Travel

Travel to Canada

Automatic Visa Revalidation
Most students and scholars are allowed to return to the United States from Canada and Mexico (and in some cases from the Caribbean) with an expired visa stamp after a visit of 30 days or fewer. This process is known as "Automatic Visa Revalidation". Students and scholars would need to have valid passports, visa documents, and Forms I-94 as reentry permits, but would not need to have valid U.S. visa stamps in order to return to the United States. Citizens of North Korea, Cuba, Syria, Sudan and Iran are not eligible for automatic visa 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 website for specific information regarding Canadian tourist visa requirements.

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 without consulting their advisor at the HIO. 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. The applicant may need to travel to his/her home country directly from either Canada or Mexico to obtain the visa stamp in order to reenter the United States.