If you leave the US in F-1 OPT status, you should be aware of the following 

requirements for reentry to the US.  You should be prepared to present ALL 6 

of the following documents at the US Port of Entry upon returning to the US: 

1. Your valid passport.  Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months into 

the future.   

2. A valid F-1 entry visa in your passport.  If your F-1 visa has expired or will 

expire soon, you should be prepared to apply for a new F-1 visa outside of the 

US.  There are no guarantees that a new F-1 travel visa will be reissued.  

3.  A valid DSO signature for reentry on page 3 of your OPT I-20.  The DSO 

travel signature on page 3 of the OPT I-20 is valid for up to 6 months.  If the 

signature has expired or  will expire soon, you must apply for a new one by 

completing a “Green Sheet” request form and submitting it to ISO.  Please allow 

5 business days for processing.  

4. Your valid OPT EAD card.  Note: Your EAD card will state “NOT VALID 

FOR REENTRY TO THE US.”  This means that the EAD card alone will not 

suffice for reentry to the US. You should be prepared to present all 6 documents 

as listed on this sheet for reentry to the US. 

5. An official job offer letter for OPT.  The job duties listed should be directly 

related to your major/level field of study. 

6. Recent bank statements which show that you have funding to support 

yourself in the US while on OPT.  There is no set amount of funding to have in 

your account; however, you should be prepared to show enough funding to 

support yourself for at least 1 – 2 months into the future, especially if your OPT 

employment does not begin right away. 

of Entry, you risk being denied readmission to the US in F-1 OPT status.