Before Winter-Break Travel, Get the Travel Endorsement: an F-1 Student's I-20 Must Be Signed by the DSO Within One Year of the Return Date
F-1 students planning to leave the United States over winter break have one piece of paperwork they cannot skip: the travel endorsement on the Form I-20. According to Study in the States, the Department of Homeland Security's site for international students, a student with an active SEVIS record who travels outside the United States must have the Travel Endorsement section of the Form I-20 signed by a designated school official (DSO), the signature must be completed before the student travels, and the endorsement must be within one year of the student's desired return date.
In its August 17, 2026 back-to-school guidance, Study in the States urged students who intend to travel to confirm that their Form I-20 is up to date and to request travel signatures from their DSO at least two to four weeks before traveling. Students must also sign the Form I-20 themselves; both signatures are required.
Only a DSO at an SEVP-certified school may issue and sign a Form I-20. When a student's circumstances change in ways that require a SEVIS update, such as a new major, education level or funding source, the school issues an updated form, and students should travel with the newest version; an endorsement on an older form is no substitute.
The endorsement documents that the student is maintaining status and expected back to resume studies; the final decision on entry still rests with the Customs and Border Protection officer at the port of entry. Before departure, students should check their I-20, passport and visa together and keep their DSO's contact details on hand in case travel plans change.
(Source: Study in the States, U.S. Department of Homeland Security)
Source: Study in the States, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，美国护照新旧版本封面（美国国务院），公共领域 | Image: Wikimedia Commons, U.S. passport booklet cover versions, U.S. Department of State, public domain
