DO I need to have Airport transit visa if my US F1 visa is expired and I have H1b approval notice? [duplicate]

My F1 visa expired in June 2018. My OPT is valid till Jan 30, 2019. I got my H1b approved this year, so officially from Oct 1st, 2018 I am on H1 now and I have H1b approval notice. I am travelling from the USA to India (where I will be going for H1b stamping) from 17th November to 10th Dec 2018 through Lufthansa and have 4 hr layover in Frankfurt, Germany. Would I need Airport transit visa? I am an Indian citizen.

Best Answer

According to Timatic, the database used by airlines:

TWOV (Transit Without Visa):

Nationals of India transiting through Frankfurt (FRA) or Munich (MUC), arriving from a non-Schengen Member State with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight within 24 hours to a third country which is not a Schengen Member State. They must:

have a used, valid or expired visa issued by Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland (Rep.), Japan, Romania, USA or United Kingdom, and

be returning from the country that issued the visa, and

stay in the international transit area of the airport, and

have documents required for their next destination.

So if you hold an Indian passport and are travelling directly (as I read your question) from the United States to Frankfurt and then on to India with a four-hour connection, then it appears that you do not need a visa.

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Can I transit through USA with expired visa?

Do not make final travel plans or buy tickets until you have a visa. Unless canceled or revoked, a visa is valid until its expiration date. Therefore, a valid U.S. visa in an expired passport is still valid.

Can I travel domestically with expired F-1 visa?

What if my F-1 student visa has expired? You can stay in the United States on an expired F-1 visa as long as you maintain your student status. However, if you are returning home or traveling to a country where automatic revalidation does not apply, you must have a valid visa to return to the United States.

Can I transit US airport without visa?

ESTA is required in all cases of entering the U.S.Travelers must apply for and receive ESTA even when transiting in the U.S. to a third country without a visa. You must apply for ESTA in any of the following cases: transit, transfer, or stopover (layover).

What if your visa expires while waiting for another one?

Your best option in such a situation is to leave the United States and either visit a U.S. consulate to get a new visa for reentry or, if you haven't yet reached the expiration date on your old visa and multiple entries are allowed on it, simply return.

Do I Need A Transit Visa If My Plane Has A Stop In The US?

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