F Visa

Travel in F Student visa Status

For travel outside the United States the following documents are required for re-entry.

F-1 Students

• Valid Form I-20, signed once a year on page three by an advisor in the HIO.
• Valid F-1 visa stamp in the passport
• Valid passport
• Evidence of the financial support listed in section #8 of Form I-20

F-1 Students on Optional Practical Training (OPT) after Graduation

• Valid OPT Form I-20, signed on page 3 by an HIO advisor (the signature must not be more than six months old at the time of reentry to the United States)
• Valid F-1 visa stamp in the passport
• Valid passport
• Evidence of a job offer or evidence of resumption of employment
• Employment Authorization Document (EAD) issued by USCIS (Printed on the EAD is the statement "not valid for reentry." This means that the EAD by itself is not sufficient for reentry, and must be used with the above documents)

Students who have the documents listed above may travel outside the United States and reenter even before the date their work permission begins. For example, an F-1 student who graduates in June with an EAD that begins in August, may travel and return to the United States any time after graduation.

Students must not use a Visitor Visa or Visa Waiver unless they are truly tourists, and plan on forfeiting their F-1 OPT.

F-2 Dependents

• Valid Form I-20, signed once a year on page three by an advisor in the HIO.
• Valid F-2 visa stamp in the passport
• Valid passport

F-2 Dependents of Students on OPT

• Valid SEVIS Form I-20, signed on page 3 by an advisor in the HIO (the signature must not be more than six months old at the time of reentry to the United States)
• Valid F-2 visa stamp in the passport
• Valid passport
• Photocopy of spouse's EAD