Travel Information​ for Current International Students

On July 17, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule that begins the process to end Duration of Status (D/S) for F-1 and J-1 students.

The final rule was expected to go into effect on September 15, 2026. The effective date for the new regulations has been indefinitely postponed while a lawsuit challenging the new regulations continues. Please review the Immigration Updates article on the injunction for more details.

Until the new regulations go into effect, students entering the U.S. in F-1 or J-1 status should be admitted for the Duration of Status (D/S). With D/S, F-1 and J-1 students are allowed to remain in the U.S. as long as they are following the F-1 or J-1 regulations and need additional time to complete their program activities. Program activities include completing your academic program or working on an F-1 or J-1 work authorization like OPT or Academic Training.

If you are allowed to enter the U.S. based on Duration of Status, you should see the abbreviation D/S instead of a date in the Admit Until Date section of your I-94.

To keep D/S after the new regulations go into effect, you must meet all the following criteria:

• Enter the U.S. in F-1 or J-1 status before the new regulations go into effect.
• Remain in the U.S. after the new regulations go into effect until the end of your current program or the end of your current period of Post-Completion or STEM OPT.

After the new regulations go into effect, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers will give all F-1 and J-1 students a fixed end date based on the dates on your I-20, DS-2019, or OPT EAD Card.

Every time an F-1 or J-1 student re-enters the U.S. under the new regulations, they can be granted a block of time in F-1 or J-1 status of up to 4 years. F-1 and J-1 students with program end dates less than four years in the future should expect their new block of time in F-1 or J-1 status to match the program end date plus a 30-day departure period.

The status end date will be labelled as the Admit Until Date (AUD) on the I-94. The AUD will determine the end of your current period of F-1 or J-1 status, even if your I-20 or DS-2019 program end date is further in the future.

Because of these changes, we strongly recommend that all F-1 and J-1 students studying in the U.S. monitor the Immigration Updates page regularly for updates on the new regulations.

Please check your I-94 every time you enter the U.S. to confirm that your Class of Admission and AUD are correct.

Please provide ISSS with a copy of your most recent I-94 every time you re-enter the U.S. You can do that by completing the I-94 Update form in MyISSS.

You can find the form in the Passport, Visa and I-94 Update group in the F-1 and J-1 Student Services sections.

For more details about the F and J regulation changes, please review ISSS’s Immigration Updates page, DHS’s Final Rule Quick Facts page, and DHS’s Final Rule FAQ page.

Please email [email protected], schedule an ISSS F and J Student Travel Questions appointment, or participate in ISSS walk-in advising if you want to discuss the risks of travel given the regulatory changes.

You typically receive an initial I-20 or DS-2019 as a currently enrolled CU Denver or CU Anschutz student for one of the following reasons:

• You are returning to start a new degree program.
• You left the U.S. to take a temporary leave of absence from the university.
• You started your degree in another immigration status and want to continue your degree as an F-1 or J-1 student.
• You violated your F-1 or J-1 status and need to re-enter to regain status.

To re-enter the U.S. with an initial I-20 or DS-2019, you should carry valid immigration documents, proof of enrollment, and proof of funding when you travel internationally.

• The New Initial I-20 or DS-2019 for You and Any Dependents
• Your I-901 SEVIS Fee Receipt
  • You may be asked for proof that you paid the fee. You must pay the fee before ISSS can make your SEVIS Record active.
• A Valid Passport for You and Any Dependents
  • The passport expiration date should be at least six months after the date you return to the U.S.
  • Ideally, your passport expiration date should be no earlier than the program end date on your I-20 or DS-2019.
• A Valid F or J Visa for You and Any Dependents
  • The F or J Visa must be valid on the day that you return to the U.S. To avoid issues with travel delays, plan to return at least one to two weeks before your visa expiration date.
  • If you need to apply for a visa, please check the Global Visa Wait Times on the Department of State website and plan ahead for your visa renewal.
    • You can find our visa appointment guidance on our Arrival in Denver page.
• Proof that You Are a Current Student at CU Denver or CU Anschutz
  • You can provide one or more of the following documents to prove you are a current student:
    • Your Admissions Letter if You Are Returning to Start a New Program
    • Official Transcripts from the Registrar’s Office
      • CU Denver Transcript Page
      • CU Anschutz Transcript Page
    • Enrollment Verification Letter from the Registrar’s Office
      • CU Denver Enrollment Verification Request Form (PDF)
      • CU Anschutz Enrollment Verification Letter
    • Enrollment Verification Letter from Your Academic Department
• Proof that You Can Cover Your Cost of Attendance
  • Copies of bank statements, scholarship award letters, university funding letters, or other documents that confirm that you can cover the current estimated cost of attendance for your program
  • You can find the current estimated cost of attendance for your program on our Pre-Arrival Forms & Tools for International Students page.

If you are currently enrolled at CU Denver or CU Anschutz and have an active F or J SEVIS Record, you should carry valid immigration documents, proof of enrollment, and proof of funding when you travel internationally.

Please check your travel signature and make sure it is less than one year old. Ideally, you should request a new travel signature if it is more than six months old. Please complete the Travel Signature / I-20 Reprint Request in MyISSS if you need a new travel signature. Please allow for 10 to 15 business days to receive your updated I-20.

Important Documents for Your Travel

• Your Most Recent I-20s or DS-2019s with a Valid Travel Signature for You and Any Dependents
  • The travel signature can be no more than a year old when you return to the U.S.
  • ISSS recommends having a travel signature less than six months old.
• A Valid Passport for You and Any Dependents
  • The passport expiration date should be at least six months after the date you return to the U.S.
  • Ideally, your passport expiration date should be no earlier than the program end date on your I-20 or DS-2019.
• A Valid F or J Visa for You and Any Dependents
  • The F or J Visa must be valid on the day that you return to the U.S. To avoid issues with travel delays, plan to return at least one to two weeks before your visa expiration date.
  • If you need to apply for a visa, please check the Global Visa Wait Times on the Department of State website and plan ahead for your visa renewal.
    • You can find our visa appointment guidance on our Arrival in Denver page.
  • If you are traveling to Canada, Mexico, or an adjacent island other than Cuba, for less than 30 days, you may be allowed to re-enter on an expired F-1 or J-1 visa using Automatic Visa Revalidation.
    • Please review the Department of State website for details on the requirements.
• Proof that You Are a Current Student at CU Denver or CU Anschutz
  • You can provide one or more of the following documents to prove you are a current student:
    • Official Transcripts from the Registrar’s Office
      • CU Denver Transcript Page
      • CU Anschutz Transcript Page
    • Enrollment Verification Letter from the Registrar’s Office
      • CU Denver Enrollment Verification Request Form (PDF)
      • CU Anschutz Enrollment Verification Letter
    • Enrollment Verification Letter from Your Academic Department
• Proof that You Can Cover Your Cost of Attendance
  • Copies of bank statements, scholarship award letters, university funding letters, or other documents that confirm that you can cover the current estimated cost of attendance for your program
  • You can find the current estimated cost of attendance for your program on our Pre-Arrival Forms & Tools for International Students page.

As an F-1 or J-1 student, you can be asked by U.S. law enforcement or immigration officials to prove that you have a valid U.S. immigration status at any time while in the U.S.

Students in the process of regaining their F-1 or J-1 status should delay any non-essential travel within the U.S. until they have regained their F-1 or J-1 status.

Given the increased focus on immigration enforcement, it is important that you can always provide your valid immigration documents.

While we have seen examples of heightened enforcement all over the country, the Department of Homeland Security has long claimed specific authority to conduct immigration enforcement within 100 miles of the U.S. border. You can find more details about your rights and the 100-Mile Border Zone on the ACLU website.

You should also review the Know Your Rights Handouts article on the Immigration Updates page to learn about your rights during an encounter with an ICE official.

Please review the Carrying Immigration Documents article on the Immigration Updates page for the essential immigration documents that you need to have at all times.

In addition to the essential documents listed in the Carrying Immigration Documents article, you should also carry your CU Denver or CU Anschutz student ID Card, your health insurance card, and proof of your current enrollment.

You can provide one or more of the following documents to prove you are a current student:

• Official Transcripts from the Registrar’s Office
  • CU Denver Transcript Page
  • CU Anschutz Transcript Page
• Enrollment Verification Letter from the Registrar’s Office
  • CU Denver Enrollment Verification Request Form (PDF)
  • CU Anschutz Enrollment Verification Letter
• Enrollment Verification Letter from Your Academic Department

Please review the information on the Student Resources and Life in Colorado: Travel & Transportation pages for information about domestic travel options.

ISSS has provided additional details about traveling while on Post-Completion and STEM OPT in the Eligibility Courses:

• Travel & Re-Entry During Post-Completion OPT 
• Travel & Re-Entry During STEM OPT