Travel

If you have international travel plans while an H-1B petition is pending with USCIS, make sure to speak with your International Services Representative, as this can impact the H-1B petition approval.

When applying for readmission into the United States after each trip abroad, we recommend that you carry the following documents with you to facilitate your reentry into the United States:

  1. Valid passport and valid H-1B visa;
  2. Original Form I-797 Approval Notice;
  3. Copy of H-1B petition as filed;
  4. Letter of employment verification from your division chief, department chair, or dean on letterhead or from the Office of Human Resources; and
  5. Copy of three most recent pay statements.

Passport

Whenever you enter the U.S., your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the end date of your H-1B approval notice.  For some countries that have specific treaties with the U.S., your passport must only be valid until the end date on your approval notice.  Please go the U.S. Department of State’s website, to see the list of countries that this treaty exception applies to.  If your passport is not valid for enough time, your I-94 Arrival Record will be shortened by the immigration official upon entry and you will need to file for an extension of your H-1B status or depart the U.S. before the new end date.

Visa

Unless you are a Canadian citizen, a valid visa stamp is required in your passport every time that you enter the U.S. from abroad. It does not need to be valid for the length of your stay in the U.S.

You can only apply for a H-1B visa stamp at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy outside of the U.S. You can find specific instructions on how to apply for a H-1B visa and what documents are needed on the U.S. consulates’ websites.  To locate the website for the U.S. consulate in your home country, please go to http://www.usembassy.gov/  It is your responsibility to read the consulate’s website carefully and ensure that you have all the required documents to be issued the H-1B visa stamp.  If you have any questions about the information on the consulate’s website, please contact the OIS for assistance.

Automatic Visa Revalidation

In very limited circumstances, a valid visa stamp is not required to reenter the U.S. after a short trip of less than 30 days to Canada or Mexico.  Please see go to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website, and enter “Automatic Revalidation of Visas” in the search box for additional information regarding this narrow exception.  Contact the OIS if you have any questions about this limited exception.

I-94 Arrival Record

Every time that you enter the U.S., you will be issued a new I-94 Arrival Record and you must check it for accuracy as explained above.  When you return to the U.S., you must submit a copy of your new I-94 Arrival Record to the OIS.

Administrative Processing

If your visa request requires additional screening, commonly referred to as Administrative Processing, please inform your International Services Representative and department.