Visa, green-card holders should carry documents when traveling

Thursday, October 18, 2001 • Vol 7, Issue 20

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In light of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, it is important for visa and green-card holders to carry proper immigration documents when traveling outside of the United States with the intent of returning.

Because of heightened security at airports and borders, there is more scrutiny of foreign nationals coming into the United States. It is advisable that visa and green card holders request an employment-verification letter to serve as additional documentation of good standing.

If the end date of your visa-identification page has expired, you will need to secure a new visa stamp at a U.S. consulate before returning to the United States. Before traveling outside of the United States, consider the following:

• H1-B's need to carry their original Form I-797A, Notice of Approval. The Immigration and Naturalization Service and State Department officials will not accept photocopies.
• J-1's need to carry all of their IAP-66 forms.
• F-1 CPT/OPT's need to check re-entry eligibility on their EAD cards.
• Those on Advanced Parole should carry travel documents.
• Those limited to one or two U.S. entries should track the number of entries already used.

If you are unsure of the documents you need to bring with you, or if you need to request an employment-verification letter, please contact Amy Garrett at 206-667-4460 or agarrett@fhcrc.org or Maria Springer, 206-667-5818 or mspringer@fhcrc.org.

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