No. The travel signature is only required for reentry when encountering CBP. Students can request and receive their travel signature while outside the United States.

During busy travel periods like the Winter and Summer Breaks, please anticipate longer wait times. We recommend requesting the travel signature ahead of time to account for this. ISS processes requests based on government deadlines and the order submitted to the request queue. Advisors cannot expedite requests for reasons outside these parameters.

A visa is a sticker in a student's passport placed by a U.S. consulate or embassy. It is the entry document used when presented with the I-20/DS-2019. It permits entry into the United States in a valid visa status. If a student's visa stamp is expired when leaving the United States, a new visa stamp will be needed for reentry.

If an international student’s visa expires, they will need a new visa in the proper status to be readmitted to the United States after international travel. They can apply for the visa in their home country and check with the local U.S. embassy or consulate for wait times. If the visa renewal is denied, international students must contact ISS advisor immediately as they may not be able to return to the U.S.

Students can find their most recent I-94 online. Once on the I-94 website, click “Get most recent I-94" and input your passport details.

Canadian citizens are exempt from needing a visa stamp but are required to travel with a valid Canadian passport and a travel-signed I-20 or DS-2019.

For domestic travel, F and J international students are not required to have a travel signature. Instead, they should carry their passport, I-94 record, I-20/DS2019, and EAD (if applicable) to prove their legal status and identity