Traveling on O1 visa

[jefferyd]

Hello

I'm a Canadian living in the US on an O1 visa. When I entered the US they stapled the I94 in my passport and my attorney told me to leave it there, which I did. I twice traveled back to Canada and the border agents left the card. I just left to go on vacation in the Dominican Republic and an airline agent removed the card saying that when leaving the US or Canada I had to surrender it, which meant I had to get someone into my locked office and drill the lock on my desk to get me my original notice of approval so I can get back into the US. My attorney thinks they should not have taken it because there is no visa stamp for Canadians and that next time I should just refuse to surrender the I94 so I don't have to carry the six pounds of paperwork with me every time I travel (seriously- the thing weighs six pounds!)

Has anybody had similar experiences?

 

[angela20]

Travel to Canada or Mexico

If you are traveling only to Canada or Mexico for fewer than thirty days, you will not need to obtain a new visa stamp to return to the U.S. To qualify for this privilege, you must:

Be in lawful O-1 status
Have an unexpired I-94 card with you (do not surrender it when you leave the U.S.)
Have a passport valid at least six months into the future on the day you return
Travel only to one of the destinations above and for fewer than 30 days. For example, you cannot use revalidation to enter Canada, depart to another country, return to Canada and then return to the US within 30 days.
Must not apply for a visa while in Canada or Mexico.
If you apply for a visa while in Canada or Mexico, you must wait for it to be issued before you return. If your visa application is denied, you are not allowed to use "automatic revalidation" to return to the U.S. and must travel to your country of citizenship to apply for a new visa.
Have a current original I-797 Approval Notice in your possession
Have a O-1 visa (expired or valid) in your passport that matches the immigration status described by your I-94 card (If you have changed your non-immigrant status in the U.S., the visa may correspond to your previous non-immigrant status before the change was granted.)