Policies and Procedures Impacting Re-Entry
Familiarize yourself with policies and procedures that can impact your visa and the re-entry process.
U.S. Department of State may revoke non-immigrant visas for individuals arrested for or convicted of crimes. This could include driving while under the influence/ driving while intoxicated, a weapons arrest, domestic violence, assault, etc. U.S. Department of State may also revoke non-immigrant visas for other reasons. Under these circumstances, your visa may have been revoked without your awareness. If your visa has been revoked and you have dependents in the U.S., their visas will also be revoked.
Some individuals across the U.S. have been contacted by the visa post that issued their visa to inform them that their visa had been revoked. Others have learned of the revocation of their visa when they attempted to return to the U.S. from a trip abroad. If you have been arrested or convicted of a crime, and you plan to leave the U.S. intending to return, we suggest that you contact the visa post that issued your visa to inquire whether or not your visa is still valid well in advance of your trip.
This should not affect your status in the U.S., only your visa. Remember that your visa is needed to enter the U.S. but once you have entered, your visa does not have to remain valid. You must, however, have a valid I-20 (F-1/F-2), valid DS-2019 (J-1/J-2) or I-797 Approval Notice (H-1B/H-4) and I-94.
If you find that your visa has been revoked, please immediately call OISS and set up a time to meet with your OISS International 宅男福利导航 or Scholar Advisor.
You are eligible for Automatic Visa Revalidation if:
- you are an F-1/J-1 student or J-1 Exchange Visitor
- your F/J visa stamp has expired
- you plan to visit Canada, Mexico or an adjacent island () for less than 30 days
This means you can re-enter the US, even if your visa stamp has expired. You will be allowed to re-enter the US one time (this DOES NOT renew or extend your visa stamp).
Check with your OISS Advisor to review your specific situation. The following resources provide additional information:
from U.S. Customs and Border Protection
webpage from U.S. Department of State
Automatic Visa Revalidation is not very common, so the Customs & Border Patrol official or foreign border officer may not know what it is. It is your responsibility to print the documents above, in case you need to explain the process to the officer. Questions? Please contact your OISS advisor.