Visiting Canada or Mexico  

Prior to traveling to Canada or Mexico international students and scholars must obtain an endorsement on their I-20 or DS-2019 at the University Center for International Education (UCIE) from the International Student Adviser. To obtain the required signature, bring your I-20 or DS-2019 to the UCIE and leave the form with the International Student Adviser with a request for his or her endorsement for your travel. The authorization is given provided the student has maintained visa status through full time enrollment. Some students go to Canada or Mexico to get their student visas (in the passport) extended, however, it is not necessary to have a current F-1 or J-1 visa to re-enter the US from Canada or Mexico. "Automatic Revalidation" of your previous visa will be accepted in such cases by the US Immigration Office border official. If you want to apply for a new F-1 or J-1 visa before returning to the US, make an appointment in advance at a US consulate in Mexico or Canada by calling 1-900-433-3131 or 1-888-840-00032.

PLEASE NOTE: If you make an application for a new visa at a US consulate in Canada, you will be ineligible to use "automatic revalidation". Please consider also, that even if you may be eligible for “automatic revalidation,” you may still be subject to significant delays at the Canadian (or Mexican) border to the US due to the your field of study being on the Technology Alert List or for a security check or "clearance". You should check with your international student adviser to see if this may be an issue in your case. Also keep in mind that "automatic revalidation" is not available to individuals from a country which the US Department of State has declared a State sponsoring terrorism. For more information about the arrangements necessary to apply for a visa in Canada or Mexico, visit the Bureau of Consular Affairs web-site at:

http://travel.state.gov/visa_services.html

You are also advised to obtain an application for a Canadian visitor visa. The Canadian border officials will not admit you to enter Canada if you are a citizen from one of the countries required to obtain visa before entering Canada. More information is available on Canadian information page:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/index.asp

Automatic Revalidation of Visas
 

Note:- keep in mind that "automatic revalidation" is not available to individuals from a country which the US Department of State has declared a terrorist State.

Under certain circumstances, an F-1 student with an expired visa may re-enter the United States as though the visa were still valid. An expired F-1 visa may be considered to be automatically extended to the date of application for readmission to the United States (and therefore the visa in the passport need not have an expiration date that is in the future), provided the F-1 student does the following:

1. applies for readmission to the United States after an absence not exceeding 30 days solely in Canada, Mexico or adjacent islands other than Cuba;

2. has maintained and intends to resume status as an F-1student;

3. presents (or is the accompanying spouse or child of an alien who presents) a valid Form I-94 and either a properly endorsed Form I-20ID (page 4 of Form I-20A-B), if there has been no substantive change in the information contained in items 4,5,7 or 8 on the most recent Form I-20A-B, or a new Form I-20A-B, if there have been substantive changes in that information;

4. possesses a valid passport (unless exempt from passport requirements); and

5. applies for readmission within the authorized period of initial admission or extension of stay.

Furthermore, a person who entered in the United States in a classification other than F-1 student, may be considered to have the previous visa automatically revalidated and converted to an F-1 visa if he or she meets the conditions stated above.
Thus, under these circumstances, a returning F-1 student whose visa has expired may be saved the necessity of applying for a new visa. A student whose visa has been cancelled or has applied unsuccessfully for a visa is not eligible for automatic visa revalidation.
Individuals carrying passports issued from within the United States to replace the passport that contains their original non-immigrant visa may qualify for automatic visa revalidation only if they have the old passport in their possession.
Citizens of countries that keep old passport upon issuance of a new one are therefore at a disadvantage when traveling to contiguous territories. Also keep in mind that "Automatic revalidation is not available to individuals from a country which the US Department of State has declared a terrorist State."