Travelling

Current F-1 Visa Holders Studying at the University of Louisville: (1)

• These are the items that you will need to present to the Customs and Border Protection Agent at the Port of Entry. Please be sure to hand carry these items – do not put them in your checked baggage. 
  • Valid Form I-20 (with a travel signature, signed within the last year) 
  • F-1 Visa (must be unexpired – if your visa is expired, you will be required to renew it before you can re-enter the United States.) 
  • Passport (with 6 months validity past your re-entry to the United States.) 
  • For F-1 Visa Holders currently studying: Proof that you have the necessary funds to cover tuition and living expenses. This can include scholarship letters, offers of graduate assistantship/fellowship, employment and/or bank statements. 

Current F-1 Visa Holders on Optional Practical Training or STEM Optional Practical Training: (2)

• If you are an F-1 visa holder participating in OPT or STEM OPT, please carry the following documentation: 
  • Valid Form I-20 (with a travel signature, signed within the last 6 months) 
  • F-1 Visa (must be unexpired – if your visa is expired, you will be required to renew it before you can re-enter the United States.) 
  • Passport (with 6 months validity past your re-entry to the United States.) 
  • Your EAD Card
  • An offer letter from your current company.

For more information about travelling as an F-1 visa holder, please visit the travel page for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  

For Canadian Citizen Students: (3)

• If you are a Canadian student, please carry the following documentation when crossing the border, either by car or by plane: 
  • Valid Form I-20 (with a travel signature)
  • Passport (with 6 months validity past your re-entry to the United States)
  • For Canadian Students Currently Studying: Proof that you have the necessary funds to cover tuition and living expenses. This can include scholarship letters, offers of graduate assistantship/fellowship, employment and/or bank statements.
  • For Canadian Students on OPT/STEM OPT: Valid Form I-20 (with a travel signature signed within the past 6 months), Passport (with 6 months validity past your re-entry to the United States), your EAD Card, and an offer letter from your current company.  

Currently, Canadian citizens do not have to have a US Visa to study in the United States. 

1. If your most recent I-20 has a travel signature on it, please check the signature date.
   1. If you are an F-1 visa holder not on OPT or STEM OPT, your travel signature is valid for a year after signing.
   2. If you are an F-1 visa holder on OPT or STEM OPT, your travel signature is valid for 6 months after signing.
2. If your most recent I-20 has an expired travel signature or does not have one, please submit the “Request Travel Signature” request in your Terra Dotta Portal to receive an updated I-20 with a travel signature. 

If your travel plans interfere with your class schedule/responsibilities, please speak to your department. Receiving a travel signature from our office does not excuse you from missing class/departmental responsibilities. 

If you have a change of status or OPT/STEM OPT authorization pending, our office recommends that you do not travel outside the United States before it is approved. There is a risk if you don’t have your approval notice. You may want to speak to an immigration attorney about the potential risks of leaving while your case is pending

If your F-1 visa is expired, you must renew it outside the U.S. before re-entering. Visas cannot be renewed within the U.S., and Customs and Border Protection will deny entry if your visa is expired, even with a valid I-20.

Please contact your International Student Coordinator (DSO) with any specific questions you may have.