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Traveling in F-1 Status

Traveling in F-1 Status

Owned by Yevie Teyfukova
Last updated: Apr 11, 2025 by Elizabeth Clevenger
4 min read

The guidance below is designed to support F-1 students preparing for travel. International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) is unable to predict travel restrictions that may be in place in the future and cannot provide any guarantees to those planning to travel. If you are considering international travel, please be aware of the following:

  • International travel always carries some risk.

  • Immigration Policy and Practice can change and there may be speculation and public discourse about possible changes. ISSS has published a website with current Immigration Updates

  • There may be unknown risks related to future international travel.

  • Many students questions or doubts as they plan for future travel.

  • ISSS advisors are available to meet with students through drop-in advising or by appointment.

F-1 Regulations related to travel and reentry may be found here: 8 CFR 214.2(f)(4)

U.S. Domestic Travel

NAFSA Recommendations for Immigration Documents to keep with you while inside the U.S.

ISSS recommends that you keep a scan of your important immigration documents on you. This includes a scan of your current Form I-20, a scan of your passport, visa (if you have one), and Form I-94. All these documents need to be immediately accessible. This means that it is best to keep a paper copy with you if possible. If you do not have a paper copy, please be sure that an e-copy is stored on your device… you may not be able to search for it in your email account or on the internet in the moment you are asked for it. You can always retrieve your current I-94 at the official I-94 website. You should have received your most recent I-20 form by email. If you are traveling outside of the Knoxville area, remember to take your passport with you as well. Remember that it is your responsibility to keep a file and backup copies of your important immigration documents.

International Travel

The NAFSA Association of International Educators shares recent updates related to the changing administration online here: Executive and Regulatory Actions Under the Second Trump Administration We encourage you to review the information here before making travel plans.  

Travel Emergencies

If you experience an emergency while traveling, there are a few protocols to follow. If you are traveling during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 5 pm U.S. Eastern Standard Time), please contact International Student and Scholar Services directly. We are located in the International House at 1623 Melrose Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996. Contact us by phone at +1.865.974.3177 or by email at international@utk.edu

If you are traveling outside regular business hours, (after 5p.m., on the weekends, or holidays when the ISSS office is closed), please contact the University of Tennessee Police Department at +1.865.974.3111. Please briefly explain that you are an international student in a travel emergency and you need to speak to the ISSS Director, William Vittetoe. This will ensure that you are immediately connected to the ISSS office outside of business hours.

 

Required Documents for Returning to the U.S. in F-1 or F-2 Status

Suggested Supplemental Documents

The following documents are not required but may be useful if you are ever referred to secondary inspection.

  • Transcript or Academic History (printed from your MyUTK)

  • Course Schedule for current semester or next academic term if between semesters

  • GA Offer Letter, scholarship document, and/or other evidence of financial support

F-1 Students Traveling While on Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Before traveling while on OPT, be sure to verify that your current residential address and employment information are updated in SEVIS. https://utkisss.atlassian.net/wiki/pages/createpage.action?spaceKey=IBP&title=Reporting%20OPT%20Employment

  • Employment Authorization Document (EAD)

  • Employment Verification Letter

  • I-20 showing OPT approved & Listing current employer if employed

  • Consider carrying I-797 OPT approval notice

Special Travel Considerations

Visa Revocations, Criminal Charges or Arrests

Please consult with an immigration attorney before traveling if you have previously been arrested or charged with a crime. Also, please make sure that ISSS is aware of the case. There appears to be a connection between the loss of F-1 immigration status, visa revocation, and criminal court proceedings. Please let us know if you are facing any criminal charges. You can set up an appointment with your immigration advisor.

Automatic Visa Revalidation

Generally, an F-1 student must present a valid, unexpired F-1 visa each time he or she reenters the United States. If a student’s F-1 visa expires while he or she is in the United States, or if the student changed to F-1 status from some other nonimmigrant status, the next time they travel abroad they must obtain a new F-1 visa in order to be readmitted to the United States in F-1 status.

An exception to this rule exists for F-1 students and their dependents who travel for less than 30 days solely to Canada, Mexico, or “adjacent islands” (except Cuba). The expired F visas of such aliens are considered to be “extended” to the date of re-entry, eliminating the need to obtain a new visa at a U.S. consulate before that particular reentry. This benefit also applies to nonimmigrants who have changed to F status in the United States, whose visa is still in the category which they used to enter the United States. In that case, the visa is considered “converted” to the proper visa category as well as “extended” to allow re-entry. This benefit is often referred to as “automatic revalidation.” Under the automatic revalidation provision of immigration law, certain temporary visitors holding expired nonimmigrant visas who seek to return to the U.S. may be admitted at a U.S. port-of-entry by CBP, if they meet certain requirements, including, but not limited to the following:

  • Nonimmigrants who departed the United States for travel of 30 days or less to Canada, Mexico, or an adjacent island;

  • Nonimmigrants with a valid I-94, Arrival/Departure Record.

For more information, visit Automatic Revalidation Information on the CBP Webpage.

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