Travel Reminders for Students Who Want to Celebrate the Great Outdoors!
June 17, 2015
The president of the United States proclaimed June 2015 as Great Outdoors Month. This month serves as a reminder to enjoy the beautiful land and resources the United States offers.
Throughout June, U.S. government offices including the U.S. Forest Service and the National Parks Service support events, such as National Trails Day and National Get Outdoors Day. These events encourage people to get outside and enjoy nature through activities like fishing, hiking and camping.
Before you travel the United States as an F or M student enrolled at a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school, you should remember:
- You can travel within the United States and its territories during school breaks and vacations without special permission from your designated school official (DSO).
- Keep a copy of important travel documents, such as your Form I-20, "Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status,” safely with you while you travel. Your passport should be valid at all times.
- If your travel does not involve any airport or travel station outside the United States or crossing a U.S. border, you will not have to apply for re-entry to the United States with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
- While you enjoy time away from campus, you must continue to maintain your status, even during the summer holiday. This means that you must attend sufficient clock hours or remain enrolled in sufficient credit hours to meet the full course of study requirements for your program.
Of course, the United States is not the only place to enjoy the great outdoors. If you are traveling outside of the United States this summer, remember that international travel requires you to gain re-entry into the United States. Re-entry requires that you pass an inspection from CBP. When attempting to reenter the United States from international travel, you should have:
- An updated, signed copy of your Form I-20;
- A current passport (valid for at least six months);
- A valid U.S. visa;
- Proof of your I-901 SEVIS Fee payment and financial support that shows you can pay your living and tuition expenses; and
- Contact information for the DSO at your SEVP-certified school. Have your DSOs emergency contact information if you plan to travel outside normal business hours, as a CBP officer may want to speak with them directly if you are referred to secondary inspection.
You should hand-carry all of these documents with you — rather than packing the items in checked luggage — so that you can easily present them to CBP officers at a U.S. port of entry.
It is important to be prepared for your arrival to the United States. If you have incomplete or missing information, CBP may refer you to secondary inspection. Secondary inspection allows CBP to conduct additional research to verify your information without causing delays for other arriving passengers.
In some cases, CBP may either issue you a Form I-515A, "Notice to Student or Exchange Visitor," which requires you to submit the information to SEVP, or you may be denied admission into the United States. If you receive a Form I-515A, you must work with your DSO to send in the required information so you can continue to maintain your student status.
Do you have any exciting travel plans that will allow you to enjoy the great outdoors this summer? We’d love to hear about your trip! Share your pictures and recommendations with us on Twitter and Facebook using #GreatOutdoors.