Travel Seminar

1
Travel Seminar

• Please bring your
• I-20 or DS-2019
• Passport
• Visa
• I-94
• Proof of Health Insurance including Medical
  Evacuation and Repatriation Coverage

2
Travel Signature

• A travel signature is provided on page 3 of the
  I-20 / Page 1 of the
• DS-2019 and is valid for re-entry within 1 year
  from the date it was
• given or until the end date on your document
  (whatever is shorter)
• Exception 6 month validity during OPT
• If you are concerned about your status, you may
  request a more current travel signature
• To obtain subsequent travel signatures, you may
• Attend the Travel Seminar at the Slutzker Center
• Schedule an appointment to meet with the ESF
  Coordinator of Intl Education
• You must bring the following documents to the
  seminar/
• appointment
• I-20 or DS-2019
• Passport
• Visa
• I-94 card
• Proof of current health insurance and medical
  evacuation repatriation coverage

3
Travel Within the U.S.

• Law and immigration enforcement agents may
  randomly stop and
• question you during routine activities such as
  driving in your car or
• waiting for a bus at a bus station.
• Be prepared!
• Carry original I-20 or DS-2019, passport, visa,
  and I-94 card
• Carry your University ID card
• If you are applying for a change of status, visa,
  or EAD card, carry your application receipt as
  proof of pending application
• Individuals without valid travel documents may be
  detained,
• arrested, threatened with deportation, and/or
  taken into
• Department of Homeland Security (DHS) custody.

4
Travel Outside the US Special
Registration (NSEERS)

• As part of the non-immigrant visa application
  process, consular
• officers at U.S. Embassies and Consulates are
  required to identify
• individuals who will have to follow the special
  registration
• requirements in the U.S..
• Further security checks after initial immigration
  inspection are
• typically required for
• Certain citizens or nationals of Iran, Iraq,
  Libya, Sudan and Syria, as designated by the DHA
  Secretary in the Federal Register
• Males age 16-45 from Afghanistan, Algeria,
  Bahrain, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea,
  Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya,
  Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi
  Arabia, Somalia, Tunisia, the United Arab
  Emirates, and Yemen
• Foreign nationals of any country may be asked by
  a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP)
  officer to undergo Special Registration if they
  feel they may be a national security threat

5
Travel toCanada, Mexico, Adjacent Islands

• Travel documents for absence less than 5 months
• Passportvalid 6 months beyond your date of
  re-entry
• U.S. visa
• Automatic Visa Revalidation You may be eligible
  to re-enter the U.S. from Canada, Mexico, or
  adjacent islands (not Cuba) on expired visa if
• you are in lawful status and not terminated in
  SEVIS
• your visit was 30 days or less
• you are not a citizen of state sponsors of
  terrorism (Iran, Syria, Sudan, North Korea,
  Cuba) and
• you did not just apply for a U.S. visa in Canada
  or Mexico and get denied
• I-94 card
• Valid, accurate I-20/ DS-2019 with current travel
  signature
• May require an additional visa- consult Consulate
  prior to travel
• Canada (Can apply via the mail or at the Canadian
  Consulate in Buffalo)
• Mexico
• Originals, not copies

6
Travel toCanada, Mexico, Adjacent Islands

• If you are exiting the U.S. and traveling to
  Canada, Mexico, or
• Adjacent Islands and
• are not an individual seeking a visa renewal
• have maintained your lawful non-immigrant status
  in the U.S. and
• intend to resume that status upon your return
• you should keep your I-94 card provided it is
  valid beyond the
• time of expected return to the United States.
• If you were previously required to do special
  registration and
• Exit and re-enter the U.S. by land
• Stop on the U.S. side of the border at
  Customs and Border Protection
• to complete your registration procedure
• Exit and re-enter the U.S. by air or sea
• Complete the exit procedure at an approved
  U.S. departure port

7
Traveling Beyond North America

• Travel Documents for absence less than 5 months
• Passportvalid 6 months beyond your date of
  re-entry
• Valid U.S. Visa
• I-94 card Be sure to surrender your I-94 card
  when you exit.
• Failure to do so may effect your
  eligibility to re-enter the U.S..
• Valid, accurate I-20/ DS-2019 with current travel
  signature
• Transcript from Registrars Office (111 Bray
  Hall) and/or Letter of Registration
• (If you are traveling during the school
  year, you should obtain letter at the Registrars
  Office If the spring semester is over and
  you are traveling over the summer, you should ask
  your academic department to issue a letter
  verifying your enrollment/progress towards your
  degree.)

8
Travel Documents (cont.)

• Office of International Education contact
  information
• Carolyn Salter, [phone]
• Additional visas may be necessary
• Entry Visa (e.g., visitor, tourist)
• Some individuals visiting countries they are
  not citizens of must obtain a visa indicating the
  nature of their visit
• Transit Visa (e.g., visitor in transit)
• Some individuals transiting into a
  country because travel requires an
  intermediate stop in a third country are required
  to obtain Transit Visas prior to
  traveling (there are sometimes exceptions for F-1
  and J-1 students/scholars)
• - Change airports Change airlines Stay
  overnight in the airport
• Transit visas are commonly
  needed for travel through Europe (e.g., UK,
  France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands)
• Please consult the embassy prior to travel to
  determine if any
• visa(s) are necessary.

9
Airport Security Clearances

• Everyone who travels by air must go through a
  Federal
• Transportation and Security Administration (TSA)
  screening
• process prior to boarding the plane.
• Travel documents are reviewed
• - Airline boarding pass and
  government-issued photo ID (e.g., passport)
  passport is reviewed if it is international
  travel
• Individuals are screened through a metal detector
• - Must remove shoes, coat, metal objects
• - Lap tops are screened separately
• - If detector is set off, additional screening
  may be necessary
• Checked and carry-on baggage is screened for
  prohibited items
• -Travel-size liquid-based toiletries (3
  ounces or less) that fit comfortably
• in 1 QUART-SIZE, clear plastic,
  zip-top bag may now be brought in carry-on
• (e.g., toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo,
  sunblock, perfume/cologne, liquid foundation)
• -After clearing security, travelers can bring
  beverages and other items purchased in
• the secure boarding area on-board aircraft.

10
Dependent Travel

• Dependents in F-2/J-2 status
• Should carry documents similar to those the
  primary F-1 student/J-1 exchange visitor
  carries when traveling
• - Valid visa - Valid passport
• - I-94 card -Valid 1-20/DS-2019 with current
  travel signature
• - If applied for OPT Copy of
  primarys I-20 endorsed for OPT and EAD
• Should carry documentation that the primary is
  enrolled and maintaining their status
• - Transcript/ Letter of Enrollment/
  Appointment Letter
• Dependents are not required to travel with the
  F-1/J-1 primary
• Dependents may remain in the U.S. without the
  primary as long as theF-1/J-1 maintains his/her
  current status and will return after a temporary
  absence using the same SEVIS ID number
• - If the F-1/J-1 primary will be outside the
  U.S. for 5 months or more, current
• status will be terminated and a new
  initial attendance I-20 will have to be
• issued for the primary and dependent(s)
  

11
U.S. VISIT Entry Procedures

• U.S. Visitor and Immigration Status Indicator
  Technology (US-
• VISIT) is a system for keeping records of the
  entry of non-
• immigrants traveling to the United States.
• Under US-VISIT Entry procedures,
• Your passport and visa documents (including I-94
  and I-20/ DS-2019) will be reviewed
• At a minimum, an inkless finger-scanning of your
  left right index finger will be conducted
• - Moving towards 10 fingerprint system
• A digital photograph will be taken
• You may be questioned about the purpose of your
  visit to the U.S.
• An entry confirmation will be added to your
  travel records to
• demonstrate compliance with the terms of your
  admission and to
• verify that you are the same person who received
  the visa you
• are utilizing to travel and enter the United
  States.

12
I-94 Card

• On the airplane, train, or ship/ at the U.S port
  of entry
• Since you surrendered your I-94 card to exit the
  U.S., you will be
• given a new I-94 card to fill out. It is required
  to re-enter the U.S.

The immigration officer will stamp your I-94 card
and note - Your non-immigrant status (F-1/
F-2/ J-1/ J-2)- The date of your entry - The
authorized period you may stay in the U.S.
(D/S) (Duration of Status)
Please submit a copy of your new I-94 card to OIE
every time you travel
13
Re-Entry Issues

• If the immigration officer reviewing your
  documents
• Does not stamp your I-94 card or new I-20/
  DS-2019
• Improperly marks your I-94 card or new I-20 /
  DS-2019
• politely inform the officer of this and ask for
  assistance.
• If the officer will not correct the issue, do not
  push the matter as
• you risk being issued an expedited removal
  which could result in
• a 5 year ban from entering the U.S..
• If you do not receive the proper markings, you
  must make
• an appointment to meet with the Coordinator of
  Intl Education.
• She will help you to obtain the proper markings
  from an immigration officer at either
• The Hancock International Airport in Syracuse, or
• Customs and Border Protection at the U.S. border

14
Re-Entry Issues (cont.)

• If there is a problem with your immigration
  documents, the
• immigration officer may give you a Form I-515A
  granting you
• lawful admission to the U.S. for 30 days and
  eligibility for all
• of the benefits associated with your status.
• In order to maintain status, within those 30 days
  you are required
• to meet with the Coordinator of Intl Education
  and send the
• documents listed below to the address that is
  indicated on the
• back of the I-515A Form.
• Completed Form I-515A
• Your original I-20/ DS-2019 signed by the
  Coordinator of Intl Education
• Your original I-94 card

15
Re-Applying For a U.S. Visa

• Visa renewals should be applied for at the U.S.
  Consulate
• in your home country.
• U.S. Department of State visa information sheets
  are available online.
• F-1 students
• J-1 exchange visitors
• Procedures for visa applications at a specific
  foreign U.S. consulate can be obtained by
  selecting the appropriate embassy from the
  embassy list.
• Though not recommended, in some instances it is
  possible to apply for a U.S.
• visa in a third country such as Canada or Mexico.
  This is riskier and denials are
• more frequent.
• Some U.S. Foreign Consulates will not accept
  renewal application from non-residents
• Consulates along the U.S. border no longer
  accept applications from non-resident third
  country nationals from Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya,
  North Korea, Sudan, and Syria
• If you are denied, you must return home and
  re-apply for a visa and be approved in order to
  re-enter the U.S.

16
Traveling to Obtain a U.S. Visa

• It is recommended that you schedule a visa
  appointment well in
• advance and prior to exiting the U.S..
• Be sure to check visa appointment waiting times
  at the consulate
• prior to traveling.
• Also, be sure to check the hours of operation as
  Consulates may
• close temporarily for breaks or holidays.
• If visa processing delays will interfere with
  your ability to resume
• your studies, it is advisable to cancel your
  travel plans since you
• may remain in the U.S. with an expired visa as
  long as you are
• maintaining your non-immigrant status.

17
Visa Renewal Security Clearances

• Individuals who are citizens of certain countries
  or with certain
• backgrounds may be subject to special security
  clearances that
• will lengthen the visa application processing
  time.
• Security Check and Special Registration
• Individuals from countries identified by the
  U.S. Department of State as being state sponsors
  of terrorism or perceived to have nuclear
  capability. (Cuba, Libya, Iran, Iraq, North
  Korea, Sudan, Syria)
• Background Check
• If you have ever been arrested, or if you have a
  name that is the same as or similar to someone
  who has been arrested
• Technology Alert List (TAL)
• Students who are considered to be majoring in
  sensitive areas of study as determined by the
  U.S. government (e.g., physics) or from
  countries perceived to pose national security
  threats or nuclear capability (China, India,
  Israel, Pakistan, and Russia).A TAL delay can
  take several months to resolve.

18
Visa Application Requirements

• Passportvalid 6 months beyond date of re-entry
• Valid, accurate I-20 or DS-2019 with current
  travel signature
• One current 2x2 photograph (passport-sized)
• Completed visa application forms
• Form DS-156 (Non-Immigrant Visa Application)
• Form DS-158 (Contact Information and Work History
  for Non-Immigrant Visa Applicant)
• The new DS-160 Online, Nonimmigrant Visa
  Electronic Application, will eventually replace
  current nonimmigrant application forms DS-156,
  157, 158, and other related forms, such as the
  DS-156E and 156K. Some embassies have converted
  to the DS-160 Online process.
• Some Applicants
• Also required to complete and sign Form
  DS-157
• Child Dependents
• Required to submit additional form, even if
  they are included in a parents passport
• Visa processing fee receipt or payment
• I-901 SEVIS fee receipt or payment if for initial
  attendance (if applicable)
• Embassy interview

19
Visa Application (cont.)

• Be prepared to also provide
• Transcript and Letter of Registration
• Financial evidence indicating sufficient funds to
  cover tuition and living expenses during your
  program of study
• - e.g., bank statements, assistantship
  letter, tuition scholarship
• Evidence of binding ties to your home country
• Applicants with dependents must also provide
• Proof of relationship to F-1/J-1 (e.g., marriage
  license, birth certificates)
• Applicants who may be subject to Technology Alert
  List (TAL)
• Resume including research and presentations
• Departmental letter of support noting relevance
  of study to TAL
• Landed Immigrant applying for a U.S. visa in
  Canada must provide
• evidence of
• Landed Immigrant status (e.g., Permanent
  resident/Maple Leaf card)
• Established residency in Canada (e.g., home
  ownership, employment, family ties)
• It is not advisable to apply for a new U.S. visa
  in Canada if you cannot prove
• equally strong ties to Canada and your home
  country

20
Post-Completion Travel Advisories

• After completing an F-1 program you have 60 days
  to depart the
• U.S. after completing a J-1 program you have 30
  days to
• depart the U.S. This grace period to depart the
  U.S is intended
• for departure preparation and travel within the
  U.S .
• Travel and re-entry is not permitted during the
  exit grace period if
• You have not been accepted into a new program of
  study (e.g., Masters, Ph. D.) and received an
  I-20/DS-2019 for the program from the college
• You have not received (F-1) Optional Practical
  Training or (J-1) Academic Training Approval
• You have not received a new visa for re-entry
  (e.g., B-2 tourist)
• If you have submitted an application for OPT
  (pending or approved) or have
• received Academic Training authorization and
  travel with an expired visa
• You must obtain a new visa while abroad in order
  to re-enter the U.S..
• Visa issuance for individuals on practical
  training can be problematic since it is
• more difficult to prove compelling ties to your
  home country because you are
• returning to the U.S. for employment and that may
  be interpreted as a desire to
• obtain H-1B or permanent resident status.

21
F-1 Post-Completion OPT Travel Info

• If OPT has been approved, also travel with the
  following
• documents
• New, valid I-20 endorsed for OPT
• I-20 with current travel signature (obtained
  within 6 months of date of re-entry)
• Valid passport
• (Valid) F-1 visa
• Employment Authorization Card (EAD Card)
• Letter from your employer verifying your
  employment status
• If OPT approval is pending, travel is not
  advised.
• If you chose to disregard this recommendation
  and travel, you must also carry the following
  documents
• New, valid I-20 endorsed for OPT

22
J-1 Post-Completion AT Travel Info

• If you plan to leave the U.S. after you complete
  your program
• of study and re-enter the country for J-1
  academic training,
• you must apply for work authorization with the
  Coordinator of
• International Education prior to exiting the
  U.S..
• To re-enter the U.S. in J-1 student status, you
  must have
• Valid DS-2019 endorsed for Academic Training
• DS-2019 with current travel signature (obtained
  within 6 months of date of re-entry)
• (Valid) J-1 visa
• Valid passport
• A valid Academic Training Authorization Letter
• Job offer letter from employer

23
Reminders Travel Updates

• OIE strongly recommends that you attend a travel
  seminar at the Slutzker Center for International
  Services prior to departing the U.S. since
  immigration regulations change frequently
• Please submit copies of updated documents to OIE
  (e.g. new I-94 after travel, renewed passport,
  renewed visa)
• Be sure to keep all immigration documents
  together in a safe place
• Be aware of immigration document expiration dates
  and plan ahead to have them renewed or updated
• Additional information on immigration issues is
  available on the OIE website http//www.esf.edu/i
  nternational/