Can I travel outside the US while on OPT?
If you leave the US in F-1 OPT status, you should be aware of the following
requirements for reentry to the US. You should be prepared to present ALL 6
of the following documents at the US Port of Entry upon returning to the US:
1. Your valid passport. Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months into
the future.
2. A valid F-1 entry visa in your passport. If your F-1 visa has expired or will
expire soon, you should be prepared to apply for a new F-1 visa outside of the
US. There are no guarantees that a new F-1 travel visa will be reissued.
3. A valid DSO signature for reentry on page 3 of your OPT I-20. The DSO
travel signature on page 3 of the OPT I-20 is valid for up to 6 months. If the
signature has expired or will expire soon, you must apply for a new one by
completing a “Green Sheet” request form and submitting it to ISO. Please allow
5 business days for processing.
4. Your valid OPT EAD card. Note: Your EAD card will state “NOT VALID
FOR REENTRY TO THE US.” This means that the EAD card alone will not
suffice for reentry to the US. You should be prepared to present all 6 documents
as listed on this sheet for reentry to the US.
5. An official job offer letter for OPT. The job duties listed should be directly
related to your major/level field of study.
6. Recent bank statements which show that you have funding to support
yourself in the US while on OPT. There is no set amount of funding to have in
your account; however, you should be prepared to show enough funding to
support yourself for at least 1 – 2 months into the future, especially if your OPT
employment does not begin right away.
Caution: If you are unable to present ALL 6 of these documents at the US Port
of Entry, you risk being denied readmission to the US in F-1 OPT status.
