: Students from Cuba, Iran, Syria, and Sudan, are NOT eligible for AVR and require a valid visa stamp with each re-entry into the U.S.   

You can benefit from AVR provided that: 

• You are currently in F-1/J-1 student status.
• You have been in lawful immigration status while in the U.S.
• You have been in Canada, Mexico, or the Adjacent Islands for 30 days or less.
• If you still have the I-94 paper card,  you should NOT surrender the I-94 when leaving the U.S. for a trip to Canada, Mexico, and the Adjacent Islands.
• You present a valid I-20/DS-2019 with a current travel signature.
• You present an unexpired passport with a U.S. nonimmigrant visa stamp (valid or expired).

NOTE: If you apply for a visa at a U.S. Embassy/ Consulate while in Canada, Mexico or an adjacent island, you must wait until the visa is granted to be readmitted to the U.S. If the visa is not granted, you will not be readmitted to the U.S. from Canada, Mexico or the adjacent islands until you have secured a new visa. 
IMPORTANT:  Be sure to check whether you need an entry visa to travel to one of these countries. Also check if you need a transit visa if you will be stopping in one of these countries for airline transit purposes only.

You must carry your passport and your I-20/DS-2019 for all domestic travel, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands are U.S. territories and you do not need to obtain a visa if you plan to travel there. You also don't need to have a valid F-1/J-1 visa to return to the continental U.S. from either territory.

Canadian citizens are exempt from visa requirements, but are required to present a valid passport, valid I-20/DS-2019 with a current travel signature, financial documents, and proof of student status. Canadian landed immigrants are NOT exempt from visa requirements.

The Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM) provides identification services that involve the collections of biometrics - digital fingerprints and a photograph - from international travelers, including F-1 students, at U.S. visa-issuing posts and ports of entry. When you arrive at the port of entry the immigration officer will use an inkless digital scanner to scan your fingerprints. The officer will also take your digital photograph. More information about the OBIM program procedures can be found at  the DHS website.

F-1 students on Optional Practical Training (OPT) and J-1 students on Academic Training (AT) need the following documents to re-enter the U.S.:

• Valid I-20/DS-2019 with a travel signature. Please review the instructions at the top of this page for instructions to obtain a travel signature.
  NOTE: For F-1 students, travel signatures should not be older than 6 months from the date you intend to travel.
• Valid F-1/J-1 visa (except for travels to Canada, Mexico, and the Adjacent Islands. Please see item 6 for more information).
• Proof of work authorization (EAD: Employment Authorization Document for F-1 students or an Academic Training letter issued by the Davis International Center for J-1 students).
• Employment letter stating the job title, job description, beginning/end dates, and salary. 

We strongly recommend that you do not travel until you have the approved EAD card in hand.  If you must travel while your EAD card is pending, be advised that you do so at your own risk.  If you don't have one or more documents from the list above, please do not make any arrangements to travel abroad before you discuss your plans and options with your international student advisor in the Davis IC.

F-1 students must have a valid EAD card, along with a valid passport, F-1 visa, signed I-20 with Cap-Gap notation and employment letter, to re-enter the U.S. during the OPT Cap-Gap extension. If your OPT EAD card has expired, you will not be eligible to re-enter the U.S. during the cap-gap extension period.

Traveling abroad during this time, even if your EAD card is still valid, may interfere with the processing of your H1B petition. Make sure that you consult with your employer and/or immigration attorney regarding any travel abroad during this time.  More information regarding travel on Cap-Gap is available on the USCIS website.

If you arrive at the U.S. port of entry without all of your required documents or with an unsigned I-20/DS-2019, the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer may deny your entry into the U.S. As an alternative, the officer has discretion to issue you a Form I-515A, which allows you temporary entry into the U.S. for 30 days. The I-515A form is a checklist that describes exactly what is missing or incomplete and tells you what you must do. You have 30 days from the date of entry into the U.S. to submit your correct paperwork to the SEVP I-515A processing team. If you receive this form, report to the Davis IC immediately so that we can issue a new I-20 or sign your existing I-20 and mail it to SEVP in Washington, D.C. SEVP will process your documents and return them to Davis IC.

To avoid getting the I-515A, make sure to hand-carry the required paperwork when you arrive at the U.S. port of entry. Do not put them in your checked baggage because you will not receive your baggage until you are admitted into the U.S. by a port of entry officer.

Before traveling to any country other than your home country, you must check with an Embassy/Consulate of the country you plan to visit to inquire about specific visa and entry procedures. Be sure to check whether you will need a transit visa even if you are only stopping in another country for airline transit purposes.