Travel to Canada from US on D/S - but expired visa

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Subject: Travel to Canada from US on D/S - but expired visa
  I had been trying to find a legitimate site to answer this question many have asked on this forum and effects a lot of applicants.

Finally I found on US Dept of Customs and Immigration site. It answers other important questions. I advise all student applicants (or even otherwise foreign students in the US use and read the posted FAQs on this site):

http://www.ice.gov/graphics/sevis/travel/faq_f2.htm#_Toc81222003


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I wish to travel to Canada, Mexico, or one of the islands (other than Cuba) adjacent to the United States. Can I return if my visa is expired?


Yes, in most cases. You can usually revalidate an expired visa automatically when returning from a visit of less than thirty days to Canada, Mexico, or one of the islands adjacent to the United States (other than Cuba) provided that you have a valid SEVIS Form I-20 and a valid unexpired Form I-94. This process is known as automatic visa revalidation.

However, if you meet any one of following criteria, you will not be able to automatically revalidate your visa.

You applied for a new visa and it has not been issued
You applied for a new visa and were denied
You have a terminated SEVIS record indicating that you are out of status
You have been out the United States for more than thirty days
You are a citizen of one of the following countries:
Cuba
Iran
Iraq
Libya
North Korea
Sudan
Syria
[Reference 8 CFR 214.1(b)(3

What is means is:

A better name for this would be ?automatic status revalidation,? because the process has little to do with the actual visa. What it means is that, if you go to Canada, Mexico, or adjacent islands* for a period less than 30 days, you may come back into the United States without a valid visa if you can show that you had valid F or J status when you left and that you are entitled to resume that status when you come back in. The documents necessary to prove that are a valid passport plus a valid I-94 and valid I-20/DS-2019 which has a recent endorsement for travel. Your visa may have expired, but you would still be permitted to re-enter the U.S. to resume your nonimmigrant status. In fact, even if you originally had a different visa and status (B2 or F2, for example) but then got a new I-94 (and I-20 or DS-2019) showing that you successfully changed your status to F or J, those same documents mentioned above would be enough to permit your re-entry.



[03-04-2005,23:08]
[**.249.224.242]
*****
Need your advice (in reply to: Travel to Canada from US on D/S - but expired visa)
Since you are little expert in this let me ask you this. If I have a H1 Status (I was in F1 than changed it to H1 since i got a good job here) can I visit canada and come back without the actual Visa in my passport. What exactly they will ask me, when I try to re-enter this country. This is very important for me. Hopefully I will receive my PP Request soon and I am planning to go to Canada and come back here few days later before i move permanently. Will wait for your reply
[04-04-2005,04:50]
[**.90.112.221]
Rubel
(in reply to: Travel to Canada from US on D/S - but expired visa)
According to the posting on INS site - if your H1 is valid (i.e. not expired) you can visit Canada not to exceed a period of 30 (Thirty) days. That will constitute "revalidation of your status".

You may also look at applying for a visa while you are in Canada. I have heard it is simple process and usually taskes a day for that.

You need to make an appointment on the INS online system and take required documents.

[04-04-2005,12:31]
[**.249.224.242]
*****
(in reply to: Travel to Canada from US on D/S - but expired visa)
If you have valid ´status´ in the US you can visit Canada/Mexico and such and return to the US within 30 days. As long as you have an I-94 showing your "status" you will be okay. It´s a peice of cake going into Canada and coming back, when I did it there was no hassle what so ever, took about 1 minute in either immigration post at buffalo border.
[05-04-2005,19:36]
[**.159.48.129]
Anonymous
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