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    • H-1B Travel Information

    Documents Required for H-1B Travel and Re-entry to the U.S.

    If you are making a trip outside the United States, to reenter the U.S., you will need the following:

    1. valid passport
    2. original Form I-797A (H1B Approval Notice for your current position)
    3. letter from your employer confirming current employment in the position described in the H-1B petition
    4. valid H-1B visa stamp in your passport.** If you do not have a valid H-1B visa stamp in your passport, you must apply for one at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad. Please see section below on visa issuance and renewal for more information.

    Please note: If you have filed for adjustment of status and are planning to travel, please contact the ISSO to discuss traveling with your H-1B documentation or advance parole.

    Obtaining an H-1B Visa Stamp:

    If you have changed your nonimmigrant status while in the United States and have never had an H-1B visa stamp in your passport, or if your H1B visa stamp has expired, you must make an application with a U.S. Embassy or Consulate outside of the U.S. to obtain an H-1B visa for re-entry.** You will need to present the following documentation:

    1. original Form I-797A (H-lB Approval Notice for your current position)
    2. copy of Form ETA-9035 Labor Conditions Application (LCA)
    3. copy of Form 1-129 (petition for H1B submitted to INS on your behalf)
    4. letter from your department confirming employment and that you are expected to return to the U.S. to resume the terms of your contract
    5. original waiver of the two year home residency requirement (if you were previously in J- 1 visa status and received a waiver)
    6. valid passport (valid 6 months into the future)
    7. Form DS - 156 (available at Embassy/Consulate)
    8. Please contact the specific U.S. Consulate or Embassy where you plan to apply for other requirements, including photos and fees. Also, note that some Consulates and Embassies have recently changed to an appointment system. Please confirm application procedures prior to your trip. For more information on applying for a U.S. visa, visit these State Department sites on the Internet:

    Visa Renewal

    If you have an H-1B visa stamp and it has expired, you must apply for the renewal of the visa stamp in the same way that you applied for the initial H1B visa stamp in person at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad (see information above).

    **Traveling to Canada, Mexico for less than thirty days.

    If you have an expired H1B visa stamp or if you have an expired U.S. nonimmigrant visa of any other type (e.g. B, F, J) and you have a valid I-94 card stating your current valid H1B 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:

    • 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 H1B status
    • you do not apply for a visa while in Canada or Mexico
    • you are not from one of the countries currently considered by the U.S. to be state sponsors of terrorism (as of 11/11/02 this includes Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Sudan, North Korea and Cuba)

    For this automatic revalidation to apply to you, you must be careful to keep your I-94 card when leaving the U.S. to enter Canada or Mexico for a trip of less than 30 days. Present you I-94 card along with your valid passport, original Form I-797A (H1B Approval Notice for your current position) and a letter from your employer confirming current employment in the position described in the H-1B petition.

    Note regarding dependants

    H-4 spouses and minor children must also meet the above passport and visa requirements and show proof of family relationship for re-entry to the US. If they are not accompanied by the H-1 scholar, they must have Form I-797 (H-1 approval form).

    Contact ISSO with any questions