{"id":10005,"date":"2022-07-22T14:52:17","date_gmt":"2022-07-23T00:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/issmanoa\/?page_id=10005"},"modified":"2026-04-27T09:24:59","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T19:24:59","slug":"opt-and-travel","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/issmanoa\/?page_id=10005","title":{"rendered":"OPT and Travel"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The following are common questions relating to Travel while on OPT or waiting for OPT approval.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAre ISS travel signatures necessary on I-20s during OPT?\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Yes. During the pending OPT application period or the OPT authorization period, travel signatures are valid for only 6 months.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCan I travel outside the U.S. while my application is pending?\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Yes. SEVP has confirmed that students with pending applications to USCIS may depart and re-enter the U.S. as long as they print out and carry the official USCIS application receipt (I-797C).\u00a0 However, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) ultimately decides if a traveler is admissible to the U.S. Documents required for re-entry while OPT is pending:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Passport valid for at least 6 months into the future from the date of entry<\/li>\n
  2. Valid visa<\/li>\n
  3. Current I-20 with valid travel signature (dated within 6 months of re-entry)<\/li>\n
  4. USCIS receipt (form I-797C)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIs there anything I need to consider before making travel plans?\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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    Yes. Due to recent changes in photo policies, USICS may send students a Request for Evidence (RFE) notice that requires them to go to a scheduled appointment at the nearest Application Support Center (ASC) to take photo and biometrics for the application. This would require students to be in the U.S., so be careful about traveling before this is completed. Missing an appointment may delay an application.<\/p>\n

    Other RFEs may be responded to online through the student's USCIS account. However, if certain documents are required for proof, the student needs to make sure they have ready access to those documents while outside the U.S.<\/p>\n

    Furthermore, if the OPT is approved and the Employment Authorization Document (EAD, or \"OPT card\") is mailed while a student is traveling, they must be sure to have someone checking and picking up their mail. Otherwise, the EAD will be returned to USCIS. Re-entry without the EAD that has been approved may also complicate the re-entry process.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t

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    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCan students without a job travel while on OPT? \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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    Yes. Students should know how much unemployment time is left in their work authorization periods as this may be a factor in CBP determining admissibility to the U.S. Note: Students who have accumulated 90 days of unemployment or more are considered in violation of status and may be barred from re-entry.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t

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    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhat documents are necessary to re-enter the U.S. while on OPT? \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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      \n
    1. Passport that\u2019s valid for at least 6 months into the future at the time of re-entry<\/li>\n
    2. Valid F-1 Visa<\/li>\n
    3. Valid EAD<\/li>\n
    4. Valid I-20 with a travel signature not more than 6 months old at the time of re-entry<\/li>\n
    5. Employer letter (that confirms current or future employment); students without an employer letter should be prepared to answer questions about their continuing OPT.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Note:<\/strong> Be sure that any and all employment is updated in the SEVP Portal Account.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      The following are common questions relating to Travel while on OPT or waiting for OPT approval.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":9666,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,78],"tags":[50],"class_list":["post-10005","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-f-1","category-opt-pages","tag-opt","post"],"yoast_head":"\nOPT and Travel - International Student Services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/issmanoa\/?page_id=10005\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"OPT and Travel - International Student Services\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The following are common questions relating to Travel while on OPT or waiting for OPT approval.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/issmanoa\/?page_id=10005\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"International Student Services\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-27T19:24:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/issmanoa\/?page_id=10005\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/issmanoa\/?page_id=10005\",\"name\":\"OPT and Travel - 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