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Cooper Union

Travel with I-20 or OPT/STEM OPT

Traveling Within the U.S.: 

When traveling in the United States and outside New York City, you should always carry your original immigration documents, including a valid passport and visa documents (Form I-20) for identification purposes. 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers may stop individuals and ask for identification at their discretion. When traveling inside the United States by air, please always carry the same immigration documents and follow the guidelines set by the TSA: Transportation Security Administration. It is important to check the TSA's web site before traveling each time since guidelines and regulations tend to change frequently.

For day to day life in New York City, you do not need to carry your original documents with you. We recommend having digital copies, or photos, of your passport, visa stamp, and visa document (Form I-20) with you at all times, accessible on a phone or other mobile device. 

Traveling Outside the U.S.: 

You must plan for international travel by first reviewing your visa documents for reentry to the U.S. In addition, if traveling to a country that is not your own, you need to confirm that you have the required entry visa documents for that country. Please contact the embassy or consulate of the particular country you plan to visit for detailed information on what you need to do to apply for an entry visa should you need one.  

If you need a new travel signature, please complete the Travel Signature Request. The ISSO will email you a new I-20 with updated travel signature in 3 days. Once you receive the updated I-20, be sure to print, sign, and date it.

Student Validity/Length
Enrolled F-1 Student (I-20) A travel signature on page 2 of your I-20 is valid for 12 months or until the program end date on the I-20, whichever comes first.
F-1 Post-Completion and STEM/OPT Student (I-20) A travel signature on page 2 of your I-20 is valid for 6 months or until the expiration date of the EAD, whichever comes first.

To reenter the U.S., the following documents are required: 

  • Passport, valid at least six months after your date of entry into the U.S.
  • Valid visa (some exceptions exist for travel to Canada, Mexico, and adjacent islands. See information about Automatic Visa Revalidation or renewing F-1 visa info here.
  • I-20 signed for travel
  • If you are currently on OPT, your EAD card and proof of employment is required if you are able to provide it (this can be a letter from your employer stating that you are currently employed, an offer letter if you have not yet started the employment, and/or pay stubs)
  • Travel Tips for F-1 Students while on OPT or STEM

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.