Visiting Canada and Mexico for Tourism or Business:

Most students and scholars are allowed to return to the United States from Canada & Mexico (and in some cases from the Caribbean) with an expired visa stamp after a visit of no more than 30 days. This process is known as "Automatic Visa Revalidation" (for more information go here). Students and scholars would need to have all other documentation yet would not need to have a valid US visa stamp in order to return to the US. Citizens of of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, North Korea, and Cuba are not eligible for automatic revalidation.

Obtaining a Visa to Enter Canada

Citizens of certain countries need to obtain a visitor's visa to enter Canada. The Canadian Consulate in Boston does not issue visas for visitors. Please visit the Canadian consulate web site (here) for specific information regarding Canadian tourist visa requirements. Applications should be made directly to the Canadian Consulate General at one of the following address:

Canadian Consulate General Immigration Section, 22nd Floor 1251 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020-1175 (212) 596-1783 phone (212) 596-1725 fax www.canada-ny.org

Canadian Consulate General Immigration Section 3000 HSBC Center Buffalo, NY 14203-2884 (800) 992-7037 phone (716) 858-9591 fax www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/can-am/menu-en.asp?mid=5&cat=79

 

Traveling to Canada to obtain a new U.S. visa stamp:

Harvard students and scholars who hold F or J visas should not plan to travel to Canada or Mexico to obtain a visa stamp from a U. S. consulate. At this time, any Third Country National (a person applying at a U. S. consulate/embassy in a country other than his/her own) who applies for a visa in Canada or Mexico, must have the application approved before returning to the United States. If the applicant is unable to obtain approval of the new visa application (in Canada or Mexico), s/he will not be permitted to reenter the United States (for more information go here). This may necessitate a trip to the individual's home country directly from either Canada or Mexico to obtain the visa stamp in order to reenter the United States. Please speak with an advisor in the HIO before planning to apply for a U.S. visa in Canada.