International Programs
J1 Students - Travel
If you leave the U.S. at any time during your studies and intend to re-enter, you must be in possession of a valid DS-2019 form to present to immigration officials upon return to the U.S. If there have been no substantial changes in the amount or source of your financial support, degree or field of study, or graduation date, you can then follow the steps below. If you have substantial changes, you should obtain a new DS-2019 reflecting the new information.
To travel outside the U.S., you need:
A valid, endorsed DS-2019 form, signed by an authorized staff member in OIP. This signature notifies Department of Homeland Security that you are a full-time enrolled student at SOU. You must also have in your possession:
- A valid passport (at least six months into the future)
- A valid visa. You need this to return to the U.S. except when you travel to Canada or Mexico - see below)
- A valid I-94. You will surrender your I-94 card to the border officials when leaving the U.S. except when you travel to Canada or Mexico.
For additional information about how to apply for or renew your J1 visa, please visit the Department of State website at http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/
Information for Special Registrants
Some students are subject to what is known as Special Registration when the enter the United States. The National Security Entry and Exit Registration System (NSEERS) was implemented in December 2003. For the most part, those individuals subjected to Special Registration are young men from countries which are predominantly Muslim, but it is not only these individuals who are subject to this more rigorous inspection process. If you are what is considered to be a Special Registrant, you will usually have NSEERS stamped into your passport and a Fingerprint Identification Number (FIN) will be noted in your passport and on your I-94 card when you come into the U.S. You will also be interviewed and you will be given materials which you should read carefully. There is also good information provided by the US Immigration and Customs and Enforcement branch at the following website: http://www.ice.gov/pi/specialregistration/index.htm.
Travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean (F-1 & J-1 visa holders):
- Travel to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean (and contiguous islands) requires different documentation than travel anywhere else in the world. In order to enter these countries, you must make sure that your I-94 form (the small white card) is valid for longer than the period you expect to stay in that country. If your I-94 card says D/S, this is sufficient, as long as you are not near your academic completion date (the completion date is indicated on your Form I-20 or DS-2019).
- In addition to a valid I-94 form, F-1 students need to take along a valid passport and a valid I-20 form. It is advisable to take evidence of financial support, which could include a bank statement or scholarship letter from sponsor.
- The requirement that a valid U.S. visa be stamped into your passport for your return to the U.S. is waived for a visit of fewer than 30 days to Canada as long as you are in possession of a valid I-94 form. The immigration officials will look at your I-94 card when you enter Canada and when you enter the U.S., but they should not take it from you.
Note: Depending upon your country of citizenship, you may need a visa to enter Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean. If you travel to these areas, you will need to contact the appropriate embassy in the U.S.
