If your visa has expired, you will most likely need to renew your visa before returning to the U.S. after international travel.
An entry visa is a sticker placed in your passport, which you obtain from a U.S. consulate outside the United States. You are allowed to remain in the U.S. once you have been admitted, even if your entry visa expires, as long as your DS-2019 and Form I-94 remain valid and are in the right visa classification. (See this description of documents.)
Citizens of Canada and Bermuda are exempt from the entry visa requirement.
In limited circumstances, you may be able to use an expired visa to return from a short trip to a neighboring country using something called "automatic visa revalidation." Please talk to an advisor if you are interested in traveling with this option.
How to Obtain a New Visa
- Visit the U.S. State Department website for links to U.S. Consulates around the world. Check visa wait times on the Department of State website.
- You should bring all documents required for entry to the U.S. to your visa appointment. Additional requirements may vary by consulate.
- In most cases, you must apply for a visa in your country of residence or nationality. See the State Department website for details on this policy.
- Applicants will need to pay a visa application fee. Some countries also require applicants to pay a reciprocity fee. You do not need to pay the SEVIS fee again for a visa renewal in the same program.
- If possible, schedule an appointment before you depart the U.S. Schedule your visa appointment for as soon as possible after you arrive in the country where you will be applying. This will minimize the chance of delays in returning to the U.S., if the visa process takes longer than expected.
- Consulates may delay issuance of your visa for security reasons; see more information on preparing for a possible background security check.
- Once your visa is issued, verify it for accuracy. Also check the number of Entries permitted (M = multiple), and Expiration Date. The State Department Visa Reciprocity table explains the typical number of entries and validity period for each country / visa type.
Visa Denials
It is uncommon for returning students or scholars to be denied a new entry visa. There are no guarantees, however, so there is always some risk that your request for a new visa will be denied. This risk increases under the following situations:
- Students on post-graduation work authorizations (such as OPT or AT) are eligible to apply for a new visa, but the risk of denial is increased. If you must apply for a visa during a period of authorized post-graduation work, be prepared to present evidence of employment (a letter from your employer will be best) to the U.S. consulate.
- You have close family members (spouse, parents, or siblings) who are citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. If you have close family members in the U.S., the consular official may question your ties to your home country.
- You are named in a pending immigrant application such as an I-140.
Automatic Revalidation
Those who plan to just visit Canada, Mexico, or, the adjacent islands may re-enter the U.S. within thirty days on expired visas as long as they keep their valid I-94 card or printout during departure. This is called automatic revalidation. Applicants will only be able to re-enter the United States if they are found eligible for the status written on their I-94 card or printout, and have an expired visa stamped in their passport. The individual must not have actually applied for a new visa. However, if the individual applied for a new visa in Canada or Mexico, they are no longer eligible for automatic revalidation by using a valid I-94 card or printout. Also, the consular officer will cancel any current visa when the holder is no longer eligible for the visa status, and therefore the holder is not eligible for re-entry to the United States. Please also check with an ISSS advisor if in the H-1B CapGap. Full eligibility criteria and additional information are available from the Department of State.
