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Travel and Vacations

Traveling Outside the U.S.

If you are planning to depart from the United States temporarily to visit your homeland or some other country, you must have the following documents to re-enter the States:

  1. Valid passport
  2. Valid F-1 visa
  3. Valid I-20 with a valid signature from an international student advisor
  4. Enrollment Verification Letter available from the Registrar's office, Kehoe 3rd floor (recommended)
  5. Transcript of grades (recommended)
  6. Copy of course schedule for upcoming semester, if available (recommended)

You may not be allowed back into the U.S. without validated immigration documents, a current visa, and a passport that is valid for at least six months after you re-enter the country.

Traveling to Canada, Mexico, or adjacent islands

Canada, Mexico and the Island nations do require entry visas for citizens of certain countries.  It is always best to check with the embassy or consulate of any country you wish to visit about entry visas.

If you are planning to visit Canada, Mexico, or adjacent islands other than Cuba for less than 30 days, you must have the following to re-enter the States:

  1. Valid passport
  2. An F-1 visa (not necessary to be valid)
  3. Valid I-20 with a valid signature from an international student advisor

An expired F-1 visa is acceptable to reenter the states if the student was in Canada, Mexico, or adjacent islands other than Cuba for less than 30 days and intend to continue maintain valid F-1 status (NOT APPLICABLE FOR CITIZENS FROM CANADA, MEXICO, AND ADJACENT ISLANDS).

However, since certain countries are ineligible for this benefit and travel regulations are subject to change, you should check with the International Student Services Office if you intend to travel with an expired visa.

Here is a directory of foreign embassies and consulates in the US if you need to locate a country's embassy/consulate to apply for a visa.

Applying for a New F-1 Visa Outside the U.S.

Applying for a new F-1 visa from your home country:

If you are a full-time student at SUNY-Plattsburgh and wish to visit your home country to apply for a new F-1 visa, ISS would recommend you to contact the American embassy in your home country before leaving the U.S to schedule an appointment and to check on the embassy's rules and requirements.

Please visit the United States Embassies and Consulates Overseas website to collect the contact information for the embassy you intend to submit your application for F-1 visa. You must present the following documents to the U.S embassy/consulate at your home country to apply for the F-1 student visa:

  1. Valid Passport (for at least 6 months)
  2. Original letter of enrollment at SUNY-Plattsburgh from the Registrar's office, Kehoe 3rd floor
  3. Valid SEVIS I-20 signed by an International Student Advisor
  4. Original copies of all financial documents [bank statement(s)]
  5. Proof of ties to your home country (such as a job, ownership of a property, etc.)
  6. Copy of your transcripts from Plattsburgh to show your history as a student
  7. Copies of the old passports, U.S visas, I-94 forms, and I-20s

Please read these 10 Points to remember when applying for an F-1 or a J-1 visa . 

When you submit all of the above to the U.S embassy/consulate to apply for the F-1 student visa, the embassy will verify your information in the SEVIS system and decide to issue or deny you a visa.

Applying for a New F-1 Visa from Canada or Mexico:

If you are a full-time student at SUNY-Plattsburgh, and wish to visit Canada or Mexico to apply for a new F-1 visa, ISS would recommend you contact the American embassy in Canada or Mexico before leaving Plattsburgh to schedule an appointment and to check on the embassy's rules and requirements. You must present the following documents to the U.S embassy/consulate in Canada or Mexico to apply for the F-1 student visa:

  1. Valid Passport (for at least 6 months)
  2. Original letter of enrollment from SUNY-Plattsburgh, Registrar's office, Kehoe 3rd floor
  3. Valid SEVIS I-20 signed by an international student advisor
  4. Original copies of all financial documents [bank statement(s)]
  5. Proof of ties to your home country (such as a job, ownership of a property, etc.)
  6. Copy of your transcripts from Plattsburgh to show your history as a student
  7. Copies of the old passports, U.S visas, I-94 forms, and I-20s

Once you are granted a visa, you will be able to return to the U.S. Yet, if you will be denied a visa, you will not be able to reenter the States even if you were in Canada or Mexico for less than 30 days.

Questions, Comments, Suggestions?

If you have any questions about international admission or financial aid at SUNY-Plattsburgh, please contact:

International Student Services
 State University of New York at Plattsburgh
Kehoe Administration Building, Room 209
101 Broad Street
Plattsburgh, New York 12901 USA

Phone: (518) 564-3287
Fax: (518) 564-3292
E-mail: iss@plattsburgh.edu

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