Tips for A Safe Trip -- After 911

The events of September 11 have and will continue to impact us all. As you know, different government agencies are asking for more scrutiny of international students, more control of borders, more screening for visas, and increased airport security. In order to ensure safe and happy trips for our students, we are sharing the general advice provided by the International Student and Scholar Service of the University of Houston with everybody.
Recommended Documents for Specific Travel Situations
In Houston: Travel with a photocopies of your I-20 (or IAP-66 if you are on a J visa), passport, and I-94 card.
Outside Houston but In the US: Travel with originals of the above documents.
Applying for visas in Mexico or Canada: The State Department contractor that schedules appointments for third country nationals at Canadian and Mexican posts is back in operation, but the system has changed since it was halted on November 16. The most important change is the creation of a 20-day waiting period for men aged 16 to 45 from selected countries. These countries appear to be Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. There are undocumented reports that people from other countries have also been subjected to the delay and that the waiting period is being imposed on female applicants. We recommend that if you are from one of these countries, you may want to avoid applying for a visa in Canada or Mexico.
Another important change is that applications from third country nationals are being reviewed upon receipt to determine if the applicant is subject to the 20-day waiting period. If the applicant is found to be subject, their appointment will be cancelled. For this reason, applicants should delay making travel plans for five days after making their appointment to be sure that their appointment has not been cancelled.
Attempting reentry to the US from Canada & Mexico with an expired visa: We recommend that anyone who is on the above list of 25 countries and has an expired visa, not travel to Canada or Mexico. Other students who need to use the provision of “automatic extension of visa (e.g., reentry using your I-20 or IAP-66 and I-94 card)” to reenter the US, may also have difficulty in reentering the US. You should be prepared to be interviewed, photographed, and fingerprinted. If you have questions or need more information, feel free to contact our office.
Reentry to the US from Canada or Mexico on a trip of less than 30 days: If you need to reenter using your I-20, passport, and I-94 card only (visa has expired), you should expect an interview with the possibility of being photographed and fingerprinted. Unless something unusual is discovered you should be allowed to reenter the U.S.
Reentry to the US from your home country: Have your I-20 (or IAP-66) with a current endorsement for travel and reentry to the US, a current passport, and a valid visa. To avoid delays in case of additional security inspections, you may want to have your transcripts and proof of financial support. Letter from school:
usually only needed when applying for a visa.