Travel FAQ

ISSS strongly recommends that students attending a program at The New School apply for an I-20 or DS-2019 and an F-1 or J-1 student visa for their time in the United States. Since students usually come to New York for the primary purpose of studying, spend most of their time in class, and earn college credit for the courses, F-1 or J-1 status is the most appropriate non-immigrant status.

ESTA and B-1 and B-2 tourist status impose strict restrictions on study, and violating these restrictions can lead to problems in obtaining visas to the United States in the future. If your trip to the United States is not for the sole purpose of study and you will be a tourist taking a class that will not take up the majority of your visit, a tourist visa might be appropriate. If you choose to study in the United States as a tourist, you do so at your own risk.

Your F-1 visa is the stamped visa in your passport issued by a consular officer at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. It is a travel document that gives you permission to enter the United States in F-1 status.

You I-20 is a three-page legal document certifying your eligibility for non-immigrant F-1 student status. If you are a student at The New School, your I-20 is issued by ISSS. Always travel with the most recent I-20 issued by ISSS.

The travel signature is the travel endorsement signature on the second page of your I-20. For F-1 students, the signature is valid for 12 months. If you are an F-1 student on OPT or STEM OPT, the signature is valid for six months.

Your J-1 visa is the stamped visa in your passport issued by a consular officer at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. It is a travel document that gives you permission to enter the United States in J-1 status.

Your DS-2019 is a legal document certifying your eligibility for non-immigrant J-1 exchange visitor status. If you are a student or scholar at The New School, your DS-2019 is issued by ISSS. Always travel with the most recent DS-2019 issued by ISSS.

The travel signature is the travel endorsement signature on the lower right of your DS-2019 form. For J-1 students and scholars, the signature is valid for 12 months. For J-1 short-term scholars, the signature is valid for six months.

No. Citizens of Canada and Bermuda do not require an F or J visa. Learn more about visa exceptions.

However, please keep in mind that students and scholars from Canada and Bermuda still need to apply for the I-20 or DS-2019.  

Information on applying for the student I-20 or DS-2019 is located in the Applying for a Student I-20/DS-2019 section. Information on applying for the scholar DS-2019 is located in the J-1 Visiting Scholars section.

See the Travel Signatures and Documents section for more information on the travel documents you must carry and updating the travel signature on your I-20 or DS-2019.

No. You may remain in the United States as long as you continue to maintain your status and have a valid I-20 or DS-2019. F-1 and J-1 visas are used only for entry to the country. Your visa must be valid for re-entry to the United States if you travel internationally, so the next time you travel abroad, you will need to renew it.

No. U.S. visas can be renewed only at U.S. embassies or consulates, which are all located abroad.

You are advised to always apply for a visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate in your home country. If you cannot apply in your home country, you can look into applying at a U.S. consulate in Canada, Mexico, or another country through what is called third country national visa processing. Be aware that it may be more difficult to qualify for a visa outside of the country where you live. You must also check with the U.S. consulate in that country to see whether the consulate willing to process the application for you.

F-1 students have a 60-day grace period following the I-20 program end date within which to prepare to depart from the United States; J-1 exchange visitors have a 30-day grace period following the DS-2019 program end date within which to prepare to depart from the United States. If you have not taken action to extend your F or J status, you must leave the United States by the end of your grace period, even if your visa has not yet expired.

No. These are U.S. states and territories, so travel to them is considered domestic trips unless you enter another country during your travels.

See Travel Signatures and Documents for more information on the travel documents you must carry.

You should immediately file a police report, notify your country's consular office, and inform ISSS of the occurrence. Please see the visa section for more information.

If you lost your I-20 or DS-2019 form, you should request a reprint on iGlobal. Please see the Travel Signatures and Documents section for more information.

No. Your visa from your previous institution is still valid as long as it has not expired. If it has expired, you will need a new visa in your passport the next time you enter the United States. 

Traveling internationally with a pending OPT application after completing your program of study may pose a risk to your OPT application and F-1 status. ISSS does not recommend traveling internationally during this time. Please see the High-Risk Travel Periods section for more information about travel with a pending OPT application.

Students traveling internationally during periods of unemployment on OPT or STEM OPT may experience difficulties when attempting to re-enter the United States in F-1 status. Please see the High-Risk Travel Periods section for more information about travel with a pending OPT or STEM OPT application.

You will need to put in a request to have Study Abroad Remarks added to your I-20 or DS-2019 on iGlobal. Please see the Study or Research Abroad section for more details.