Travel Abroad

Travel within the United States does not require a travel signature or any special documents. The information below relates to travel outside the U.S.

Before you leave:
Make sure your DS-2019 is with you and has been signed for travel by an advisor from ISSS within the last year. Also, make sure the program end date on your DS-2019 will not expire by the time you plan to return to the US. Dependents in J-2 status must also have their DS-2019s signed for travel.

The visa stamp in your passport will need to be valid for reentry on the date you return to the U.S. (unless you are a citizen of Canada or the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda and do not need a US entry visa). Your passport will also need to be valid when you plan to return.

To enter the U.S., the following documents are required:

• Valid passport
• Valid U.S. visa
• Valid DS-2019 signed for travel
  • Please fill out the "J-1 Travel Signature Request" e-form on iTerp

Other Information that may be beneficial during this process:

• Previous DS-2019s
• Current proof of financial support
• Letter from University department verifying employment or visit.
• University of Maryland pay stubs, if available.

If you'll need to obtain or renew your visa at a US consulate abroad before you return, make sure that the consulate where you plan to apply will be open and able to issue your visa in the time you have available. You can obtain advance information about schedules and processing procedures at many US consulates via the State Department website. You can obtain the State Department's estimate of visa wait times at most posts. Visa issuance can be delayed by security checks. Most security checks now take less than 30 days.

Special Travel Situations

Automatic Visa Revalidation

Special rules for travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean (except Cuba). If you are planning a trip:

1. To Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean ONLY (Applicable Caribbean islands are listed below)
2. And your trip will last LESS THAN 30 days

Then you can re-enter the U.S. using an expired J-1 visa stamp if you meet the following criteria:

1. You are in valid J-1 status
2. You have a valid passport (for at least 6 months beyond day of re-entry to U.S.)
3. You have an I-94 marked "Admitted J-1 until D/S".  To access your I-94 record, visit www.cbp.gov/I94.
4. You have a recent travel signature (within 12 months) on your DS-2019. Please note, the Canadian government prefers to see a more recent travel signature (within 2 months) before they issue a Canadian tourist visa stamp.
5. You have an expired U.S. visa stamp in your passport. It cannot be stamped "cancelled." If you applied for a new visa and it has not been issued or has been denied, you will not be able to re-enter the U.S. on your expired visa.
6. You are NOT from one of the following countries: Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria.

*NOTE: Visitors who have changed status to J-1 in the U.S. and who are traveling out of the U.S. for the first time are NOT eligible for automatic visa revalidation.

Please check with the appropriate embassies to see whether or not you will need to apply for a visa before you enter Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean islands. The Canadian Embassy; The Mexican Embassy. Caribbean Islands where Automatic Visa Revalidation is applicable:
Saint Pierre, Miquelon, The Dominican Republic, Haiti, Bermuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, The Windward and Leeward Islands, Trinidad, Martinique, and other British, French and Netherlands territory or possessions in or bordering on the Caribbean Sea.