Visa Information | LSU International Services

Visa Information

Information on Visas & Travel

Please see the headings below for more information on traveling outside of the U.S. with an F-1 or J-1 visa. 

If the U.S. visa stamp in your passport is about to expire or has expired, and you are not planning to travel outside the U.S., you do not need a new visa.

The visa that is stamped in your passport is for entry purposes only. Once you are in the U.S., your Certificate of Eligibility (I-20 or DS-2019) and I-94 become the active documents that permit you to remain in the U.S. You are allowed to stay in the U.S. for D/S, which means, “Duration of Status,” the period of time that you are a student in good standing. The anticipated completion date noted on your I-20 or DS-2019 is the expiration date of your status. If you will need an extension of your I-20 or DS-2019, you must request an extension at the International Services Office before the expiration date listed on your documents.

If you are planning to travel outside the U.S, even if the visa stamp in your passport is still valid (not expired and with available/multiple entries), you may still need to obtain a new visa to return. If you have been outside of U.S. for more than 5 months, we encourage you to contact U.S. Consulate in your home country to check whether you need to apply for a new visa.

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

The following documents are needed for gaining a new visa after your previous visa has become invalid / expired: 

  1. A valid passport.
  2. Current I-20 or DS-2019, signed for travel within 6 months by an International Services Advisor.
  3. Printed receipt of payment of the SEVIS fee.
  4. Proof of financial support. This proof can be a copy of your bank statement, assistantship letter, scholarship letter, affidavit of support, or any combination sufficient to prove full financial support as indicated on your I-20 or DS-2019.
  5. Copies of your LSU transcript to prove you have been a full-time student in good standing since your enrollment as an F-1 or J-1 student. This transcript will be your proof of enrollment for all past semesters. If you were enrolled at another U.S. institution as an F-1 or J-1 student prior to enrollment at LSU, you will need a copy of that transcript at well.
  6. If you are pre-registered for future terms, the Office of the Registrar (Thomas Boyd) can provide pre-registration verification. You can also print a copy of your next semester’s schedule by logging on to PAWS, selecting Registration Services, and clicking on Personal Schedule.
  7. One passport-size photograph. This photograph is a standard passport “facing front” picture. It may be wise to take two photographs with you.
  8. If you are a graduate student, a letter from your graduate advisor or department chair verifying your academic progress toward completion of the degree(s) noted on your SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019.

Remember that evidence of sufficient ties to your home country is still necessary. This evidence is important and needs to show that you intend to return home after your studies. Under US law, all applicants for non-immigrant visas are viewed as intending immigrants unless they can show the consular officer that they are not. You must therefore be able to show that you have reasons for returning to your home country that are stronger than those for remaining in the United States.

"Ties" to your home country are the things that bind you to your hometown, homeland, or current place of residence: job, family, financial prospects that you own or will inherit, investments, etc. You may be asked about your specific intentions or promise of future employment, family or other relationships, educational objectives, grades, long-range plans, and career prospects in your home country. Each person’s situation is different, and there is no single document, certificate, or letter that can guarantee visa issuance.

You can apply for a U.S. visa at the American Consulate or Embassy in your home country when you go home for a visit, or in an American Consulate or Embassy in some other country when you are traveling abroad, if that Consulate accepts appointments for non-citizens. It is important to realize that most Consulates may require an appointment (even in your own country) or may have an extensive processing time, especially when you are applying outside your home country’s U.S. Consulate.

For detailed information, visit the following websites:

There is a standard $160 fee, plus a determined visa application fee. Depending on the country you are from, there may also be an issuance fee. Check with the Consulate for the exact cost.

Some students can apply for a renewal of their visa at the border posts of Mexico or Canada. There are stringent restrictions on scheduling an appointment in Canada or Mexico, so verify your eligibility before you travel. To enter a third country, you may also need an entry visa and should inquire with the consulate either by phone or through their websites.

See the section below for information about eligibility for visa renewal in a third country. 

The International Services Office has been notified of several security screening updates concerning visa issuance for international students, scholars, and visitors traveling abroad and meeting certain criteria. This screening process may add an additional period of up to 20 working days to the third-country application process.

Applicants subject to security screening will be required to complete a background questionnaire form that will cover previous military service and weapons training, previous travels, and whether the applicant had any other passports.

Because of these new requirements, please check with International Services to determine if you are eligible to renew your visa in Canada, Mexico, or any other third country; if you are not eligible, you may need to make arrangements to renew your visa in your home country.

Note: If an F-1 or J-1 student’s US visa stamp is valid (unexpired), this provision/benefit is not needed for your travel to Canada/Mexico. You may re-enter the U.S., even if your trip is less than or more than 30 days, with your valid visa and all other required documents for re-entry.

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. under certain circumstances without a valid (unexpired) U.S. non-immigrant visa stamp.

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 or J non-immigrant visa holder, this provision also 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 (if applicable) and I-94 card.