Here are the details:

Some important things to keep in mind when you make travel plans:

• You must have a valid, unexpired F-1 visa to re-enter the U.S.

  •  If traveling for less than 30 days to Canada, Mexico or adjacent islands in the Caribbean except Cuba, expired F-1 visas are considered extended to the date of re-entry and you won't need a new F-1 visa before re-entry. This does not apply if you are a national of a country identified as supporting terrorism in the Department of State's annual report to Congress "Patterns of Global Terrorism" (currently Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Cuba). This also only applies if you have maintained status, present a current valid I-20 endorsed by your DSO for travel, present a valid passport, present an unexpired Form I-94, have not applied for a visa while abroad, and do not require the authorization of temporary admission to U.S. under section 212(d)(3) of the Act (a provision for waiver of inadmissibility).

• You must have a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond the date you re-enter the U.S.

  •  If your visa in the expired passport is still valid, keep the old passport in order to present the valid visa.

  • Some countries have an agreement with the U.S. that allows re-entry with a passport until the date of expiration, meaning you can still enter the country even if it expires within 6 months. Check before traveling whether your home country is on this list.

 

In general, you can return to your home country if you have a passport with you issued by that country. If you are traveling to a different country, you must check with that country's Embassy for specific entry procedures (including Canada and Mexico).