I want to Travel

I Want to Go Home for a Vacation!

Great! All you need to do is bring your I-20 document to the International Student Services office and any of our staff can sign it for you. The signature on page 3 of the I-20 is your travel endorsement. Please check the date on this signature. It is valid for one year.

• For example, if the signature is dated July 12, 2018 – you are OK to travel until July 12 of 2019.
• We do not issue new I-20’s for travel because you are required to keep ALL old I-20’s, and we don’t want you to lose any.
• If you need to renew your visa while you are at home, don’t worry! It’s usually very easy to renew a visa. You will need your passport and I-20 document. It’s also a good idea to take a copy of your transcript so that you can prove that you have been enrolled full-time each semester.

I Want to Go Home in the Middle of the Semester!

Not so great! You will need to talk to your professors about missing classes and assignments. You will be required to make up any missed work, and it’s possible that you will not be able to make up class participation. This may affect your grade, so please be sure to discuss this carefully with your professors.

• In general, American students do not leave the university during the middle of the semester except for one or two days. An absence of more than one week will probably result in a failing grade for the semester because there is a required number of class hours that you MUST meet.
• Please do your best to plan all travel during holidays or summer break.

I Want to Travel in the United States!

Great! Please enjoy your vacation time. All you need is a photo identification such as your passport. Please make sure that the name on your tickets exactly matches the name on your passport. There are no other documents needed to travel inside the United States.

I Want to Participate in UMHB Study Abroad trips!

Great! You need to think about two things:

• Where are you going? Does this country require an entrance visa for citizens of your country? Google the embassy of the country you want to enter to find out!
• Can you re-enter the United States? Your F1 visa must be current. You cannot re-enter on an expired visa. You may need to visit the American embassy in the study abroad country to renew your visa. This is not difficult, but you must plan ahead and make an appointment.