Automatic Visa Revalidation

The rule found in the Code of Federal Regulations at 22 CFR 41.112(d) allows non-immigrant visa holders to re-enter the U.S. without a valid (unexpired) U.S. nonimmigrant visa stamp under certain circumstances. To be eligible for this provision, the following conditions must apply:

  • Your period abroad did not exceed 30 days.
  • Your visit included only Canada or Mexico (contiguous territory). If you are an F and J non-immigrant visa holder, this provision includes the following adjacent islands: Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Martinique, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Nevis, St. Kitts, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and other British, French or Dutch territories or possessions in or bordering on the Caribbean Sea. Cuba is not included.
  • You are otherwise admissible to the U.S.
  • You did not apply for a new U.S. visa while abroad.
  • You have maintained valid non-immigrant status prior to departure from the U.S. and will return to the U.S. to resume that same status.
  • You are in possession of appropriate documents to demonstrate status:
    • A valid passport.
    • Your most recently issued original I-94 card. The I-94 should be retained, not surrendered upon departure from the U.S. if automatic visa revalidation is to be used.
    • A valid form DS-2019 signed for re-entry for J-1 visa holders and valid form I-20 for F-1 visa holders.
  • You are not a national of Cuba, Iran, Syria, or Sudan.

If you meet the above conditions, you may re-enter the U.S with an expired F or J (as applicable) visa stamp using automatic visa revalidation. Also, if you changed status from another visa category to F or J and never obtained an F-1 or J-1 visa stamp, you may re-enter the U.S. without any visa stamp using automatic visa revalidation if the above conditions are met.

Upon your return to the U.S., please provide IS with a copy of your new visa and I-94 card.