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Travel

Current International Travel Restrictions and Considerations
- Visa Interview Waiver Eligibility - updated 2/18/2025. 
- Global US Visa Interview Wait Times
- Presidential Proclamation limiting entry into the US of citizens of 19 countries (effective 6/9/2025)
- US Department of State travel restrictions for South Sudanese citizens (effective 4/5/2025)

Traveling to the U.S.

Individuals coming to the U.S. in H-1B, TN and E-3 status must obtain the relevant visa from a U.S. embassy or consulate – unless exempt from the visa requirement. Once the visa has been issued, the individual may enter the country as early as ten days prior to the approved start date as indicated on their H-1B Approval Notice/LCA (E-3/H-1B1) or TN documents. Individuals attempting to enter the U.S. before this 10-day period run the risk of being refused admission at the border.

Please be sure to review CBP’s international visitor information to review important information regarding the admission process and about bringing food, medication, pets and money and other monetary instruments into the U.S. Also, note that CBP reserves the right to inspect your electronic devices, such as your cell phone, tablet or laptop. If your electronic device is selected for such an inspection, you should receive a CBP fact sheet with additional details. Refer to ITS Safe Computing website for UM guidance on traveling with technology.

Applying for a Visa

The visa sticker or “stamp” serves a limited purpose; it is merely a travel document that allows you to travel to a U.S. port of entry and apply for admission to the U.S. While many individuals coming to the U.S. will receive a visa that is valid for the entire period of intended stay, many others receive visas that are only valid for a few months. Canadian citizens, generally, are exempt from the US non-immigrant visa sticker requirement.

It is currently not possible to apply for a new visa while in the U.S.; you can only apply for a U.S. visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad.

The visa application process varies from U.S. consulate to consulate. Therefore, applicants should closely review the information that is provided on the website for the consulate or embassy where they intend to apply. The Department of State provides visa interview wait times for all U.S. consulates and embassies. These wait times are estimates, are not guaranteed and do not include the time necessary for additional processes, such as administrative processing/ background checks.

In general, to apply for a U.S. visa, you will need to make an appointment with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, unless you qualify for a waiver of the visa interview. Please refer to the consulate where you intend to apply to determine whether you can qualify for such an interview waiver.

Individuals traveling to Canada and/or Mexico only may be eligible for the Automatic Visa Revalidation process. People who are eligible for this process do not need to apply for a new visa if their visa has expired.

Required Visa Application Documents

The following documents are commonly required of visa applicants. Please confirm with the U.S. consulate where you intend to apply whether there are any additional required documents.

  • Passport: It is strongly recommended that your passport is valid for the whole period covered by your H-1B Approval plus an additional 6 months.
  • Photograph: Uploaded with your DS-160.
  • DS-160 Confirmation Page: Form DS-160, a web-based non-immigrant application, required at all U.S. posts.
  • Application Fee: Each applicant must pay a nonrefundable application fee, so be sure to bring the barcoded receipt to your interview. There may be additional reciprocity fees for certain countries. To find out if your country of citizenship merits additional reciprocity fees, refer to the official Department of State Reciprocity Table.
  • I-797 Approval Notice, if applicable
  • Copy of your immigration status application:
    • H-1B petition
    • O-1 petition
    • TN letter E-3 LCA and/or petition
  • Form I-797 Approval Notice for I-612 Waiver of 2-year foreign residency requirement – if you were subject to the 2-year requirement and are applying for an H-1B visa. Eligibility for an H-1B visa requires presentation of actual waiver from USCIS, not the recommendation letter from the U.S. Dept. of State.
  • Additional documents: Your CV, a list of your publications and an itinerary or general statement about your plans in the U.S. Please refer to the website of the consulate where you intend to apply for a complete overview of additional documents
Visa Application Filing Tips

The first step in applying for a U.S. nonimmigrant visa is to complete a DS160 application. Department of State provides FAQs for general questions regarding required documents, accessibility of the DS160, what additional forms are required, how the save the form, etc.

U.S. Social Security Number is a nine-digit number assigned to U.S. citizens, permanent residents and eligible nonimmigrant workers in the United States. Social security numbers are used to report wages to the government, track Social Security benefits and for other identification purposes. If you have not previously worked in the United States, you probably do not have a SSN and can click “Does Not Apply.”

U.S. Taxpayer ID Number - Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, is a tax processing number only available for certain nonresident and resident aliens, their spouses, and dependents who cannot get a Social Security Number (SSN). Most people do not have a Taxpayer ID Number. In that case, you can click “Does Not Apply.”

Purpose of the Trip to the U.S.: You will need to choose purpose of the trip to the U.S., from a drop down menu to correspond to the specific classification we have requested for you (e.g. H-1B, TN, E-3). If we have filed a petition on your behalf, you need to enter the receipt/petition number in the appropriate box. The receipt/approval number can be found in the top left corner of the approval notice.

Specific Travel Plans: If you have made specific travel plans at the time of your visa application, you will need to provide the relevant flight information. Otherwise, you will need to provide general information about your travel plans.

The intended date of arrival can be any date of your choosing and does not have to match either the offer date or the start date on the Approval Notice or the TN/E-3 letter. Keep in mind that you cannot enter the U.S. more than 10 days prior to the requested start date, so for example if your H-1B/TN/E-3 start date is November 1, the earliest you can arrive in the U.S. would be October 22.

The intended length of stay can be the length indicated on the approval notice or in the TN/E-3 letter, even if your offer letter is for a short period of time. (For example, if your contract is valid for one year but your H-1B is for 3 years, you can choose 3 years as the intended length of stay).

Person/Entity paying for your trip: the drop down menu offers the following options: Self, U.S. Petitioner, Other Person, Present Employer, Employer in the U.S., Other Company/Organization. This question is asking who is paying for the actual trip to the U.S., not your salary in the U.S. (for example, the cost of airfare, any lodging along the way, meals, etc). In most cases, the employee (Self) is paying for the trip, unless arrangements have been made with the department or some other entity to cover the cost of the trip, in which case you would choose “U.S. Petitioner” or “Other Company/Organization” as appropriate.

DS160 will ask for Address where you will stay in the U.S., the name and contact information for the Contact Person or Organization in the U.S. and the U.S. Contact Address. If you have already found a place to live in the U.S., then you can list your residential address. If not, you can list the FSIS address, which is also listed on the approval notice (515 E. Jefferson, 1500 SAB, Ann Arbor, MI 48109) or address of your work location, if you know it, for both address where you will stay in the U.S. and for the U.S. contact Address. The contact person can either be the FSIS adviser who prepared your immigration documents or your PI/Supervisor.

Name of person/company who filled out the petition - the University of Michigan.

Where do you intend to work? You can either list the lab/campus address where you will be working, or the FSIS address (which is also listed on the approval notice (515 E. Jefferson, 1500 SAB, Ann Arbor, MI 48109).

Background Checks and Administrative Processing

Please note that, when applying for a visa, you may be selected for “administrative processing,” more commonly called a “background check,” by the consular official when you apply for your visa. Background checks can be imposed for a variety of reasons, including your personal background or the scientific or technical field in which they work. The government issues a new Technology Alert List (TAL) every year, which lists professions identified by the U.S. State Department as being a higher risk to national security. Working in a field included in this list does not necessarily mean that your visa application will be delayed, but you should be prepared for the possibility. The TAL is a classified document and not available to the public. Some fields on the TAL include nuclear technology, chemical, biotechnology, and biomedical engineering, advanced computer/ microelectronic technology, materials technology, and information technology, robotics, and urban planning.

Unfortunately, FSIS cannot exert any control on the background check process. Because a background check is always an option, it is recommended you apply for your visa as soon as possible.

CBP Pre-Clearance

Depending on how you are traveling to the U.S., you may be required to go through U.S. immigration at a CBP Pre-Clearance location before boarding your flight to the U.S., instead of upon your arrival in the U.S. If you are going through U.S. immigration at Pre-Clearance, please be sure to allow for sufficient time to go through the immigration process before you have to board your flight to the U.S. The Pre-Clearance site can confirm recommended timelines and location-specific requirements.

Traveling in the U.S.

While in the U.S., you should carry your original immigration/status documents (e.g. passport, I-94 print-out and H-1B approval notice) with you. Even though you may not be asked for it, it is important to note that, by law, foreign nationals 18 years and older are required to carry their “registration form” with them. As a non-immigrant, your registration form is your I-94. Please be sure to store copies of all your immigration documents, should you lose your original documents and need to replace them.

Returning to the U.S.

While you hold H-1B/TN/E-3/H-1B1 status, you are generally free to travel internationally. Before you travel, please review the University of Michigan Travel Information & Registration website, which includes current travel conditions and helpful links, as well as a registration for faculty, staff and students traveling for University-related activities. The Department of State also issues travel alerts and warnings.

Travel Document List

To re-enter the U.S. after a stay abroad, you should always bring the following documents:

  • Valid passport
  • Valid visa stamp, if applicable, in the appropriate category (H-1B, E-3, TN, etc.)
  • H-1B Approval Notice, if applicable
  • Copy of your immigration status application:
    • H-1B petition, or
    • TN letter, or
    • E-3/H-1B1 LCA and/or petition
  • Three last paystubs
  • Employment Confirmation Letter from your department:
    [DATE]
    To Whom It May Concern:
    RE: Employment Verification of [Full Name]
    This letter is written to confirm that [Full Name] is employed with the University of Michigan, [Department Name], pursuant to the terms and conditions of our approved H-1B petition. [Full Name] will continue to be employed in the position of [Job Title] at an annual salary of [Wage Rate] upon their return.
    Sincerely,
    [Name of Department Administrator/Department Contact]
    [Job Title]
Travel with a Pending Green Card Application

Individuals in H-1B or H-4 status may travel internationally on the basis of their H-documents while their employment-based green card application is pending without abandoning their green card application. If possible, re-entering the U.S. on the basis of one’s H-visa is recommended over using Advance Parole to enter the U.S. as H-status holders are better protected should there be an unexpected complication with the green card application. People who enter the U.S. on the basis of Advance Parole may continue to work on the basis of their valid and approved H-1B approval or on the basis of their EAD. Individuals in different immigration statuses, such as E-3, H-1B1, J-1, TN may be restricted from traveling internationally while they have a pending green card application, unless they also hold a valid Advance Parole document.

Automatic Visa Revalidation

If you are only traveling to Canada or Mexico for a period of less than 30 days, you may be eligible to re-enter the U.S. on the basis of an expired visa in your passport under a process called “automatic visa revalidation.”

In order to take advantage of Automatic Revalidation all of the following must apply:

  • The visit is ONLY to Canada or Mexico and you may NOT travel to any other country.
  • You did not apply for a new U.S. visa stamp while in Canada/Mexico.
  • Your passport must be valid for at least six months from your date of re-entry to the U.S., unless your country is a member of the so-called “six-month club.”
  • You must possess your portion of the approval notice (bottom left side of the I-797) – if in H-1B status
  • You must possess an unexpired I-94 record or admission stamp.
    • When exiting the U.S. for Automatic Revalidation do not surrender your I-94 if you have a paper I-94 card—you should need it for re-entry.
  • You must apply for readmission to the U.S. within the authorized period of your immigration status.
    • When returning to the U.S., you should be admitted on the basis of the previous I-94 record. As a result, you should not be able to extend your status by using the automatic visa revalidation process.
  • You must have maintained and intend to resume your non-immigrant status.

Automatic revalidation is not available to nationals from countries identified as state sponsors of terrorism. Individuals who apply for a new visa in Canada and/or Mexico, but are denied such a visa, are also not eligible to benefit from the automatic visa revalidation option.

We recommend that individuals planning to re-enter the U.S. under the automatic visa revalidation process carry with them the CBP article on automatic visa revalidation. In addition, please print the relevant regulations.

If you will be traveling by air, you should confirm that your airline is familiar with the visa revalidation process and will issue you a boarding pass when returning to the U.S. even though you have an expired U.S. visa in your passport.

Upon your return to the U.S., please send a copy of your new I-94 record to [email protected] for verification!

Travel while a Petition is Pending with USCIS

Whether or not you may travel internationally while your petition is pending depends on a variety of factors:

If our office filed a change of status petition for you
  • You must not travel outside of the U.S. while the petition is pending. Leaving the country while USCIS is reviewing your petition will cause USCIS to consider your petition for a change of status to be abandoned. Your underlying H-1B petition may still be approved, but you would have to depart the U.S. and apply for an H-1B visa abroad to re-enter the U.S. in H-1B status before you could start your H-1B employment.
  • Once USCIS approves your change of status petition, you may travel internationally. Your H-1B status will take effect on the date that was requested.
  • While travel, as outlined above, is permissible, you may encounter difficulties when re-entering the U.S. or when applying for a visa for your current status. Therefore, we recommend that you do not travel internationally from the moment your department starts the H-1B process with our office until your H-1B status takes effect.
Traveling while an extension of status petition is pending with USCIS

Traveling while an extension of status petition is pending with USCIS is permissible.

  • Please note that you must be in the U.S. when the H-1B petition is filed with USCIS.
  • You must alert the International Center of any travel plans while your H-1B extension is pending with USCIS.
  • If the extension is approved while you are abroad, you must re-enter the US using that Approval Notice. This means the documents may need to be sent to you while abroad.
  • If you re-entered the U.S. on the basis of your old Approval Notice, you would only be admitted until the expiration date of the old H-1B Approval Notice and you would likely have to travel again to have this corrected.
If your H-1B extension is pending with USCIS and your current H-1B status has expired

If your H-1B extension is pending with USCIS and your current H-1B status has expired, you must not travel internationally because you will need a valid H-1B approval and visa to re-enter the country.

  • If you must travel while your extension is pending and your H-1B status has expired, you will need to remain outside of the U.S. until your H-1B petition is approved. Your case may be converted to premium processing to accelerate the adjudication process.
If you are changing employers

If you are changing employers, you may travel while the U-M H-1B petition is pending. However, travel during this period is not recommended as you will need a valid H-1B Approval Notice and visa to re-enter the U.S. If you have a valid H-1B approval from your previous employer you may use that in conjunction with your U-M H-1B petition and Receipt Notice. Should your previous employer have withdrawn its H-1B petition - which is likely - you cannot use your previous H-1B approval. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you do not travel internationally during this period as you may not be able to return until your U-M H-1B petition has been approved.