Travel Advisory - Predeparture Check
Passports
When was the last time you checked the expiration date in your passport? In order to re-enter the United States , your passport MUST be valid at least six months into the future. Passports may be renewed at your country's embassy or consulate in the United States . You can obtain address and telephone numbers of US embassies and consulates at http://www.usembassy.state.gov/
SEVIS Form I-20 or DS-2019
All students and exchange visitors must travel using their SEVIS Form I-20 or DS-2019. However, be sure to save all of your previous Forms I-20 (or Forms DS-2019 formerly known as Form IAP-66), as they represent your immigration history in the United States . If you need to apply for a new visa, carefully review your I-20 or DS-2019 to be sure the field of study, level of study, and source of funds are still correct. If you will need a new I-20 or DS-2019, you must provide updated proof of financial support, unless current information is already on file. [Allow 30 days for the International Services office to prepare new SEVIS Forms I-20 or DS-2019 for you]
Special Registration Applicants
If you were required to go through the special registration process within the past twelve months because you are male and from one of the 25 designated countries, there is a special exit procedure that you must follow before you can depart the United States . Generally, this exit procedure will take place at the airport where your overseas flight will depart. The exit procedure can add several hours to your departure schedule, so be certain to allow plenty of extra time so that you do not miss your flight! You should have been given information regarding the exit procedure when you went through your special registration inspection. Further information on Special Registration is available on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) website at:
http://www.ice.gov/pi/specialregistration/
Effective May 6, 2007, international visitors are no longer required to check out at a US-VISIT exit kiosk when they depart the U.S. All other exit procedures remain the same. Students and visitors who receive an I-94 card upon arrival must still return it to an airline or ship representative when departing the U.S. Those subject to special registration must still check out at a designated port of departure.
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I-94 Arrival/Departure Card
You will need to surrender your I-94 card upon your departure from the United States . You will be issued a new I-94 card upon your re-entry to the United States . The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that it will now issue new admission numbers each time a non-immigrant enters the United States . However, your SEVIS number (printed at the top right of your SEVIS Form I-20 or DS-2019) will not change. SPECIAL NOTE: F-1 and J-1 students with expired U.S. visas who are traveling to Canada , Mexico or adjacent islands for up to 30 days AND who will be resuming their studies upon their return should NOT surrender their I-94 card. Canadian or Mexican nationals returning to their home country should surrender their I-94 card as they enter their country, and obtain a new I-94 card the next time they enter the United States . Canadian nationals should be sure to carry with them their financial documentation that verifies the information on their SEVIS Form I-20 when getting ready to return to the United States .
U.S. Visa
Check your U.S. visa stamp inside your passport. Has your visa stamp expired? If it is still valid, is it for multiple entry, or have the entries been used up? Finally, is the category for which the visa was issued the status you currently hold (for example, if your visa is F-2, are you currently in F-2 status or did that status change after you entered the United States ?) If you are in F-1 or J-1 status and traveling to Canada, Mexico, or islands adjacent to North America, you do not need a valid U.S. visa as long as you have been maintaining your status, have a valid passport and Form I-20 or DS-2019 and are entering those countries for tourist purposes and your stay will be 30 days or less (you DO need a valid U.S. visa if you are a citizen of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, North Korea, or Cuba). However, travel to all other countries will require that you have a valid U.S. visa before you may re-enter the United States . This is especially true if you changed your non-immigrant status while in the United States (for example, changed from F-2 to F-1). This will mean applying for a new visa at the U.S. consulate in the country you will visit. Be sure to see section 8, "Applying for a New Visa at a U.S. Consulate Abroad."
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Stony Brook ID Card
Carry your current Stony Brook ID card with you as additional supporting documentation of your student status.
Letter of Good Standing
This is a letter issued by your academic department that verifies that you are a student at Stony Brook and that you are in good academic status with your department. If you are an undergraduate student at Stony Brook, you will need an enrollment verification form. It is required for a travel signature on your Form I-20 / DS-2019 and for a new visa application. Any international student traveling outside the United States who will be applying for a new F-1 or J-1 visa should request such a letter or enrollment verification at least ten days prior to travel.
Maintaining Status
Have you been maintaining the conditions of your non-immigrant status? If you are an F-1 or J-1 student, this means maintaining full-time registration each semester at the school you are authorized to attend (12 credits for G1 and G3 graduate students and all undergraduates; 9 credits for G2 ,G4 or G5 graduate students in). Maintaining status also means reporting changes of address in your SOLAR account within ten days or notifying our office of your move. It is also refraining from unauthorized employment, contacting our office prior to the date your Form I-20 or DS-2019 expire, and following the appropriate procedures for school transfer and extensions. J-1 Exchange Visitors are also required to have health and medical evacuation and repatriation insurance for both themselves and their J-2 dependents. If you think you may have violated the conditions of your status, be sure to speak to an advisor in International Services BEFORE departing the United States , as you may be denied permission to re-enter the country.
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Stony Brook Transcript
Have an official copy of your SB transcript with you if you will be applying for a new student visa abroad, to show the consular official that you have been making satisfactory progress towards your degree. An increasing number of consulates are beginning to ask for transcripts when students come to renew their student visas. In addition to the transcript, also have with you a printed copy of your current course registration, stamped by the Registrar's Office.
Foreign Visa
If you are visiting a country other than your own, you may need a visitor's visa to enter. You can also find out about entry requirements for other countries by pointing your web browser to http://www.usembassy.state.gov
Financial Documentation
Evidence of financial support that appears on your Form I-20 or DS-2019 is required if you will be applying for a new student visa abroad, OR if you are a national of Canada or Mexico who is traveling home to Canada or Mexico for the summer. In some cases, immigration officials at ports of entry may ask to see your financial support documentation.
Practical Training
If you have completed your studies and have applied for Optional Practical Training (OPT), you must have your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) with you, as well as your SEVIS Form I-20 endorsed for OPT, to re-enter the United States . If you are on OPT and will need to obtain a new F-1 visa before returning to the United States , it is strongly advised that you have with you a letter from your employer, verifying your employment status. USCIS regulations state that an F-1 on authorized practical training may depart the country temporarily and re-enter the United States to "resume" employment, which means not only must you have a job offer, but employment must have already commenced. Students are warned that visa issuance for individuals on practical training can be highly problematic, since they may have difficulty proving that they do not intend to immigrate to the United States . Such students are urged to discuss their situation with an International Student Adviser in the IS office before they travel.
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