Travelling while a F-1 Student

When travelling in the United States and outside Lafayette, you should always carry your original immigration documents, including a valid passport and visa documents (Form I-20) for identification purposes. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers may stop individuals and ask for identification at their discretion, especially areas near the US border. When travelling inside the United States by air, please always carry the same immigration documents and follow the guidelines set by the TSA: Transportation Security Administration. It is important to check the TSA’s web site before travelling each time since guidelines and regulations tend to change frequently.

You may also wish to consider Applying for a REAL (State) ID for domestic travel. Although official guidance seems to say you must have a passport with you at all times, if you have the REAL ID, I would say it would be better to leave your passport safely back at Purdue. A REAL ID should suffice along with pictures of your passport I-20 and visa stamp. Losing your passport while travelling domestically is a risk and its much harder to replace a passport than a REAL ID.

For day to day life in the Greater Lafayette area, you do not need to carry your original documents with you. We recommend having digital copies, or photos, of your passport, visa stamp, and Form I-20 with you at all times, accessible on a phone or other mobile device.

To re-enter into the United States, you will need:

1. A valid passport (> 6 months from date of re-entry)
2. A valid visa (except for Canadian students)
3. Signed I-20 or DS-2019 form (with a valid Travel Signature)
4. Original financial support as listed in the I-20
5. (For Students on OPT) Valid EAD

If your I-20 or DS-2019 is lost, stolen, damaged, or out of travel signature space, request a new document by submitting MyISS>F-1 and J-1 Student Services>Reprint [I-20/DS2019].

Note for Students on OPT: In addition to the above, OPT employment that’s reported into SEVP Portal Account as well as proof of employment, such as pay stubs, job offer letter and employment verification letter.

More information about travelling abroad on Travel Abroad Information for International Students | ISS (purdue.edu)

For your security, documents should be with you and not in any checked in luggage.

The U.S. Government has strict export control laws. If you are traveling abroad, you should check with the head of your department or laboratory before sending or taking with you materials related to your work. The U.S. Government may require a license to export such items.

Under U.S. Department of Homeland Security (USDHS) regulations, a student in F-1 status is considered to be maintaining status without interruption as long as the student returns “to the United States from a temporary absence of five months or less…”  [8 CFR 214.2(f)(4)]  

USDHS has recognized an exception to this rule for students pursuing a full course of study while engaged in-person at an authorized program of study abroad, as long as the student is physically at the college/university abroad and is considered part of the student’s U.S. degree program. Therefore, to maintain uninterrupted F-1 status, a student would need be sure they are not outside the U.S. for a continuous period of 5 months or longer while pursuing their degree program. 

The major impact of an interruption in F-1 status is on eligibility for off-campus employment authorization.  Following the absence of longer than 5 months, upon a new entry to the U.S. a student would need to be enrolled full-time for a new “one full academic year” (a combination of a Fall + Spring semester) before they would regain eligibility for F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) and, in most cases, F-1 Curricular Practical Training.  See guidance below about steps should a student be outside the U.S. longer than 5 months. 

The 5-month Temporary Absence Rule also applies to alumni on authorized F-1 OPT or STEM OPT Extension, therefore these alumni should be sure not to be outside the U.S. continually for a period of 5 months or longer or it would void the OPT or STEM OPT authorization.

Passports, Visas, and Arrival/Departure Records (admission stamp or paper Form I-94) are official travel documents that foreign citizens coming to the United States (U.S.) must have in their possession to show their country of citizenship and legal status in the United States.

All travellers should make a copy of their passport biographic page, U.S. visa and admission stamp or paper Form I-94, if provided, as soon as possible after their arrival in the United States. If you are a foreign citizen temporarily in the United States, and you lose your U.S. visa, you can remain for the duration of your authorized stay, as shown on your admission stamp or paper Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record. You will need a valid passport to depart the United States and to enter another country. There are a number of steps you need to take as follows:

If your passport is lost or stolen, either in the U.S. or while travelling:

Police Report

Go to the local police station and report your document(s) lost or stolen. If available, you will need to provide copies of the original documents. You will be issued a police report detailing the incident. Don’t forget to make an extra copy of the report for your own records.

Request Replacement of a Lost/Stolen Arrival/Departure Record (Form I-94)

Replacement of a lost or stolen Form I-94 falls under the responsibility of Department of Homeland Security (DHS). To file for a replacement I-94, see Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document at the DHS, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website and see Arrival-Departure Record at the DHS, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website. This applies to those issued with paper i-94s.

Report Lost/Stolen to Your Embassy

Contact the local embassy or consular section for the country of your citizenship for information about the procedure to replace a lost or stolen passport. Most countries have Internet web sites with contact information. Sometimes, the new passport may be in the form of a travel document or a temporary passport.

Report your Visa Lost/Stolen to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate Abroad

To report your visa lost or stolen, email the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate outside the United States which issued your visa. Go to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate website to locate the email address and contact information. Be sure to include your full name, date of birth, place of birth, address in the United States, and an e-mail address (if available). Specifically state whether the visa was lost or stolen. If you have a copy of the passport or visa, scan and email this to the embassy or consulate. Otherwise, if known, report the category of visa, and the passport number from the lost/stolen visa.

If you have already reported your visa lost/stolen to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate, and then you later find your misplaced visa, then your visa will be invalid for future travel to the United States.  Therefore, in that situation you must apply for a new visa at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Applying for a Replacement U.S. Visa

Lost or stolen U.S. visas cannot be replaced in the United States. Once you have your new passport and new I-20 or DS-2019, you must apply in person at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad for a replacement F-1 visa. You will need to provide a written account documenting the loss of your passport and visa. Include a copy of the police report. You must have a valid F-1 or J-1 visa in order to re-enter the U.S.

International travel while on OPT or while OPT is pending is possible, but you should exercise caution.

Until graduation date

Filing for OPT should not have an effect on your ability to travel and re-enter the US before your graduation date. However, it is advisable to take as much information about your OPT application as possible. To re-enter the US before your graduation, even if you have applied for OPT, you must present the following documents to the officer at the port-of-entry:

• Valid passport
• Valid F-1 visa stamp in your passport
• I-20 with travel signature dated within six months of your reentry to the US
• I-797c Notice of Action Receipt from USCIS (recommended)
• Job offer letter (recommended, not required)

After graduation date

You are strongly advised not to travel outside the US before you receive your EAD card. The following documents must be presented upon reentry to the US:

• Valid passport
• Valid F-1 visa stamp in your passport
• I-20 with travel signature dated within six months of your reentry to the US
• Valid EAD
• A job offer letter from a prospective employer or a job letter from a current employer. (recommended and may be required)

Please note that while your EAD card indicates “Not valid for reentry to the United States,” it is still possible to travel internationally while on OPT. It only means your EAD card is not a reentry document. Your F-1 visa is your re-entry document, and during your OPT period, you must still have a valid F-1 visa to reenter the United States.

For more information about reentering the US, including information on traveling while OPT is pending, please see the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) website

Important: Do not attempt to re-enter the United States on a B visa or visa waiver while waiting for OPT approval, or because you have an expired F-1 visa. Doing so automatically ends your F-1 status and you forfeit your OPT. ISS cannot correct or change this.

Travel Signature             

Travel signatures while on OPT are good for six months. Please look at your I-20 to check if your last travel signature will be less than six months old on the date of your return to the US. You will also want to ensure that your I-20 is completely up to date when you travel.

Travel signatures are valid even when showing OPT “Requested” on page 2 as long as you have the EAD to prove it has been approved.

If you need a travel signature while on OPT and your OPT has started, please submit MyISS>F-1 Optional Practical Training>OPT Reporting. In this e-form group, you can verify that you have reported all personal and employment information, as well as request a travel signature.

Getting an F-1 Visa Stamp on OPT

If your F-1 visa has expired and you wish to travel outside of the US, a new F-1 visa must be obtained before re-entering the US: Renewing your F-1 Visa .

If a petition has been filed on your behalf, such as for an H1-B, you should consult with legal counsel in regards to travelling with a pending petition, as you will still be required to prove ties to your home country.

For routine immigration questions, or any emergencies during the normal ISS office hours, Call 765-494-5770 to speak with a student counsellor, available by phone on Mon – Wed; Friday 8:30 AM – 12:00 noon & Mon- Fri 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM (except during University holidays). Have your PUID ready. 

International students, faculty and staff who are currently at Purdue and who have an emergency situation, such as a lost or stolen passport, may call for assistance when the ISS office is not open for business on the After Hours-Emergency Phone: (765) 491-6759. Applicants for admission may not use this number to inquire about admission status or the status of the issuance of a Form I-20. The emergency phone line is not monitored during normal business hours or between the hours of 10:00 PM EST and 7:00 AM EST. You should use the emergency line only in cases such as:

1. Loss of your passport or other important visa documents.
2. Visit by government official at home or on campus.
3. Detainment at a U.S. port of entry, such as an airport.
4. Threat of deportation or removal.
   If you are asked to sign anything and you are not sure if you should, politely ask the government official if you can call the ISS.

Invitation letters are not required to apply for a visitor visa to the US for your friends and family, but you may want to write your own letter. You may request a letter for friends and family from the Office of the Registrar in case you are graduating and you want to invite them for your commencement ceremony.