UIC
Visa
Office of International Services
TRAVEL & VISAS
A visa is affixed in your passport by the U.S. Consulate or Embassy abroad and allows you to travel to the U.S. It only needs to be valid for your entry into the U.S., and does not have to remain valid throughout your stay in the U.S., provided that you maintain your immigration status. If you travel outside of the U.S. and need to re-enter, you must have a valid/unexpired visa to return. There are exceptions to this rule for travel to Canada, Mexico, and the adjacent islands.*
*See “Automatic Visa Revalidation” below.
I-94
An I-94 card is an arrival and departure record that you receive at the Port of Entry when entering the U.S (the white card stapled into your passport). Your I-94 card must remain valid at all times. When departing the U.S., you will turn in your I-94 card, unless you are taking advantage of AVR.*
*See “Automatic Visa Revalidation” below.
How Do I Obtain or Renew A Visa?
• When applying for a new visa, please find out: • whether an appointment is required, and what is the current processing time • what documents, forms, and fees are required • if they allow visa applications from third country nationals (“TCNs”) • Be prepared to show evidence of your financial resources. • Bring appropriate immigration documents: Form I-20, DS-2019, or I-797 (see following table) • If an initial F-1 or J-1, pay the SEVIS fee. See www.fmjfee.com for complete details. • Schedule a flight that allows sufficient time for you to obtain a visa. Additional security checks are possible for certain individuals, which may result in delays of 30+ business days. • Make sure your passport is valid for 6 months from date of visa application. • Check with local U.S. Embassy or Consulate for possible additional documentation needed at: • U.S. Department of State (listing of U.S. Embassies/Consulates) http://travel.state.gov/visa/questions_embassy.html • Embassy World (directory of the World's Embassies & Consulates) http://www.embassyworld.com • If you need a new visa and you travel outside the U.S., be aware that you are never guaranteed that a new visa will be issued, especially if you apply at a U.S. embassy or consulate in a country other than your home country. • If you travel to a country other than your home country, you may need a visa to enter that country. Check that country's immigration website for more information. • You may need a transit visa if arriving in a third country en route to another country. • If you have changed status within the U.S. and now want to travel outside of the U.S., you will need to obtain a new entry visa to match your current status to return to the U.S. • Canadian citizens: no visa required except for statuses A, G, E, K, and V (www.travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1260.html). A passport is required for air travel, but not necessarily by land or sea. Please see the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol website: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/citizens/ for the most current information.
Office of International Services, (312) 996-3121, fax (312) 996-9432, ois@uic.edu, www.ois.uic.edu
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UIC
Status F-1
Office of International Services
TRAVEL & VISAS
Quick Reference Table
Documents needed • I-20 • Passport • SEVIS I-901 fee payment receipt + • I-20 • EAD Card • Passport • I-20 • Passport • DS-2019 • Passport • SEVIS I-901 fee payment receipt + • DS-2019 • Passport • EAD Card, if employed • Original I-797 • Passport • Original I-797 of H-4 or the H-1B • Passport • Passport* Financial Proof needed bank statements, a letter from your financial sponsor, a letter of financial aid or scholarship Renewal: additional suggested documents • I-20 endorsed with valid travel signature • I-Card • I-20 endorsed with valid travel signature from sponsoring school, not employer • I-20 endorsed with valid travel signature • DS-2019 endorsed with valid travel signature** • I-Card • pay stub (if employed at UIC as a J-1 Scholar) • DS-2019 endorsed with valid travel signature of J-1's sponsor • Copy of Earnings Statement, if employed Copy of Earnings Statement Same as first time, including proof of relationship to the H-1B Original I-797 Approval notice if change of status or extension of stay was applied for while in the US Same as for TN Copy of Earnings Statement Same as first time, including proof of relationship to the O-1 n/a
F-1/OPT
Letter from your sponsoring employer verifying that employment is in a field related to your degree and degree level Copies of documents used by the F-1 proving sufficient finances for both F-1 and F-2 bank statements, a letter from an employer or government office granting award, a letter of financial aid or scholarship, etc.
F-2 J-1
J-2
Copies of documents used by the J-1 proving sufficient finances for both J-1 and J-2, if employed: a letter from your employer
H-1B
H-4
Letter from your sponsoring department, Labor Condition Application (LCA), as provided by OIS Letter of support from H-1B and/or letter from H-1B's sponsoring department
TN*
Letter from your sponsoring department
TD* O-1
• Passport* • Original I-797 • Passport • Original I-797 of O-3 or the O-1 • Passport
Letter of support from TN and/or letter from TN's sponsoring department Letter from your sponsoring department
O-3
Letter of support from O-1 and/or letter from O-1's sponsoring department Invitation letter from sponsoring department
B-1
*Canadian citizens do not need a visa to enter the U.S. Mexican citizens, however, must apply for a visa. + The SEVIS I-901 fee is required only for the initial visa application. Please visit www.fmjfee.com for complete instructions on how the SEVIS fee is to be paid, and what proof of payment you need to bring to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
Office of International Services, (312) 996-3121, fax (312) 996-9432, ois@uic.edu, www.ois.uic.edu
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UIC
Office of International Services
TRAVEL & VISAS
Travel Signatures: F and J Status Only
F-1 & J-1 STUDENTS • Bring your original, current I-20/DS-2019 to OIS • Be sure you are registered; including registration for the Fall semester if summer travel is planned • Requests will be ready by 1:00pm the following business day, or they can also be prepared during Open Advising hours while you wait • Signature valid for one year, as long as status maintained, but best to request a new signature each semester J-1 SCHOLARS • Complete DS-2019 Action Request Formavailable on OIS website • Form must be signed by Dean or Department Head • Requests take 2-3 business days • Submit request at least 2 weeks in advance of travel • Signature valid for 6 months, as long as status maintained
Automatic Visa Revalidation (AVR)
Definition: Your expired U.S. entry visa is considered to be automatically extended to the date of reentry provided that the visa has not been canceled, and that you have not applied for a new visa. To take advantage of AVR your travel must be to contiguous territories and for less than 30 days. • Contiguous countries are: Canada, Mexico, and the adjacent islands: Saint Pierre, Miquelon, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, the Windward and Lee Islands, Trinidad, Martinique, the other British, French and Netherlands territories or possessions in or bordering on the Caribbean Sea • Does not apply to individuals from North Korea, Cuba, Syria, Sudan or Iran • Do not surrender your I-94 card when departing U.S. • If the flight attendant or officer asks for I-94 politely inform them that you are taking advantage of the Automatic Visa Revalidation provision • Only for travel less than 30 days • NOT valid for people who travel from a contiguous territory, such as Canada, to a non-contiguous country, such as Germany, and return to the U.S. via a contiguous territory • H-1B workers are only allowed to take advantage of AVR for travel to Canada and Mexico ONLY • Mexican nationals traveling to Mexico, must have a valid U.S. visa to reenter the U.S. • If you have changed your status while in the U.S. and hold a visa for the previous status, you may still take advantage of AVR, as long as you bring the supporting documents for your new status (see the “Quick Reference Table” on page 2). For example, you changed your status from F-1 to H-1B, but still only have an expired F-1 visa; you may still use AVR.
Office of International Services, (312) 996-3121, fax (312) 996-9432, ois@uic.edu, www.ois.uic.edu
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UIC
Office of International Services
TRAVEL & VISAS
Obtaining or Renewing Your Visa in Canada or Mexico
• If necessary, apply for a visitor visa to Canada or Mexico (see "Visas for Canada/Mexico" below) • Schedule an appointment for an interview with the desired U.S. Consulate • Canada: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Toronto, Vancouver • Mexico: Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Mexico City, Monterrey, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo and Tijuana • If you qualify, you will be scheduled for an appointment approximately 2-3 weeks from the time of your call, depending on the volume of requests at that time • Wait at least 5 days after booking the appointment before purchasing your ticket for travel. The Consulate may make cancellations during that time Scheduling appointments by telephone: • Toll (extra fee) numbers: 1-900-443-3131 (as dialed from the U.S.) 1-900-451-2778 (as dialed from Canada)
Requires a call from a private telephone line. You cannot access a 1-900 number from a public or cellular phone, hotel, a 1-900-blocked telephone line, or with a calling card.
• Toll-free number:
1-888-840-0032
Requires payment by credit card and a touch-tone phone
Scheduling appointments by Internet: http://www.nvars.com Requires credit card payment. Points of note: 1) If you miss your appointment, you may be charged a fee, unless canceled in advance. 2) If you miss your appointment and do not cancel in time, you will not be allowed to make another one until 3 months after the date of your original appointment. 3) Automatic visa revalidation will no longer be available if you apply for a new U.S. entry visa in Canada, Mexico or the adjacent islands. 4) The visa must be approved before you can reenter the U.S. If the visa is denied, or subject to a security check, you must return to your home country to obtain a new visa and may not use. 5) If the visa application requires a security check, you cannot reenter the U.S. under automatic visa revalidation while the application is pending.
Visas For Entry to Canada/Mexico
You may require a visa to enter Canada/Mexico. For more information consult the following sources: Canada Mexico • Citizenship and Immigration Canada: • Consular Section of Embassy of Mexico: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp http://portal.sre.gob.mx/was_eng/index.php?option • Consulate General of Canada in Detroit, MI: =displaypage&Itemid=56&op=page&SubMenu= http://www.detroit.gc.ca • Consulate General in Chicago: http://www.consulmexchicago.com/
Note: Information provided in this handout is for informational purposes only and may change without notice. Please check with OIS or www.dhs.gov and www.travel.state.gov for the most current information.
Office of International Services, (312) 996-3121, fax (312) 996-9432, ois@uic.edu, www.ois.uic.edu
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