Visiting Canada and Mexico

General Travel Advice:

Inspection at port-of-entry can occur at any time. Therefore, whenever you travel outside the U.S. and return, you should have the following documents available:

1. SEVIS Form I-20 or DS-2019 with a travel signature that is less than six months old.
2. All previous Forms I-20 issued to you since your arrival in the United States.
3. A valid passport that does not expire for at least six months after your date of return.
4. A valid visa (visas are valid until midnight of the expiration date of the visa) for your current status, unless you are traveling to a contiguous territory or adjacent island (see below).
5. A recent letter of good standing from your Department (graduate students). This letter should include funding information if you receive a tuition waiver or stipend.
6. Proof of past and present school registration, and pre-registration for the next semester if traveling between semesters (undergraduate students).
7. Proof of available funds, such as a bank statement, that is less than four months old.

To obtain a travel signature from an International Student Adviser, bring your passport and a letter from your Department (graduates and scholars) or proof of continuing registration or pre-registration (undergraduates) to International Services. You may either wait to speak to an adviser or drop off your original I-20 / DS-2019 with copies of the other documents and pick up your signed Form I-20 / DS-2019 the next day.

Do not wait until the last day to ask for a travel signature, as the rare possibility exists that an adviser will not be available to sign your Form I-20 / DS-2019. Do not try to enter the United States without the signature. If you travel outside the U.S.A. and discover you have forgotten to get the signature, call us for our advice on how to proceed (631) 632-4685.

General Information for Travel to Contiguous Territories:

If you have maintained lawful non-immigrant status, you do not need a current, valid visa in your passport to return from contiguous territories and adjacent islands (unless you are a citizen of that country), as long as you have some visa, valid or not, in your passport (Canadian citizens don't need visas). You do, however, need all of the other items mentioned above under general travel information.

The immigration regulations that relate to documents required for re-entry occur in 8 CFR 214.1 ("Readmission of nonimmigrants under section 101(a )( 15) (F), (J), or (M) to complete unexpired periods of previous admission or extension of stay…").

When entering a contiguous territory or adjacent island for less than 30 days of continuous stay in that country , indicate the nature of your visit when crossing the border and retain your current I-94 (Departure Record). Upon re-entry to the United States, you will have the valid I-94 and the valid, signed Form I-20 / DS-2019 and will, thus, reenter in your current status. You must be traveling only to the contiguous territories or adjacent islands, and not elsewhere during your trip, for automatic revalidation of visa.

PLEASE NOTE that the automatic revalidation of visa is not applicable to nationals of Iraq, Iran Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Cuba. Students from those countries should consult an International Student Adviser.

  Applying for a visa to enter Canada:

1. Visitor Visa Application Form (IMM 5257)
2. Valid passport or travel document (original)
3. Valid U.S. I-94 (Departure Record)
4. Valid U.S. I-20 or DS-2019 with signature less than six months old
5. Two recent passport-sized photos
6. Fee (approximately $40, but subject to change), by certified check or money order, made payable to: Consulate General of Canada

You may apply in person at the Niagara Falls port-of-entry. In-person applications to the consulate in New York City may be made Monday-Friday, 8:30 - 10:00 a.m. (Rockefeller Center subway stop). You may also mail your application to:

                        Canadian Consulate General
                        Visa Office
                        Exxon Building, 22 nd Floor
                        1251 Avenue of the Americas
                        New York, NY 10023-1175

Send this application certified mail, return receipt requested. Enclose a prepaid, self-addressed, return envelope. We suggest using Federal Express, or some other express mail service, for a quick and safe return of your papers. Make copies of everything you mail to the consulate and keep those copies in a safe place with your certified mail receipts. Expect the process to take two weeks. The telephone number is (212) 596 - 1700. The fax number is 212-596-1791.

Country-Specific Regulations:

Citizens of some countries do not need visas in order to enter Canada. For some, the fee is waived, and for others special additional documents are required and processing times are longer. Citizens of a few countries may not enter Canada as tourists. You can call the consulate for specific information regarding your own citizenship, or you can access the following web site for information on how to visit Canada: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.html

Travel to Canada with an Expired or Incorrect Visa for Entry into the U.S.

A current, valid visa is not necessary to return from Canada to the U.S. IF all of the following apply:

1. Your passport has not expired
2. You have a visa of any kind in your passport, even an expired one
3. Your I-20 or IAP-66 has been signed for travel within the last six months
4. Your trip to Canada is for 30 days or less and you will be returning directly from Canada to the U.S.
5. You retain your I-94 card and do not surrender it at the border when crossing into Canada
6. You have been in valid status, and you intend to resume non-immigrant status and continue your program upon return to the U.S.

Such travel to contiguous territories (Canada and Mexico) and adjacent islands (e.g., Caribbean) is allowed by the regulations under 22 CFR sect. 41.112(d) [Automatic Revalidation of Visa].

 

Applying for a Visa to Enter Mexico:

Mexico requires tourist visas from citizens of certain countries, but many countries are exempt. To check whether you need a visa to enter Mexico, you can try contacting the Mexican Consulate in New York City:

Consulate General of Mexico in New York
8 East 41 st Street
New York, NY 10017 U.S.A.
(212) 689 – 0456, ext. 23 or 25

In-person applications may be made 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon, Monday – Friday.

     General requirements for obtaining a visa may include:

1. Valid passport
2. Valid U.S. visa for multiple entries (?)
3. Consular fee (currently $29)
4. Form I-94
5. Proof of economic solvency
6. Three recent photographs

Application must be made in person. Citizens of some countries need to allow at least three weeks for processing. Check with the consulate regarding your particular situation.

Your Visiting Relatives

Non-immigrant visitors in F-1, H-1 or J-1 status to the United States may assist close relatives (other than spouses or children) to come to the United States on a visitor's (B-2) visa by doing the following:

1.  Write your relatives a letter in your native language, with a copy in English, stating the following:

• The period of time (usually three months or less) for which you are inviting them.
• The housing arrangements you have made for them.
• The reason for the visit and your ability to care for them while they are here.
• Acknowledgment of the necessity for their return to their own home.

2.  Attach the following documentation to your letters:
 

• A letter of good standing from your department, indicating any tuition scholarships or stipends and expected completion date (Graduates) or a complete transcript (Undergraduates).  Employees should also attach a letter of good standing from the department indicating salary and title; you may also wish to request a ‘Verification of Employment' from the Payroll Office. 

• A bank statement showing at least $3,000.00.

• Photocopies of your SEVIS Form I-20 or DS-2019. There should be a recent travel signature.  H-1 employees should provide copies of Form I-797 and I-94 for indicating latest entry into the United States.

• If you are on F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT), a photocopy of the EAD.

3.       The Application Process: 

• Send your letters of invitation and the other documents to your relatives.
• Either call them or send them a separate letter explaining what they must do. Among other things, tell them the following information:
  • They should bring everything you have sent to the U.S. Consulate or Embassy to apply for a B-2 visa.
  • If the consular officer questions financial ability or intent to return, they should be prepared to show further documentation proving financial status and ties to their home country.
  • If they are denied a visa, they should ask politely to be given the reason for the denial in writing. They may later make a second application with new documentation refuting the reason for the denial.
  • The most common reason for denial is a suspicion of intent to immigrate (failure to return to country of citizenship). It is very important for your relatives to be able to show documentary evidence of close ties to their homeland.

 

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