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Academic Personnel

Travel using automatic visa revalidation

Automatic visa revalidation allows foreign nationals to reenter the United States after a brief visit to Canada or Mexico even though the U.S. visa has expired, or the current visa does not match the current status in the U.S. For persons in J and F status, it also allows them to reenter after travel to islands in the Caribbean (except Cuba).

Foreign nationals who want to return to the U.S. using automatic visa revalidation must:

  • Be seeking reentry to the U.S. from a visit of less than 30 days in Canada or Mexico (for J-1 exchange visitors and F-1 students, this can include islands in the Caribbean except Cuba).
    • The automatic visa revalidation benefit is not available if the visit exceeds 30 days, or if the visit includes countries other than those countries listed above.
  • Have a valid, unexpired I-94 record. Depending on your circumstances, this may be:
    • a printout of the electronic I-94 record from the Customs and Border Protection website
    • the small, white card stapled into your passport if your last entry was at a land border
      • Note: Persons planning to use automatic visa revalidation must not allow the airline (or anyone else) to remove the I-94 from their passport when departing the U.S.
    • if your status changed or extended while you were in the U.S., the card attached to the bottom right corner of your I-797 Approval Notice.
  • Have the correct visa-specific documents and intend to resume the same status back in the U.S.:
    • J-1 Exchange Visitors: a valid DS-2019
    • F-1 Students: I-20 and OPT EAD (if applicable)
    • H-1B Temporary Workers: I-797
  • Have a valid passport
  • Have maintained valid immigration status while in the U.S.
  • Not have applied for a new visa at a U.S. consulate
    • Applying for a visa stamp while abroad disqualifies a person from reentry using automatic visa revalidation.
  • Not be a national of a country designated by the U.S. government as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Individuals meeting these criteria may reenter the United States even though their visa has expired. If their status changed while in the U.S. (for example, from F-1 to H-1B), they may be readmitted in their current status even though the old visa does not list that current status.