Five Travel Reminders for M-1 Students
January 4, 2016
M-1 students must follow certain rules if they wish to travel while they study in the United States. Understanding these five reminders will help M-1 students who plan to travel maintain their status:
- M-1 students are not eligible for an annual vacation. However, M-1 students may travel abroad during times when school is not in session, such as weekends, holidays or time between terms.
- If an M-1 student wants to travel abroad while school is not in session, they must continue to maintain their status, which includes staying enrolled in and attend a full course of study.
- In case of a family emergency or other emergency, M-1 students must contact their designated school official (DSO). A student’s DSO may grant an authorized early withdrawal or a permitted temporary absence. During this absence, an M-1 student’s record in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) will be terminated. The student must contact their DSO to get an updated Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status,” and set their SEVIS record to Active prior to re-entering the United States.
- If an M-1 student travels abroad and returns to the United States using the same Form I-20 and SEVIS identification number that they used for initial entry, their duration of status will not change. This means that if an M-1 student is eligible to travel abroad and does so, their duration of status will not start over when they re-enter on the same SEVIS ID.
- When traveling, M-1 students should hand-carry all important travel documents with them, including a signed Form I-20, a valid passport, emergency contact information for their DSO and their school. M-1 students should also carry their admissions letter or registration information from their school and proof of finances. Prior to departure, students should verify that their names and other important identifying information is the same on all travel documents.
Share these five reminders with your network on social media using the hashtag, #StudyintheStates.