You are allowed to travel outside of the United States during your H-1B approval period. Please note, however, that every time you travel outside of the US, you do so at your own risk. Re-entry into the US is never guaranteed to non-immigrant people.
Generally, you will need a valid, unexpired H-1B visa in your valid, unexpired passport to apply for 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 the current H-1B authorization period, you must obtain an H-1B visa at a. apply for US Embassy / Consulate abroad before you can re-enter the US with H-1B status. You cannot apply for an H-1B visa stamp renewal in the United States.
For more information on what to apply for an H-1B visa, please visit the website of the relevant US embassy / consulate. Every consulate is different and can have different requirements. In general, you should plan to bring your original H-1B permit, a copy of your H-1B application, an up-to-date letter from your MUSC department (on the department’s letterhead) stating that you are still in valid employment status and copies of your 2 most recent pay slips.
You must notify the Center for Global Health in advance before traveling outside of the United States during your H-1B approval period. If your return journey is delayed or you have problems obtaining a visa abroad, please notify CGH so that we can understand your situation.
Every time you re-enter the US, you will need to have your new I-94 registration dated US Customs and Border Protection website. You save a copy of the I-94 approval record for your personal records. You will also need to provide your new I-94 eligibility certificate (and a copy of your new H-1B passport visa, if applicable) to CGH by email. CGH will then review your documents to make sure everything is correct and that you are in valid H-1B status.
For more information on traveling in H-1B status, see the following document: H-1B Travel (PDF).
