Are you planning to travel internationally during the busy holiday season? If so, please take a minute to read Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) Director Lou Farrell’s Must-Know Holiday Travel Tips for International Students.

In the article, Director Farrell explains how missing or expired paperwork could complicate your re-entry to the United States. He provides four important travel tips to remember when you travel abroad:

1. Make sure your Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status,” is up-to-date and signed. You will need this document when you arrive at a U.S. port of entry.
    
2. Make sure your passport is valid. If your passport is slated to expire soon, make an appointment to obtain a new one. Valid passports are needed to depart and re-enter the United States.
    
3. Have your letter of acceptance from your SEVP-certified institution, applicable financial evidence and your I-901 SEVIS Fee receipt with you when you travel. Sometimes, international students are asked to show these documents to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer when they arrive at a U.S. port of entry.
    
4. It is best to have the documentation you needed to get your student visa on hand when you arrive to the United States. Hand carry important travel documents with you while you are in transit; do not store them in luggage that you plan to check at a ticket counter or travel gate.

Help us spread these important travel reminders to your fellow international students! Share this post with them on social media using the hashtag #StudyintheStates.