International Student Services

[All information is subject to change without notice.]

The U.S. Department of State has changed the "automatic revalidation of visa" benefit that allows F or J students and scholars to travel to "contiguous countries" (Canada, Mexico and adjacent islands other than Cuba) for trips of 30 days or less and return to the U.S. even if the U.S. visa stamp in their passport is expired or their immigration status has been changed.

Citizens from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, North Korea, and Cuba will not be allowed to re-enter the U.S. at any time with an expired U.S. visa stamp, even if the trip is only to a contiguous territory. 

Additionally, under this change, F and J students and scholars from all countries who go to Canada or Mexico to apply for a new visa will not be allowed to re-enter the U.S. on an expired visa stamp if the new visa is not approved at the U.S. Consulate.  Students and scholars from all countries, other than the seven countries listed above, can still visit Canada and Mexico and re-enter the U.S. on an expired visa stamp, as long as they have not applied for a new visa and been denied. 

For students and scholars making arrangements for visa applications in Mexico or Canada, this has a significant effect.  If the application for the visa is denied,  the student or scholar would in most cases need to depart from Mexico or Canada to their home country to apply for a new visa to re-enter the U.S. 

Frequently Asked Questions

I don't understand what automatic revalidation is. Can you explain?

Automatic revalidation of visa is a benefit under 22CFR 41.112 (d) that allows certain non-immigrants to re-enter the U.S. after a 30 day or shorter visit to a "contiguous territory" (Canada, Mexico, and in the case of F and J non-immigrants, the adjacent islands other than Cuba) without having to obtain a new visa prior to re-entry.  For entry under these circumstances, the requirements would be valid entry documents endorsed for travel (I-20, DS-2019), valid passport with current or expired visa,  and I-94 arrival/departure card (retained at departure). 

I have a conference to attend in Canada (or Mexico) for a few days and my U.S. visa has expired. Can I still go and return to the U.S. under automatic revalidation?

Yes, automatic revalidation is still available to you if you do not plan to apply for a U.S. visa. This policy does not apply for citizens of the seven countries listed above. 

What about the waiting period for visas for individuals from certain countries. How does this affect me if I want to get a visa?

The State Department announced in November, 2001 that all men between ages 16 and 45 from certain Arab and Muslim countries would be subject to a waiting period for non-immigrant visa applications that would add up to an additional 20 working days. These countries include Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.   For these individuals, the waiting period would be problematic if they applied for a visa in Mexico or Canada since they would have to wait until the visa is granted in order to re-enter the U.S.  Additionally, our understanding is that Ciudad Juarez is not making visa appointments for these individuals at this time because of the automatic revalidation issue. 

I changed my status from F-2 to F-1 in the U.S. and would like to apply for an F-1 visa in Ciudad Juarez.  May I make an appointment, and is it possible to re-enter if I am denied?

If you are not from any of the countries listed in the previous answer and the F-2 visa was granted in your home country, you would be able to make an appointment to apply for a visa, but it would be a risk if you were denied.  Automatic revalidation before April 1, 2002, would allow you back in the country as an F-1 if you were denied the visa, but the new restrictions on automatic revalidation would not allow you to re-enter as an F-1 if you did not have a valid F-1 visa.   The  USCIS/Department of State may come out with further clarification for these particular circumstances, but at this time our interpretation is that you would not be able to re-enter as an F-1 without a valid F-1 visa. 

If I cannot go to Mexico or Canada to apply for a visa, how risky is it to go to another country to apply for the visa? 

The visa process is not affected by the change in automatic revalidation.  The Department of State has always recommended applying for a visa in the student's home country, and that recommendation has not changed.  See the Documentation section on the Applying for an F-1 Visa page.  If you need to apply for a visa in another country, you will want to check the Department of State Web site for the specific consulate to find out the process there.

How will the Department of Homeland Security know that a student applied for a visa in Mexico or Juarez?  

When the visa application is submitted to the consular official with the passport, a notation is placed on the back page of the passport to indicate the receipt of that application, no matter whether the visa is issued later or not.

If I go to Mexico or Canada to renew my visa before my current visa expires, can I come back to the U.S. if my new visa is denied?

Yes.

If I have more questions, who do I contact?

Your International Student Advisor in the ISS Office.