Travel in H-1B Status

You are permitted to travel outside of the United States during your period of H-1B authorization. However, please be aware that any time you travel outside of the U.S., you do so at your own risk. Re-entry into the U.S. is never guaranteed for nonimmigrant status holders.

Generally, you need a valid, unexpired H-1B visa in your valid, unexpired passport in order to request re-entry into the United States. If your H-1B visa has expired, or you do not have an H-1B visa in your passport for your current period of H-1B authorization, you must apply for an H-1B visa at a U.S. embassy/consulate abroad before you can re-enter the U.S. in H-1B status.

Refer to the website of the specific U.S. embassy/consulate where you plan to apply for more information on what you will need in order to apply for an H-1B visa. Each consulate is different and may have different requirements. In general, you should plan to bring your original H-1B approval notice, a copy of your H-1B petition, a current letter from your MUSC department (on department letterhead) stating that you are still in valid employment status, and copies of your two most recent paystubs.

You must notify the Center for Global Health in advance prior to traveling outside of the United States during your H-1B authorization period. If your return is delayed, or if you experience issues with obtaining a visa while abroad, please notify the Center for Global Health so that we are aware of your situation.

Each time that you re-enter the United States, you must retrieve your new I-94 admission record from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website. You will save a copy of the I-94 admission record for your own personal records. You must also provide your new I-94 admission record (and a copy of your new H-1B passport visa, if applicable) to the Center for Global Health. Center for Global Health staff will then review your documents to ensure that everything is correct.

For more information on travel in H-1B status, refer to the H-1B Travel document.