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Automatic Revalidation
If you have an expired non-immigrant visa stamp in your passport (for example F or J) and you have a valid I-94 card stating your current status, your visa will be considered automatically revalidated when you re-enter the U.S. from Canada or Mexico as long as ALL of the following are true:
Requirements
- you have only been in Canada or Mexico for less than 30 days
- you have with you a current I-94 card stating your valid status
- you do have an expired non-immigrant visa in your passport
- you do not apply for a U.S. visa while in Canada or Mexico
- you are not from one of the countries currently considered by the U.S. federal government to be state sponsors of terrorism (as of 08/07/2003 this includes Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Sudan, North Korea and Cuba)
I-94 Card
For automatic revalidation to apply to you, you must be careful to keep your I-94 card when leaving the U.S. When you re-enter the U.S., present your I-94 card along with your valid passport, expired visa and your valid immigration document (I- 20 or DS-2019).
Adjacent Islands excluding Cuba
For those in F or J status, the automatic revalidation also works for visits of less than 30 days to the adjacent islands** excluding Cuba.
**Adjacent Islands include: Saint Pierre, Miquelon, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, the Windward and Leeward Islands, Trinidad, Martinique, and other British, French, and Netherlands territories or possessions in or bordering on the Caribbean Sea.
Check with the ISS Office If you plan to re-enter the U.S. using automatic revalidation, it is a good idea to stop by the ISS office before you go to be sure your documents are in order. |
