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Travel for International Students and Scholars
TRAVEL TO
OTHER COUNTRIES
Other countries may require a visa and/or immunizations to enter their
country. Before your departure, contact the nearest consulate or embassy of
the country(ies) you plan to visit; contact information is either in the San
Francisco phone directory or on the Web. Some consulates are located out of
the area, so plan ahead.
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Documents Needed to Re-enter the United States |
VALID
PASSPORT
Your
passport must be valid at least six months into the future at all times,
especially upon entry or re-entry to the U.S.
VALID U.S.
ENTRY VISA IN YOUR PASSPORT
The visa
stamp in your passport should be valid on the date of your return to the
U.S. (It does not, however, need to remain valid during your stay in the
U.S.) If you have an old, expired passport with a valid U.S. entry visa,
you do not need to get a new visa stamp in your new passport as long as
you carry both passports when you enter the U.S. Canadian citizens do not
need a U.S. visa. Canadian landed immigrants, however, are required to
obtain U.S. entry visas.
If you
need to renew or apply for a U.S. entry visa, expect delays. Plan
ahead, as this may take longer than in the past. Because most visa
applicants are now required to appear for a personal interview, you
should expect processing delays. In addition, "security checks" can
delay visa issuance by three months or more.
SISS
recommends you speak to an advisor before you plan your travel or apply
for a new visa.
Check the
U.S. Department of State's website
http://usembassy.state.gov/ for the standard visa procedures at each
U.S. consulate or embassy. YOU CANNOT OBTAIN A U.S. ENTRY VISA INSIDE THE
U.S. Those in H-1B or O-1 status see the instructions
below on obtaining appropriate documents needed to apply for the visa.
OTHER
DOCUMENTS
F-1/F-2,
J-1/J-2 documents: If you will renew/apply for a U.S. entry visa, see
the important information above. Those who are re-entering the U.S. must
make sure their Form I-20 or DS-2019 has been signed for travel within six
months of your intended re-entry date by a SISS international student
advisor.
UC Davis
H-1B, TN and O-1 travel documents: In order to receive the appropriate
travel documents and instructions, contact SISS by email at
siss@ucdavis.edu at least five
working days before you travel.
EVIDENCE
OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT
SISS strongly recommends that F/J non-immigrants carry proof of the
financial support and resources reflected on their visa documents -- the
Form I-20 or DS-2019.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS
SISS recommends traveling with proof of the current quarter's
registration. F-1 students on OPT should carry the Employment
Authorization Document (EAD). See a SISS advisor if you do not have it.
Download Travel Advisory for International Students
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Consult with a SISS advisor |
In the
following cases, consult with a SISS advisor at least two weeks
before departure:
- You will
need to renew/apply for a new visa.
- You will
be out of the U.S. for more than five months.
- You are
planning to travel to Mexico or Canada to renew or change the U.S. entry
visa.
- Your I-20
or DS-2019 has expired or will expire within 30 days of your expected
return to the U.S.
- You are a
citizen of Iran, Iraq, or Libya (Special procedures are required to
re-enter the U.S.)
- You have
ever applied for U.S. legal permanent resident status (green card).
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Consular Post Processing Times |
The
Department of State is now providing consular post processing times
on-line to assist visa applicants plan for visa processing delays
abroad.
The
Department of State website provides visa applicants with an average
wait time to obtain a visa interview (which is now required for all H, O, J,
F applicants) and the average wait time for a nonimmigrant visa to be
processed at individual consular posts.
These
are estimates only and government processing times are always subject to
change. Planning ahead and applying as early as possible is always
recommended.
In
addition to checking processing times, all visa applicants should thoroughly
review the
visa instructions and procedures at the specific post where he or she
will be applying.
***AS ALWAYS, WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU CONTACT SISS PRIOR TO ANY INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL.***
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