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General Travel Information

Travel Information for Students

Required and Recommended Documents

Carry the following required documents if you are returning to the US in F-1 or J-1 student status following a temporary absence. You must have these documents

  1. Unexpired passport valid at least six months into the future on the date of your return to the US
  2. Unexpired F-1 or J-1 entry visa issued by a US consulate
  3. Unexpired Form I-20 (for F-1 students) or Form DS-2019 (for J-1 students) with a travel endorsement signature from an International Center advisor that is not more than one year old
    • The travel signature is located on Page 2 of Form I-20 and Page 1 of Form DS-2019
  4. Recommended: evidence of current enrollment as a full-time student at Tufts University, such as an Enrollment Verification form or unofficial transcript from your school's Registrar's Office
  5. Recommended: evidence of financial ability, such as a copy of your most recent scholarship letter or bank statement

Note: F-1 students may receive updated I-20s from the International Center electronically as PDF documents. However, students should still print out a copy of the PDF to show when entering the US. J-1 students are required to receive a paper (non-electronic) version of Form DS-2019 and carry the original paper form with them when traveling.

Obtaining a Travel Signature from the International Center

If your I-20 (or DS-2019) needs an updated travel signature, please go to our Travel Signature page to submit an online request for a travel signature.

Notify the International Center

When making travel plans, be sure to notify the International Center if your plans include time outside of the United States for any of these reasons:

  • A leave of absence for family reasons, military service, or other reasons
  • A study abroad experience (Tufts or non-Tufts)
  • Termination or withdrawal from studies

These situations can have a significant impact on your F-1 status and your ability to return to the US as an F-1 student. Talk to an advisor if any of these or similar situations apply to you.

Customs and Border Protection Inspection

When you return to the US, you will undergo inspection by a US Customs and Border Protection officer, who will review your passport, F-1 / J-1 visa, and I-20 / DS-2019. Do not use any other visa if you are returning as an F-1 / J-1 student, since entering under another visa may render you ineligible to continue studying.

After you have arrived, check your I-94 admission record to make sure all information is correct, including your visa type and 'admit until' date (which should always indicate duration of status, or "D/S")

Read this information sheet from the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) about what to do if you have problems with Customs and Border Protection upon arriving in the US.

Required Documents

F-1 students who have completed their studies and have applied or are approved for post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) or the 24-month STEM extension of OPT must have the following documents to return to the US following a temporary absence:

  1. Unexpired passport valid at least six months into the future on the date of your return to the US
  2. Unexpired F-1 entry visa issued by a US consulate
  3. Your OPT or STEM OPT Form I-20 (for F-1 students) with a travel signature from an International Center advisor not more than six months old on the date of your return
    • Your OPT / STEM OPT I-20 should reflect your employment authorization dates and (if you are employed) your most recent employer
  4. One of the following documents, depending on the status of your application:
    • OPT application is pending (in process): copy of your I-797 Receipt Notice from USCIS
    • OPT application has been approved: your Employment Authorization (EAD) card from USCIS

Recommended Documents

  • Proof of employment, especially once your OPT has been approved and your post-completion OPT or STEM OPT period has started

Students Being Sponsored by H-1B Employers

  • Students on practical training who are in the process of being sponsored for an H-1B temporary worker status should always consult with their H-1B employer about travel plans prior to departing the US, since international travel may affect an H-1B petition that is in process with USCIS.

Contact the International Center

Contact the International Center if you are on OPT and do not have valid employment, or if your passport or visa will expire in the near future. You must also contact the International Center if you plan to discontinue your OPT or STEM Extension.

Travel Information for Scholars and Employees

Required Documents

Carry the following required documents if you are returning to the US as a J-1 exchange visitor (visiting scholars, professors, and researchers). You must have these documents

  1. Unexpired passport valid at least six months into the future on the date of your return to the US
  2. Unexpired J-1 entry visa issued by a US consulate
  3. Unexpired Form DS-2019 with a travel signature from an International Center advisor not more than one year old

Recommended Documents

  • Evidence of the purpose of your J-1 activity at Tufts, such as your appointment or invitation letter, a brief letter from your department or supervisor confirming your current role at Tufts, or copies of paychecks (for J-1 exchange visitors employed by Tufts)

Contact the International Center

Contact the International Center if your travel will require an extended departure from the US or a visa renewal while you are overseas, or if you have completed your J-1 program ahead of schedule and are leaving more than 15 days prior to the expiration of your Form DS-2019.

Required Documents

International employees currently at Tufts in a non-immigrant status such as H-1B, TN, O-1, or E-3 status should plan travel carefully. In general, documents required to return to the US following a short trip abroad will include:

  1. Unexpired passport valid at least six months into the future on the date of your return to the US
  2. Unexpired entry visa issued by a US consulate (*note: Canadian citizens are not required to have entry visas to enter the US)
  3. Copy of USCIS Form I-797 approval notice indicating approval of your non-immigrant status (H-1B, E-3, O-1 employees)
    • TN professionals will not typically have Form I-797 but should carry an employment letter from their department detailing their job duties and dates of TN employment

Recommended Documents

  • Proof of ongoing employment at Tufts, such as a letter from your department manager or supervisor and/or copies of your recent paystubs from Tufts

After Returning to the US

Employees should check their I-94 admission record immediately after returning to the US, to ensure that the information on the form are correct. In particular, check the Class of Admission, which should correspond with the appropriate visa type (H-1B, etc.) and the "Admit Until" date, which should reflect the I-797 or employment expiration date (some I-94s may also include an additional ten day grace period). If any information on the I-94 admission record appears incorrect, contact the International Center immediately.

Contact the International Center

Contact the International Center if you expect to be outside of the US for an extended period of time beyond a standard business vacation or holiday period, or if you intend to discontinue your employment with Tufts.

Special Travel Topics

Domestic travel within the US's 50 states and its territories (including Puerto Rico and Guam) does not require you to have a valid visa or other international travel documents. However, if you are traveling outside your immediate residential area, you should carry your original travel documents for identification purposes, which may be needed for boarding your flight or embarking on a train ride. These may include:

  • Your passport
  • A printout of your Form I-94 arrival/departure record, which you can print out from the US Customs and Border Protection's I-94 lookup site
  • Your Form I-20 (for F-1 students) or Form DS-2019 (J-1 students and scholars) or a copy of your I-797 approval notice (H-1B employees)
  • Recommended: Other evidence of your immigration status and activity at Tufts, such as a printout of your class schedule or a letter from your department confirming your employment

Travel near the US Border with Canada and Mexico: The US Border Patrol periodically conducts checkpoints within 100 miles of the US border with Canada and Mexico. These checkpoints may take place on highways or on buses traveling near the border. If you are traveling within these zones, carry your original travel documents as listed above. View this web site for more information about border zone checks.

Travel to Canada / Mexico / Caribbean with Expired Visa

When returning to the US following an overseas trip, you must generally have a valid visa (F-1, J-1, H-1B, etc.) along with other supporting documents in order to re-enter the US. However, you may be able to return to the US following short-term travel to Canada, and Mexico and certain adjacent islands of the Caribbean on the basis of an expired US non-immigrant visa, under US rules concerning the "automatic revalidation of visa validity." To qualify for automatic revalidation of an expired visa, your travel meets the following requirements:

  • For F-1 and J-1 students and scholars, you are traveling directly to and returning directly from the "contiguous territories" of Canada and Mexico one of the "adjacent islands" of the Caribbean except Cuba
    • For H-1B and O-1 employees, revalidation applies only to travel directly to / from Canada and Mexico; travel to the Caribbean islands is not included in this exception
  • Your trip will last 30 days or less
  • You have an unexpired passport as well as valid supporting documents (e.g., I-20 or DS-2019 with a valid travel signature)
  • You have a US non-immigrant visa, even if the visa has already expired and is in a different category than your current non-immigrant status
  • You possess a valid I-94 arrival/departure record indicating your current non-immigrant status
  • The purpose of your visit is NOT to apply for a new non-immigrant visa at a US consulate in one of those destinations (automatic revalidation does not apply if you are making a visa application at a US consulate in one of those locations; in such cases, the visa application must be successful in order to re-enter the US)
  • You are not from a country currently listed by the US Department of State as a state sponsor of terrorism - citizens from these countries must have a valid US visa to re-enter

If you are planning a trip to Canada, Mexico or any of the Caribbean islands, you should also check visa requirements for those countries. In particular, Canada maintains its own visa and immigration requirements and imposes strict limitations on who may enter Canada without a visa. The International Center is unable to advise on how to apply for a Canadian visa, but you can research Canadian visa requirements and application procedures by clicking on the link. For travel to Mexico, citizens of many countries may be exempt from Mexican visa requirements if trips are short-term and you have documents valid for re-entry to the US. Check Mexican visa requirements here.

Travel to Cuba raises special considerations and precautions. While travel to Cuba is not prohibited, take into account these factors:

  • Along with certain other countries, Cuba is currently designated by the US as a state sponsor of terrorism (SST) and as such the range of allowable travel and activities involving Cuba are subject to US government sanctions as managed by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under the US Department of Treasury. All persons, including foreign national visa holders, are subject to OFAC restrictions that determine the types of allowed travel to Cuba. In general, tourism is not an allowed activity; however, travel for certain types of educational programs and activities may be permitted.
  • If planning travel to Cuba for school or work-related purposes, you must register your proposed trip with the Tufts Travel Registry, which is managed by the Global Operations office at Tufts. Global Operations will review the proposed travel and contact you if needed for additional information.
  • If you are from a Visa Waiver Program country and have traveled to the US as a tourist or business visitor using ESTA clearance, travel to Cuba will invalidate your ESTA authorization. Future travel to the US as a visitor will require a B-1 / B-2 visitor's visa, which may be obtained from a US consulate overseas.
  • Travel to Cuba is not eligible for automatic visa revalidation, which allows a person to enter the US on the basis of an expired US non-immigrant visa (accompanied by a valid I-94, I-20 / DS-2019), for short-term trips not more than 30 days to Canada, Mexico, or the adjacent islands of the Caribbean.