As an international student, you are welcome to travel within and outside of the United States during your school breaks. It is important to plan ahead and make sure that you have all of the paperwork you will need to be able to come back in to the U.S. If you are planning to travel somewhere other than your home country, be sure to check what you will need to enter that country, too!

Important Notes

• Travel within the United States does not require special documentation. However, we recommend that you always carry your F-1 or J-1 documents with you when you are traveling out of Beloit. 
• Students on post-completion OPT have different document requirements for travel. Please see the information at the bottom of this page.
• Students who will be studying abroad should always make an appointment with the International Student Advisor before leaving campus to make sure that they have everything they need for re-entry.

Travel and Re-Entry while Enrolled at Beloit College

Before you leave campus

Check the expiration date in your passport. In most cases, it needs to be valid for at least 6 months after the date that you re-enter the United States. If the expiration date will be earlier than that, you will need to apply to renew your passport before you re-enter the U.S.

Check the expiration date of your visa. Your visa expiration date needs to be after the day you plan to re-enter the U.S. If it will expire before you re-enter the U.S., you will need to make arrangements to apply for a new visa. Please make an appointment with the International Student Advisor to discuss this.

Check your I-20 or DS-2019 for the following:

• Your personal information is accurate and your name matches the name in your passport.
• The information about what you are studying is correct.
• Your program end date is still at least one semester in the future
• You have a travel signature that will be less than one year old at the time you re-enter the United States.

If any of the above items need updating, please make an appointment to see the International Student Advisor before you leave campus.

If everything is correct and current, please send an email to the International Student Advisor with information about your plan to travel and to check whether there is anything else that you need to do.

Preparing to re-enter the United States

When entering the United States, you should carry all of the following documents with you

• I-20 or DS-2019
• Unexpired Passport
• Unexpired Visa
• I-901 Receipt (can be reprinted from the I-901 Fee Website)
• Copy of your Beloit admission letter
• Documents showing how you are paying for school
• Printout of your current or next-semester class schedule
• Emergency contact number(s) at Beloit College

The Customs and Border Protection official may not request everything on this list, but it is a good idea to have this information just in case.

Travel and Re-entry for Students on Post-Completion OPT

Required Documents

• Unexpired Passport
• Unexpired F-1 Visa
• Current Form I-20 signed within the last six-months
• I-901 Receipt
• Original Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
• Letter from your employer indicating that you have employment that you will be resuming or starting after re-entering the United States

Students on Post-Completion OPT should always contact the International Student Advisor before traveling outside of the United States.