General Information Regarding Travel Issues
AInternational students, scholars, faculty, and staff at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions are strongly urged to check with the Office of International Student, Faculty, & Staff Services prior to traveling outside of the United States. A staff member will determine if you have all the required documentation for re-entry to the U.S. (e.g., a valid entry visa, a valid passport, required signatures on various forms etc.). Failure to check with a qualified staff member prior to departing the United States may result in difficulties when seeking to re-enter if you do not have all the required documentation.
F1 Students and J1 Students and Scholars should read the following information carefully. It is also available to download in pdf format HERE.
EXPLANATION OF TRAVEL ENDORSEMENT ON FORM I-20 or FORM DS-2019
Your Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 has been endorsed to facilitate your travel outside of the
United States and your subsequent re-entry. The endorsement is valid for one year from the
date that it has been signed or until the expiration date of the Form I-20 or Form DS-2019,
whichever comes first. The expiration date is given on line #5 of the Form I-20 and line #3
of the Form DS-2019.
Following are exceptions to the validity of this one-year endorsement. Please read carefully.
- On the date that you complete your degree or program the endorsement is no longer valid. For students this may be the date you submit your thesis, complete the semester, or graduate. For scholars this may be the date you terminate your employment or program with your department.
- A new travel endorsement must be obtained for F-1 students on Optional Practical Training (OPT), and J-1 students on Academic Training (AT) after application approval.
- If the visa stamp in your passport has expired you may need to have a new Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 issued prior to your travel in order to facilitate your application for a new visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad. With few exceptions, you MUST have a valid entry visa in order to re-enter the United States.
- If you are academically dropped, suspended, expelled, or terminated from the University, your Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 and any travel endorsement(s) on the Form is no longer valid. It is imperative that you talk with an OIS Advisor concerning your nonimmigrant status. If one of these situations applies to you and you travel outside of the U.S., you should not use the endorsed Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 to re-enter the U.S. or you will be out of legal status and may be consider to have entered the United States fraudulently, which could result in a 5-year or lifetime bar on future admission to the United States.
- If you are out of the U.S. for more than 5 months, your Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 will no longer be valid for re-entry. Please notify OIS of such prolonged absences so we may provide the best advice for future re-entry to the U.S.
GENERAL TRAVEL INFORMATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
- You may need a visa to enter the country to which you are traveling. Please be sure to check with that country's Embassy or Consulate in the U.S.
- Due to heightened levels of security, the Department of State and Department of Homeland Security have indicated that certain visa applicants may receive greater scrutiny, resulting in delays. Please plan accordingly. Some security clearances may take up to 30 days to complete.
- Before traveling you may wish to review the specific instructions and procedures in effect at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you will be applying for a visa. See the following website for links to al U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide: http://travel.state.gov/links.html .
- Keep a written log of each time you leave the U.S. and re-enter the U.S.
- Keep copies of all documents issued to you (Form I-20, Form DS-2019, Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record, passport, visa(s), etc.).
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
- Travel to Contiguous Territories and/or Adjacent Islands for Less Than 30 Days with an Expired Visa
If you will be traveling to contiguous territories (Canada or Mexico) and/or adjacent islands (Saint Pierre Miquelon, Domincan Republic, Haiti, Bermuda, Barbados, Jamaica, the Winward and Leeward Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Martinique, or other British, French, or Netherlands territory or possessions in or bordering the Caribbean Sea) for 30 days or less and you are not a citizen of one of those countries, you may be eligible to re-enter the U.S. with an expired visa under a program called "Automatic Revalidation." If you travel for less than 30 days to Canada, Mexico, or the adjacent islands referenced above, you may be allowed to re-enter the U.S. with an expired nonimmigrant F or J visa in your passport.
In order to re-enter the U.S. under the Automatic Revalidation program, you must show the following documentation to the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement Officer at the Port of Entry:
- your expired visa
- a valid passport
- a valid Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 endorsed by an authorized OIS staff member
- a valid Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record
Following are exceptions to automatic visa revalidation. Please read carefully
- Automatic Revalidation is cancelled if you choose to apply for a visa and are denied.
- Citizens of Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria are not eligible for Automatic Revalidation when traveling to Canada, Mexico, and/or the adjacent islands referenced above. Citizens from these countries must have a valid visa before they may re-enter the U.S.
- If you remain in Canada, Mexico, and/or the adjacent islands referenced above for more than 30 days, you must obtain a re-entry visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate before you may enter the U.S. As a "third country national," your application for a re-entry visa may be the lowest priority and may be denied.
- National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS)
If you are subject to the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), you must depart the United States from a Designated Port of Exit and register with U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) upon your departure Comprehensive information regarding the NSEERS program is available at the Department of Homeland Security's website - http://www.ice.gov/graphics/specialregistration/index.htm.
- U.S. Visitor & Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (U.S.-VISIT)
The U.S.-VISIT program is a U.S. government program under the purview of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which is used to help verify the identity of nonimmigrant foreign nationals that travel to the United States for work, study or business. Under the new system, visitors initially encounter an inkless fingerprint scanner and a camera at U.S. air, sea, and land ports of entry. The biometrics are checked against terrorist watch lists each time they enter the United States. Exit points are also established as part of the U.S. VISIT program. For more information, go to http://www.dhs.gov/us-visit.
CHECK IN WITH US UPON RE-ENTRY
Finally, upon your re-entry to the United States, it is critical that you and/or your dependents check in with OIS and provide the office with updated copies of your I-94 Arrival/Departure Records, passports (if applicable), visas (if applicable), and Forms I-20 or Forms DS-2019 (of applicable). Your failure to keep OIS up-to-date regarding your or your dependents' re-entry may prevent OIS staff from being able to serve you most effectively and efficiently, and may also jeopardize your or your dependents legal status in the United States.
ALL OTHER VISA CLASSIFICATIONS
For specific information about travel requirements for all other visa classifications (e.g., H-1B1, TN, B-1/B-2, Permanent Resident, etc.), please contact a staff member in the Office of International Student, Faculty, & Staff Services.
