International Programs

International Student & Scholar Services

International Programs

Travel Information

The information below is intended solely as an overview and is only meant for current students and scholars whose visas have been sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania. Students or scholars whose visas have been sponsored by other entities, should contact their visa sponsors for travel advice and requisite signatures.

It is strongly recommended that all international students and scholars see or contact an ISSS advisor before committing to travel plans. Depending on the visa type, obtaining the necessary documentation for international travel will likely involve the approval of several government agencies (DOS, CBP, ICE, USCIS, DOL, or in the case of a passport, the home country government). Any missing item could take more time than expected to obtain or replace.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

Below are lists of travel documents required for (re)entry to the United States. Requirements vary according to visa type but all are meant to provide proof of identity and visa status. Foreign nationals entering the United States for the first time will need to apply for an entry visa (stamp)* at a US Consulate or Embassy as described further below . Continuing students and scholars whose visa stamps have expired will need to apply for a new entry visa in order to return to the United States from abroad and should plan accordingly. There are certain exceptions to the visa requirement for travel to contiguous territories such as Canada and Mexico. Check here

Due to heightened security measures surrounding domestic travel, i.e. travel within the United States, it is strongly recommended that international students and scholars carry their passports, status documentation (e.g. Form I-94 and Form I-20, Form DS-2019, Form I-797, etc), and Penn ID's for all travel outside of Philadelphia.

All travel documents should be hand-carried so that they are easily accessible and available for inspection.

*NB: Citizens of Canada are exempt from the visa stamp requirement. However, Canadian F-1 and J-1 students and scholars must present the SEVIS fee payment receipt for their initial entries to the United States.

F-1 Students

  • Valid Form I-20 endorsed for re-entry by ISSS within the past year or within the past six months for students on post-completion OPT

  • Valid passport (for more than six months from date of intended return)

  • Valid F-1 visa stamp

  • Valid OPT card if on post-completion OPT

  • Evidence of employment if on post-completion OPT

  • Transcripts (strongly recommended)

  • Financial document(s) listed on Form I-20 (strongly recommended)

F-2 Dependents

  • Valid Form I-20 endorsed for re-entry by ISSS within the past year

  • Valid passport (for more than six months from date of intended return)

  • Valid F-2 visa stamp

  • If traveling alone, copies of the primary's (F-1) immigration documentation, including Form I-94. If the spouse/parent is on F-1 post-completion OPT, copies of primary's OPT I-20, Employment Authorization Document, and job offer letter or recent pay stub from the employer.

J-1 Exchange Visitors

  • Valid Form DS-2019 endorsed for re-entry by ISSS within the past year

  • Valid passport (for more than six months from date of intended return)

  • Valid J-1 visa stamp

  • Letter from supervisor verifying continued employment/sponsorship if J-1 Research Scholar/ Professor or Short Term Scholar

J-2 Dependents

  • Valid Form DS-2019 endorsed for re-entry by ISSS within the past year

  • Valid passport (for more than six months from date of intended return)

  • Valid J-2 visa stamp

  • If traveling alone, copies of the primary's (J-1) immigration documentation, including Form I-94

H-1B or O-1 Employees

  • Valid passport (for more than six months from date of intended return)

  • Valid H-1B or O-1 visa stamp

  • Original valid Form I-797 H-1B or O-1 Notice of Approval

  • 2-3 most recent pay stubs or letter from supervisor confirming continued employment

  • Copy of I-129 petition

NB: Scholars for whom the University is filing a petition for H-1B extension or those changing from one H-1B employer to another should contact an ISSS advisor regarding their travel options.

H-4 or O-3 Dependents

  • Valid passport (for more than six months from date of intended return)

  • Valid H-4 or O-3 visa stamp

  • Copy of primary's Form I-797 H-1B or O-1 Notice of Approval

  • Original Form I-797 H-4 or O-3 Notice of Approval if changed to or extended H-4 or O-3 status in the United States

TN Employees

  • Valid Canadian or Mexican passport (for more than six months from date of intended return)

  • Valid TN visa stamp if Mexican national

  • Job offer letter specifying the Trade NAFTA profession and duration of employment

  • Requisite educational or occupational credentials such as diploma, license, etc.

TD Dependents

  • Valid passport (for more than six months from date of intended return)

  • Valid TD visa stamp if non-Canadian dependent

  • Marriage or birth certificate showing relationship to TN primary

  • Copy of spouse/ parent's job offer letter specifying the Trade NAFTA profession and duration of employment

  • If traveling alone, copies of the primary's (TN) immigration documentation, including Form I-94

E-3 Employees

  • Valid Australian passport (for more than six months from date of intended return)

  • Valid E-3 visa stamp

  • 2-3 most recent pay stubs or letter from supervisor confirming continued employment

  • Copy of valid LCA

  • Original valid Form I-797 E-3 Notice of Approval if changed to or extended E-3 status in the United States

  • Copy of I-129 petition if changed to or extended E-3 status in the United States

E-3D Dependents

  • Valid passport (for more than six months from date of intended return)

  • Valid E-3D visa stamp

  • Copy of primary's Form I-797 E-3 Notice of Approval if changed to or extended E-3 status in the United States

  • Original valid Form I-797 E-3D Notice of Approval if changed to or extended E-3D status in the United States

NB: Some countries have an agreement with the United States that allows their citizens to enter on a current passport up to the actual date of expiration. However, it is best not to rely on this policy as it is applied inconsistently by boarder officials.

ADMISSION TO THE UNITED STATES - US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION (CBP)

Admission to the United States is granted by the Department of Homeland Security/Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Individuals applying for admission will receive Form 1-94 Arrival-Departure Record at or soon before reaching a U.S. Port of Entry (POE). At the Port of Entry, the CBP officer will retain the arrival (top) portion of Form I-94 and the foreign national will keep the departure portion, a small white card with the individual's name, date of birth, country of citizenship, admission number and appropriate notations. The CBP officer will review the individual's travel documents and make the appropriate determination of immigration status which is then noted on the Form 1-94 along with a stamp showing the date of entry to the United States. The officer should staple the Form I-94 to the individual's passport. If the officer neglects to attach the card to the passport, it is strongly recommended that the individual do so as Form I-94 is the only evidence of proper admission to United States. It is also important to check that the Form I-94 is properly marked.

  • F and J visa holders should have the notation D/S (Duration of Status) on the Form I-94, meaning that they can remain in the United States as long as they comply with the terms and conditions of their immigration statuses. The F and J immigration documents (Form I-20 and Form DS-2019) should also be date stamped and the immigration status type and D/S noted.

  • H-1B, O-1, and E-3 visa holders and their dependents, and TN workers and their dependents, will have specific departure dates written on their Forms I-94, usually corresponding to the employment end dates. The CBP officer should also note the back of Form I-94 with the employer's name and/or position title for a TN employee. H-1B employees with more than one employer should have all employers noted on the back of Forms I-94.

Form I-94 is turned in to CBP upon departure from the United States, except for short trips to Canada, Mexico, or Adjacent Islands Check here For individuals traveling by air, the forms are usually collected by airline officials.

US VISIT is a tracking system in which all foreign nationals (with limited exceptions) are registered upon entering the United States. Photographs and fingerprint scans are taken, then this biometric data is matched and stored with the individual's passport information, immigration status, U.S. visa number, and other information. US VISIT is currently in place at many airports and seaports across the United States. More information on US VISIT can be found on the government website .

NSEERS or National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (also known as Special Registration) is an additional tracking system whereby non-immigrants from certain countries as well as individuals designated by the Department of State or at the discretion of the CBP officer are required to register their arrivals and departures from the United States. Individuals designated for NSEERS have their fingerprint identification numbers written on the backs of their Forms I-94. Although there are no special requirements once admitted to the United States, all individuals designated for NSEERS must register their departures at NSEERS authorized departure ports and should allow additional time for this process. Failure to register at departure can have serious consequences and will jeopardize the individual's ability to be readmitted to the United States. Land-travel to Canada and Mexico also requires registration at departure. Therefore, individuals planning to travel to Canada or Mexico by bus or train must make sure that a departure stop at a US port will be feasible. It is possible to petition to remove the NSEERS requirement although approval of the request is highly unlikely. This and more information on NSEERS can be found on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) website. A list of NSEERS authorized ports is available here .

OBTAINING AN ENTRY VISA - US DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Entry visas are issued by the U.S. Department of State and are obtained at US Embassies or Consulates abroad. The visa applicant should present the visa application materials during a scheduled interview at a US Embassy or Consular post in his or her home country. All students and scholars applying for visas should consult the documentary requirements of the individual embassy or consulate at which they will be applying. A complete list can be found at http://www.usembassy.gov/ . Dependents will need to show proof of the relationship to the primary visa holder, e.g. marriage and/or birth certificates.

Per I.N.A. Sect 101 (a)(15)(F)(i), Students and Exchange Visitors must establish non-immigrant intent, i.e. prove that they have ties to their home countries such as family, property, or employment, and plan to return after their programs end. F-1 and J-1 students must also pay the SEVIS fee and bring their fee receipts (Form 1-901 payment receipt) to the interview and be ready to show that they are bonafide students with adequate funding. J-1 scholars must pay the SEVIS fee and show that they have adequate funding. F-2 and J-2 dependents are not required to pay the SEVIS fee.

  • An F-1 student visa may be issued no earlier than 120 days before the program start date indicated on the Form I-20. However, F-1 students can apply for the F-1 visa stamp earlier than 120 days before the program start date to allow for visa processing and security clearance delays. New F-1 students and their dependents may enter the United States no earlier than 30 days before the program start date indicated on the Form 1-20.

  • J-1 Exchange Visitors are not subject to the 120-day limit on how long before their program start dates they may apply for a J visa. However, like F and M students, new Exchange Visitors and their dependents may enter the United States no earlier than 30 days before the program start date indicated on the Form DS-2019.

  • J-1 Exchange Visitors are not subject to the 120-day limit on how long before their program start dates they may apply for a J visa. However, like F and M students, new Exchange Visitors and their dependents may enter the United States no earlier than 30 days before the program start date indicated on the Form DS-2019.

Certain non-immigrant visa applicants will be subject to additional security checks and delay before the visa is issued. Depending on the individual's country of origin, or whether the field of study or employment is in sensitive area as referenced in the Technology Alert List (TAL), the consular officer might request a Security Advisory Opinion (SAO) from the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C. An SAO involves multiple database checks and may take a month or more to complete. Although the Department of State has made it clear that requests to expedite processing will not be considered, students or scholars experiencing security clearance delays of over 60 days should report these delays to ISSS. By tracking visa delays and reporting to the Association of International Educators (NAFSA) and University government relations representatives, ISSS continues to be involved in advocating for smoother visa processing for international students and scholars. However, individual case resolution is not possible at this point. While it is at the discretion of consular officer whether to request an SAO, individuals can hopefully avoid delays by making sure the documentation they present to the consular officer is complete and transparent. It is recommended that graduate students and scholars in the sciences bring a letter from a Penn Faculty or department member containing a brief description of their research in lay terms. Returning students should also bring transcripts and proof of funding. For more information, please see the following NAFSA Practice Resource on Visas Mantis Security Advisory Opinions .

Once the visa application is approved, the consular officer will issue a visa stamp in the individual's passport. The visa stamp expiration date may or may not correspond to the program end date noted on the I-20 or DS-2019. The purpose of the visa stamp is to gain entry to the United States and its expiration date has no bearing on the individual's immigration status and permission to remain in the United States. Therefore, an individual who is maintaining status may remain in the United States, pursue his or her program objectives, and travel domestically with an expired visa stamp. However, the individual must obtain a new visa stamp in order to return to the United States after traveling abroad. Students and scholars applying for new visas should consult the documentary requirements of the individual embassy or consulate at which they will be applying. A complete list can be found at http://www.usembassy.gov/ An F-1 student or J-1 student or scholar with the same SEVIS ID is not required to pay the SEVIS fee again.

It is recommended that students and scholars apply for visa stamps in their home countries. Although many consulates will allow third country nationals to apply for visas, such individuals may face delays or difficulty proving non-immigrant intent. If denied a visa, the individual will not be allowed to (re)enter the United States and will likely have to return to the home country directly from the country where the visa application was submitted.

NB: New F-1 and J-1 students and scholars and their dependents may enter the United States no earlier than 30 days before the program start date indicated on Form 1-20 or Form DS-2019. New H-1B employees and their dependents may enter the United States no earlier than 10 days before the employment start date as indicated on Form I-797 Notice of Approval.

TRAVEL TO CANADA, MEXICO, AND THE ADJACENT ISLANDS*

Under certain circumstances, non-immigrants with expired entry visa stamps may reenter the United States after visits of 30 days or less to "contiguous territories" (Canada, Mexico, and, for those in F and J status, the adjacent islands except Cuba*) without having to obtain a new visa prior to reentry. This benefit is called "automatic revalidation of visa". The individual should carry:

  • a valid passport

  • a US visa stamp (expired or not, current status or not)

  • Form I-94 It is important that the individual not surrender Form I-94 at departure.

  • Appropriate immigration document (Form I-20 for those in F status, Form DS-2019 for those in J status or Form I-797 Notice of Approval for those in H, O, or E status).

The automatic revalidation of visa benefit is not extended to a) non-immigrants from countries designated by the US Department of State as state sponsors of terrorism b) individuals who have ever overstayed their visas and c) non-immigrants who are applying for a new entry visa while in a contiguous territory. Those who choose to apply for a new visa in a contiguous territory or cannot use the automatic validation of visa benefit must receive the new visa before being granted permission to reenter the United States. If denied an entry visa, the individual will most likely have to return directly to the home country in order to obtain a new visa. Please click here for more information. All students and scholars must carefully weigh the risks of security clearance delays and the possibility of not being able to return to United States before making arrangements to apply for a new visa in a contiguous territory.

NB: Individuals in H, O, and E visa status are eligible for automatic revalidation for travel to Canada and Mexico ONLY, not the adjacent islands

* List of Adjacent Islands

Please note that entry visas to these countries may be required for certain foreign nationals. For travel to Canada, please see links below

TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES

Visa Document Not Signed Within The Past Year

F and J status holders should have their documents (Form I-20 or Form DS-2019) endorsed for re-entry to the United States. The date of the travel signature should be no older than one year before the date of entry, or in the case of those on F-1 post-completion OPT, 6 months. If the student or exchange visitor tries to enter the United States with a signature that is more than one year old, the individual might be admitted without further question or be sent to secondary inspection where a CBP officer could issue Form I-515A and admit the person for only 30-days. In the worst case, the individual may be denied entry. Form I-515A includes instructions on how to correct one's status by mailing the requisite documentation to the SEVP Office in Washington D.C. for deferred inspection. Please consult with ISSS for assistance in a timely manner.

Forgotten/ Lost/ Stolen Documents*

Reentry to the United States without the proper documentation is more problematic. It may happen that the individual is not even permitted to board the aircraft without Form I-20 or Form DS-2019. If the individual is allowed to board, the inspecting officer might issue Form I-515A as described above. In any case, it is recommended that the individual make every effort to retrieve his or her document by calling a friend who can ship it express mail or by contacting ISSS to prepare a duplicate . If there is no time to ship the document, a faxed or scanned copy might be sufficient to permit boarding and temporary admission to the United States provided all other things (passport, entry visa, valid SEVIS record) are in order.

In the absence of the immigration document, students can print out an unofficial transcript from Penn InTouch to show that they have been registered full-time. Scholars should gather any documentation that shows their association with the University, e.g. letters, Penn ID, pay stubs.

Photocopies of lost or stolen passports are not sufficient for reentry. An individual whose passport is missing will have to postpone travel until a new passport can be obtained from the home country government. It will also be necessary to obtain a new US visa stamp from a US Embassy or Consulate. Please see above.

*For detailed instructions on replacing lost or stolen documents, please click here .

Visa Delays

Visa processing times, appointment scheduling, and documentary requirements vary from consulate to consulate. It is important to allow enough time for the entire visa application process and to come prepared with the proper documentation. Missing or unclear documentation can lead to delays and possibly be reason for the consular officer to request an additional security clearance. Please see section above on visas.

Improper Notation On Form I-94 Or Visa Document

Occasionally Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers will make mistakes when admitting an individual to the United States. Individuals in F status should have their Forms I-94 and Forms I-20 date-stamped and noted F-1 D/S or F-2 D/S. Those in J status should have their Forms I-94 and Forms DS-2019 date-stamped and noted J-1 D/S or J-2 D/S. Those in TN, H, O, and E statuses will have a specific departure date noted on the Form I-94. Anyone with doubts about what is written or not written on his or her forms should consult an ISSS advisor. If there is indeed a problem, the advisor will instruct the individual to take the passport and visa documents to the Customs and Border Protection office at the Philadelphia International Airport or nearest port of entry. The Philadelphia CBP office hours are 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and the office is located in Terminal A West. SEPTA Regional Rail R-1 from 30th St. Station runs to the airport.

I-94 Not Turned In Upon Departure

Occasionally an individual will depart the United States without turning in the Form I-94. It is important that one's departure be properly recorded so that there is no question of visa-overstay. Please refer to the instructions on the CBP website on how to return the Form I-94 here .

Repeated Questioning At The Border

Some individuals may encounter lengthy questioning or visits to secondary inspection every time they enter the United States. In some cases this may be caused by a problem with an immigration record, which can sometimes be corrected with the help of an ISSS Advisor. However, not all border issues are within the purview of ISSS. Individuals can make their own requests to correct their records and facilitate travel through the Department of Homeland Security Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP). For more information, please refer to the CBP website here .

TRAVEL RESOURCES

Agencies

Embassies and Visas

Transportation

Health

Money

News/ Weather

It is strongly recommended that all international students and scholars see or contact an ISSS advisor before committing to travel plans. Depending on the visa type, obtaining the necessary documentation for international travel will likely involve the approval of several government agencies (DOS, CBP, ICE, USCIS, DOL, or in the case of a passport, the home country government). Any missing item could take more time than expected to obtain or replace.

The information above is intended solely as an overview and is meant only for current students and scholars whose visas have been sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania. Students or scholars whose visas have been sponsored by other entities, should contact their visa sponsors for travel advice and requisite signatures.

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