Travel Requirements

Traveling within the U.S.

Students do not need to obtain a travel signature or any approval from the OGI to travel within the U.S. at any time of the year.

We encourage students to travel as much as possible within the U.S. There is so much to see and explore without leaving the country!

Traveling outside the U.S. 

Students may depart the U.S. any time, with or without a valid travel signature. A signature is required only for re-entry to the U.S.

• Travel authorizations, and the date they were issued, are listed on page 2 of your Form I-20.
• Travel authorizations are valid for 12 or 6 months.
  • Students should not request a new authorization every time they travel unless their previous authorization has expired or information on their I-20 has changed during this time.
    • Students who have not completed their program of study at NJIT may travel and re-enter the U.S. for 12 months from the date of the travel authorization
    • Students who are engaged in post completion or STEM Extension OPT may travel and re-enter the U.S. for 6 months from the date of the travel authorization
• Students may depart the U.S.without a valid travel authorization.
  • Travel authorizations are only required for re-entry to the U.S., not for departure from the U.S.
  • You may submit a request for a travel signature, if needed, after departing the U.S. in order to obtain this document prior to your return.

• The visa in your passport was obtained at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad and is used for entering the U.S. The visa functions as a "key" used to enter the U.S. Once you are here in the U.S., you do not need to keep your visa current, and you may remain in the U.S. with an expired F-1 Visa, as long as you are following the requirements to maintain your F-1 Status.

It is only when you are leaving the U.S. and need to return that you must be sure you have a valid U.S. visa to re-enter the U.S. (Canadian citizens are not required to have a visa, but they must show their I-20 and proof of Canadian citizenship at the U.S. port of entry).

• If your F-1 visa has expired, you will need to contact a U.S. embassy outside of the U.S. to inquire about the visa renewal process prior to your re-entry to the U.S. 

F-1 students are required to be on campus the first day and attend in-person classes during the fall and spring semesters. 

DOS will not seek to verify an absence due to pre-planned vacations, trips, weddings, graduations, or non-NJIT activities. Please do not contact the Dean of Students regarding these activities as they will not be able to verify the absence. 

If you choose to travel and miss more than several weeks of classes for an unverified absence and fail the class due to absence, you may not be eligible for an I-20 program extension in the future.  Students who choose to travel for unverifiable reasons are in violation of F-1 status and travel at their own risk. 

Please contact the Office of the Dean of Students to request Absence Verification if you plan to miss classes for a verifiable reason during the semester. Detailed information is provided in the link https://www.njit.edu/dos/student-absence-verification

Current students who are planning to re-enter the U.S. after a trip overseas will need to present the following documents to an immigration officer upon re-entry to the U.S.:

• A valid passport
• A valid F-1 or F-2 visa (except Canadians)
• A current printed I-20 with a valid travel endorsement.
  • A request can be submitted through the myGlobal International Student Portal.
• Proof of financial support (bank statements and/or scholarship, financial aid or Teaching / Research Assistant award notice letter)
• Proof of enrollment (certificate of enrollment or transcript).
  • Certificate of enrollment can be obtained from the Office of the Registrar.

According to federal regulations (C.F.R. 214.2(f)(13)(ii)) students on OPT "may return to the United States to resume employment after a period of temporary absence". For more information go to Travel While on STEM OPT and Maintaining Status and Travel while on OPT.

After OPT employment authorization is approved:

To re-enter the U.S. after a trip overseas, you will need to present the following documents to an immigration officer upon re-entry to the U.S.

• A valid passport
• A valid F-1 visa
• A current I-20 with a valid travel endorsement.
  • You must fill out the Travel Request Form and submit it through the myGlobal International Student Portal. if you require a new endorsement.
• EAD card
• Proof of employment

Travel signatures are valid for only 6 months while on OPT.

If you exceed your 90 days of unemployment while outside the U.S., CBP can deny your reentry. 

Employer approved vacations are not considered "unemployment", as this is an earned vacation benefit. If you are continuously employed while on vacation, you will not be accruing unemployment days.

While OPT employment authorization is pending:

If your program of study has ended:

Unless it is an emergency, do not travel while your OPT is pending if your I-20 program of study has ended. Travel outside the US will not cancel a pending OPT application

You will not be able to re-enter with an I-20 if your program end date has passed until your OPT is approved. Additionally, USCIS might send you a Request for Further Evidence (RFE) to your U.S. address while you are abroad, which requires answering as soon as possible.

If your OPT is approved while you are outside the U.S. you will be required to have your EAD in hand to re-enter the country. USCIS cannot mail your EAD outside of the U.S. 

If you leave the U.S. after your I-20 has expired, but before your OPT is approved, you will have to wait until your OPT is approved and you have received your EAD before returning to the U.S. Someone will have to mail you your EAD to your home country (consider the risks of losing the EAD in the mail).

To re-enter the U.S. after a trip overseas, you will need to present the following documents to an immigration officer upon re-entry to the U.S.

• A valid passport
• A valid F-1 visa
• A current I-20 with a valid travel endorsement.
  • You must fill out the Travel Request Form and submit it through the myGlobal International Student Portal. if you require a new endorsement.
• EAD card
• Proof of employment

If you have not yet completed your program of study:

Students may choose to travel and re-enter the US prior to their program end date while their OPT application is pending with USCIS at their own discretion.  

Travel and re-entry so close to the end of your program may raise questions with Customs and Border Patrol, and students may wish to carry copies of course syllabus, class schedules, etc in order to demonstrate to CBP that their return to the US for the last few weeks of their program is critical for their graduation and completion of their degree.

Travel outside the US will not cancel a pending OPT application, however, if you are outside of the US and USCIS send you a Request For Evidence, you will not be present to address this request in a timely manner and may jeopardize your OPT application.  

Travel signatures are valid for only 6 months while on OPT.

If you exceed your unemployment day allowance while outside the U.S., CBP can deny your reentry. 

Do not travel outside the U.S. before your H1B and change of status request is approved unless advised by your attorney to do so.

If you travel outside the U.S. while it is still pending, USCIS will consider that you abandoned your petition.

You may generally travel abroad and seek readmission to the United States in F-1 status during a Cap-Gap period if:

• Your H-1B petition and request for change of status have been approved by USCIS.
• You are re-entering before your H-1B employment begins (before October 1). If you try to enter after October 1st, you will need an H-1B visa stamp in your passport.
• You are otherwise admissible and have all proper documentation including a valid form I-20 with travel signature, unexpired passport and valid F-1 visa, letter of employment, and I-797 Notice of Action as proof that your H1B is still pending.

Remember that it is ultimately up to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to determine if you can reenter. OGI recommends consulting with the attorney retained by your employer before traveling.

If the spouse or child of an F-1 student has F-2 status and travels outside of the U.S., they must possess an F-2 Visa, F-2 Form I-20 with travel signature from the OGI, and all the same documents as the F-1 would need as outlined above.

Any student wishing to bring a spouse and/or child to the U.S. who is not already listed in the student's F1 SEVIS record must obtain the F-2 Form I-20 by adding the dependents to their record. Instructions for adding dependents may be found HERE. 

You do not need to have a valid visa while you are present in the U.S.

• This stamp may expire while you are here in the country, as long as you are maintaining your status and your passport does not expire.
• You must renew your visa if you depart the U.S. in order to re-enter.

Visa's may only be renewed outside of the U.S.

• Visa's cannot be renewed within the U.S.
  • If you or your dependents need to renew your visa in order to re-enter the U.S., you must apply in person to a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad.
  • Applicants are normally required to submit the following documentation:
    • A valid passport
    • A valid Form I-20 (complete three-page form) with a valid travel endorsement
    • Proof of financial support (bank statements and/or scholarship, financial aid or TA/RA letter)
    • Proof of enrollment (certificate of enrollment or transcript). You can download a certificate of enrollment from Office of the Registrar.
    • Depending on the country, U.S. embassies or consulates can request additional documentation.
  • Please check with the local U.S. embassy or consulate in your country for a complete list of required documents.

Questions about Visa renewal/requirements must be directed to the U.S. Embassy abroad where you will submit your request for renewal.