Report Travel to ISSSVisa RenewalTravel on OPTTravel to CanadaTravel FAQRules for Students and Scholars Traveling Abroad

You must report your travel to ISSS every time you depart the U.S.

Step 1: Complete a Travel Information Record in the ISSS Portal

You will need your travel dates, passport and visa information, and a full time enrollment verification showing the current semester. Email registrar@uconn.edu to request this; Law School students email law.registrar@uconn.edu. 

F-1 and J-1 UConn Students:
Start Travel Information Record

J-1 Visiting Scholars:
Log in to the Scholar/Employee Portal with email and password
(Do NOT use UConn NetID)
Scholar/Employee Portal Login
Click on Requests
Click on Travel Signature

Step 2: J-1 Visa Holders: Review/Update your Insurance Information (F-1 skip to step 3)

• J-1 Students:
  • Log in to the ISSS Portal to review your Medical Insurance Confirmation record on your User Home Page (look to your "Records" on the left hand side).  If you cannot find this, or if your health insurance policy has changed or been renewed since you last completed the form, submit a new Medical Insurance Confirmation Record.
• J-1 Scholar:
  • Log in to the Scholar/Employee Portal (with email and password, NOT NetID) and click Requests.
  • Review or update Submit Medical Insurance Documentation request. Look to your Completed Requests. If you do not have a Submit Insurance Documentation request, please submit this now. If you have a Submit Insurance Documentation request submitted please click on this to review the information. If your insurance information has changed or is expired, you must complete a new Submit Insurance Documentation request.

Step 3: Login to the ISSS Portal to Download and Print your I-20 or DS-2019 with Travel Signature

F-1 Students and J-1 Exchange Visitors:

• ISSS will email you when your I-20 or DS-2019 with travel signature is ready to download or pick up from your designated ISSS office. If you cannot pick up your paper Form I-20 or DS-2019, you can arrange to have it mailed to you.  We will also send you important travel reminders.
• F-1 and J-1 students select whether they want to receive a paper version for pick-up from ISSS or an electronic document for self-print. Students will log into the ISSS student portal and download their form I-20 or DS-2019 from the "Attached Documents" in their Academic Objective record. 
• J-1 Visiting Scholars select whether they want to receive a paper version for pick-up from ISSS or an electronic document for self-print. Visiting Scholars will log into the UConn Scholar/Employee portal and download their form DS-2019 from the "Other" section in the "Documents" tab. 

F-1 Students on post-completion OPT or located abroad/out of state:

• When your travel signature is ready, you will log into the ISSS student portal and download their form I-20 or DS-2019 from the "Attached Documents" in their Academic Objective record.
• Students on OPT: If your employer information has changed from what is listed on your current I-20, submit your OPT Employment Update record at the same time you submit your Travel Information record.

Submit OPT Employment Update Record

ISSS Portal: Review Existing Records

Guidelines for Travel Outside the U.S. 

• When you arrive to the United States, you (and your family) must present:
  • Passport valid at least 6 months into the future
  • Valid (not expired) F or J visa (exception: Canadian and Bermudian citizens do not require a visa stamp)
  • Form I-20 or DS-2019 signed recently for travel by ISSS (within the last 12 months for active students/scholars, and within 6 months for OPT participants) and also signed by you on page 1.
• International students and visiting scholars must report any international travel for you or your dependents by completing a  Travel Information Record regardless of whether you need a travel signature or not. This way if an emergency occurs we can verify student and exchange visitors location.
• If you are an enrolled student, your travel should not interfere with completing your full time course load.
• If you are a visiting scholar, you should limit travel abroad to 30 days or less.

Visa Renewal

If your U.S. visa is expired or expiring, you do not need to depart the U.S. to renew your visa just to maintain your legal status.  You are allowed to remain in the U.S. with an expired F-1 or J-1 visa, so long as your I-94 indicates "D/S" and you otherwise maintain your F/J status. If you need to travel and your visa has expired, has been cancelled, or was issued for single entry, you will need to renew it through a U.S. embassy overseas before returning to the U.S. Students from Canada and Bermuda do not require a valid visa stamp to seek entry in F/J status.  F-1 and J-1 visa holders may seek reentry to the U.S. with an expired U.S. visa after a short trip to Canada, Mexico and islands adjacent to the U.S. This is called Automatic Visa Revalidation. We advise students to be cautious before traveling under Automatic Visa Revalidation and to consult with an ISSS advisor before making final plans.

If you need to renew your visa, you must plan sufficient time for this process.  You cannot be late returning to UConn. The U.S. Department of State posts current visa appointment and processing wait times. However, if your visa is selected for administrative processing, it will take much longer to have your visa processed. Submit the DS-160 before you depart the U.S. Review the ISSS information on Applying for a Visa. Follow the instructions on the U.S. embassy/consulate website for full application requirements. Some applicants may qualify to waive the visa interview for a visa renewal, through the Visa Interview Waiver Program. The embassy/consulate website will indicate whether this is offered and the qualifications for the waiver. Even if you qualify for an interview waiver, you must complete the visa application process (aside from completing the DS-160) outside the United States.

Each embassy/consulate website also provides information on documents required for visa renewal. Consult with ustraveldocs.com for a full list of required supporting documents. However, if you require an in-person interview, you should prepare at minimum:

• Your original Form I-20/DS-2019
• Original financial documentation
• Original transcript or enrollment verification (for enrolled students)
• UConn offer/invitation letter (for visiting scholars)

Administrative Processing and Visa Delays

International students and scholars in STEM fields are at a higher risk of having their visas selected for administrative processing, which may result in visa delays.

Graduate students and J-1 visiting scholars in research-based STEM fields should bring the following support documents to the visa renewal interview, in addition to the standard support documents listed on the embassy’s webpage:

• Research/study plan with detailed information about your studies/research in the United States, including the name and e-mail address of your advising professor and/or department head at UConn. The ‘U.S. Travel Docs’ webpage for visa applicants in China provides a sample research/study plan.
• A print out from your advisor/hosting faculty member’s UConn webpage bio, and CV (if published on the UConn website).
• Your resume/CV (in English)

If your visa is selected for administrative processing and your return to UConn may be delayed, you will need to notify your UConn academic department and ISSS. Administrative processing normally takes between 14-60 days to resolve. All international students must return on time for the next academic term. If you are unable to do so because of visa delays, ISSS will work with you and your academic department to identify other solutions. You may check the status of your pending visa application here. Please note that ISSS cannot expedite the processing of your visa and has no input in administrative processing .

Reentry

When you return to the U.S. you must present the following documents to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer:

• passport
• valid Form I-20/DS-2019 with travel signature
• valid U.S. visa

In addition, carry the following documents with you in your carry-on (not checked) luggage, for easy access:

• Proof of funding for your stay
• Academic transcript/enrollment verification (current students)
• ISSS contact information: 860-486-3855
• Visiting scholars: Copy of your invitation/offer letter to UConn
• Post-completion OPT students: Copy of job offer letter and valid EAD

Sometimes CBP officers need more information to decide whether to admit you in F/J status. They may need to look at your supporting documents, view your SEVIS record, or ask you more questions. If this happens, you will be taken to secondary inspection.  If there are problems with your SEVIS record, CBP might call ISSS to confirm your active student status. Therefore, it is important that you carry our contact information. If you are repeatedly taken to secondary inspection, please notify ISSS so that we can check your SEVIS record for any problems. You may also report any travel problems through DHS Trip.

Reprint your Form I-94 at the CBP website every time you return to the U.S. and ensure that your Form I-94 gives your proper visa status and that you are admitted for D/S (duration of status). Submit your new I-94 to ISSS by the Immigration Document Update in the ISSS Portal.

Travel During OPT and Academic Training

International students on post-completion OPT and post-completion Academic Training must still follow F-1/J-1 student rules for travel. All students must have a valid travel signature on your Form I-20/DS-2019, a valid visa for reentry, and a valid passport (valid at least 6 months into future) when returning from travel.

Travel with approved post-completion OPT or Academic Training:
For F-1 students on OPT, your travel signature must have been issued within 6 months prior to your return to the U.S. We also recommend that you carry documentation to prove your employment status, and your EAD card (F-1) or Academic Training authorization (J-1). If you have accrued more than 90 days of unemployment time on OPT, it is not appropriate to seek reentry as an F-1 OPT student.

Travel with pending OPT application:
If you have completed your degree and you are awaiting for your post-completion OPT to be approved, you will need your I-20 showing the requested period of OPT and a travel signature less than 6 months old, valid visa and valid passport in order to return. You should also carry a copy of your receipt notice to show proof of the pending OPT, and your employment offer, if you have one.

If your visa has expired and you will apply for a new visa while overseas, please discuss your travel plans with your ISSS advisor.

Please see ICE Travel FAQ for further guidelines on travel during OPT.

Travel while on pending Cap-Gap or pending STEM OPT Extension: Please discuss your travel plans with your ISSS advisor.

Travel FAQs