Foothill College International Students - Current Students

Travel

Travel Documents
In order to re-enter the U.S. after a temporary absence such as a vacation, you must have the following documents:

a passport, valid at least six months into the future
a valid F-1 visa in your passport
(If your F-1 visa has expired, please follow specific instructions in the dropdown link below.
a valid I-20 with a valid re-entry signature
copies of your financial support documents
college transcripts

For a detailed description of important immigration documents that you should have with you whenever you travel and their validity requirements, check our Immigration Documents section.

Click on the dropdown links below for detailed information about:

Travel Signature on I-20

If Your F-1 Visa is Expired
Make sure to check the F-1 visa stamp in your passport to see if your visa has expired. Also check your visa stamp for the number of entries permitted.

Remember that if your visa is expired or if you change your visa status while in the United States (for example, if you changed your status from F-2 to F-1 since the visa was issued), it is not necessary to apply for a new F-1 visa if you are not planning to travel and re-enter the United States.

If you are planning to travel outside of the United States, immigration regulations state that students cannot re-enter the U.S. to continue their education if their F-1 visa is expired (see exceptions in Automatic Visa Revalidation). This rule applies even if the student has an official acceptance document I-20 that has not expired and has a valid travel signature. In such cases if students depart from the U.S., they must obtain a new visa at a U.S. Embassy outside of the U.S.

Make sure to check out general visa application requirements, such as SEVIS fee, visa interview and financial documentation, posted for students seeking initial attendance at Foothill College. [Prospective students>Visa Application] Additionally, students seeking re-entry to continue their studies at Foothill may need to present their official transcripts at the visa interview. Some consulates may want to see that you have been maintaining valid F-1 status in the U.S. and that you have been making satisfactory progress in your program.Hide Text

Waiting Period for Students from 24 Countries

Students from 24 specific countries are subject to a waiting period when they apply for a visa to enter the United States. These countries are:
Afghanistan	Algeria	Bangladesh	Egypt

Eritrea	Indonesia	Iran	Iraq

Jordan	Kuwait	Lebanon	Libya

Morocco	North Korea	Oman	Pakistan

Saudi Arabia	Qatar	Somalia	Sudan

Syria	Tunisia	United Arab Emirates	Yemen
This new regulation applies if you have never had a visa or if your current visa has expired. If you are from one of these countries, you will have to complete a new form in addition to the usual visa application form. You can find this form on the Web site of the Bureau of Consular Affairs at www.travel.state.gov. The form basically is a check of your background. It is very important for students from these countries to consider this additional processing time if they plan to travel outside the U.S. with an expired visa. For example, if you have an expired visa and plan to go home for a visit during a one-week break between classes, it is likely that you will not get back to the United States in time to begin classes because it will take a minimum of three weeks or longer to obtain your new F-1 visa. Additional requirements governing entry and exit from the United States apply to students from these countries. Hide Text

Automatic Visa Revalidation: Visits to Canada, Mexico and Islands

As an exception to the regulation requiring a valid visa to re-enter the U.S., the automatic visa revalidation rule states that an F-1 student can re-enter the U.S. from Canada, Mexico and adjacent islands with an expired F-1 visa provided the student:

has a valid passport, I-94 and an unexpired I-20 signed for travel by the international student advisor at Foothill College
has not been outside of the U.S. for more than 30 days
has gone only to contiguous territories (Canada, Mexico and adjacent islands)
has not applied for and been denied a new visa while in Canada, Mexico or adjacent islands
is not a citizen or permanent of Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan or Syria

If you are not from any of the seven countries mentioned above, are not planning to obtain a new visa and are traveling to Canada, Mexico and adjacent islands solely for tourist purposes, you will be able to re-enter the United States with an expired F-1 visa.

Please consult with an immigration advisor before leaving the United States.

Exception for Citizens from 7 Countries
The new rule states that nationals and permanent residents of Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria who travel to Canada, Mexico and adjacent islands for any reason are no longer eligible to reenter the U.S. if their F-1 visa is expired. They must have a new unexpired visa to reenter the U.S.

Please note that nationals of these countries (as explained under Waiting Period) are subject to a waiting period when applying for a visa. If the visa application is denied, or if you don't apply for a new visa in Canada, Mexico and adjacent islands, you will be required to return to your home country to obtain a new visa. Our immigration advisor suggests that that if you are from one of these seven countries, you should not travel to Canada, Mexico and adjacent islands with an expired visa.

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Documents to Enter Canada, Mexico and Adjacent Islands

All students traveling to Canada, Mexico and adjacent islands must contact the respective embassy or consulate in the U.S. to find out the documents they need to enter those countries. Entry requirements will depend upon your country of citizenship. You may need a visa to enter a specific country and you may need evidence that you can legally return to the United States, have made arrangements for your return to the U.S. and have sufficient finances for your stay in the country you will be visiting.

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Applying for a New Visa in Canada or Mexico

The most significant recent change to revalidation procedures is that any student from any country, who applies for a visa in Canada or Mexico and is denied for whatever reason, cannot use the visa revalidation procedure to re-enter the U.S. with an expired F-1 visa. They will have to return to their home country directly from Canada or Mexico and apply for a new visa there. Of course, if the visa application is approved in Canada or Mexico, students can re-enter the U.S. from Canada or Mexico.

Our immigration advisor suggests that no matter which country is your country of citizenship or permanent residence, if you have an expired F-1 visa you should not apply for a new visa when traveling to Canada or Mexico. Please contact an international student advisor for further information.

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Announcements

119 FHDA international students accepted to UC Berkeley and 167 to UCLA for Fall 2011; 67 international students accepted to USC and 344 to UC Davis for Fall 2012!

International student featured in International Educator magazine article on 2+2 transfer success

Received Export Achievement Award from the U.S. Dept. of Commerce in 2012

Foothill is now an
iTEP Test Center.
Instead of TOEFL/IELTS,
Take iTEP for admission.

Foothill ranked number one community college for transfer in California.