Domestic travel: Exchange visitors travelling domestically should carry their original immigration documents (passport, DS-2019, and I-94 card) with them.

International Travel: J-1 exchange visitors traveling outside the United States should be certain to have all necessary documents for entry into all countries he or she intends to visit and for re-entry into the United States. For re-entry into the United States, the exchange visitor needs:

• A valid passport (if subject to passport requirement)
• A valid J-1 visa (if subject to visa requirement)
• A travel signature of the Responsible Officer (RO) or Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO) of the program sponsor on the lower right-hand corner of the Form DS-2019 OR a new DS-2019 for extension of stay or transfer to a different program. In general, ISSP recommends that the travel endorsement be no older than 6 months at the time of re-entry to the United States. Exchange visitors should contact the ISSP office at least 10 days prior to departure to obtain a travel endorsement on the Form DS-2019.
• Proof of financial support as indicated on the Form DS-2019
• Dependents: Dependent J-2 spouse and children must have their own Form DS-2019 and follow the same procedure as the exchange visitor for re-entry.

Applying for a new J-1 visa: If a new visa is required, the exchange visitor should take the valid passport, endorsed DS-2019, and evidence of financial support to a United States Consulate or Embassy to apply. Before scheduling and presenting him/herself at the U.S. Consulate or Embassy for a visa appointment, the exchange visitor should contact the U.S. Consulate or Embassy where s/he intends to apply for the visa. The exchange visitor should inquire about any additional requirements for his/her visa application as the procedures and protocols may vary from Consulate to Consulate. At this time, the exchange visitor should also familiarize him/herself with that Consulate's visa processing times.

Non-Emory sponsored exchange visitors: If the exchange visitor is sponsored by an agency other than Emory University, a Responsible Officer of that sponsoring agency must sign the Form DS-2019 for travel.

Automatic Revalidation: Some exchange visitors travelling to Canada, Mexico, and Caribbean countries excluding Cuba for fewer than 30 days may be eligible for automatic revalidation of their expired J-1 visas; see an ISSP advisor for more details.

Upon re-entry to the United States, exchange visitors must provide copies of the new I-94 card and the new visa stamp if one was obtained.

Caution to scholars taking extended travel time! J-1 Exchange Visitors traveling outside the U.S. and not for the purpose of their program for extended periods of time (30 days and more) will require verification that the J-1 Research Scholar or Professor has permission from their current supervisor from his/her hosting department and a responsible officer at ISSP, prior to obtaining the travel endorsement signature on the form DS-2019. J-2 dependents will be required to travel with the J-1 exchange visitor outside the U.S., if the travel is more than 30 days. To support the exchange visitor's re-entry to the U.S., a letter of explanation from his/her supervisor will be sufficient.

J-1 Research Scholars and Professors continuing their program activities outside the US for more than 30 days must follow special procedures. Extended travel time of 30 days or more will require verification that the J-1 Research Scholar or Professor has permission from his/her hosting department to travel during his/her program. Please note that most absences of more than 30 days result in the program ending. From the Research Scholar/Professor’s program end date, s/he may not return to the US as a Research Scholar/Professor for 2 years. In order to return to the US, such an Exchange Visitor would have to investigate options of returning in a different immigration status or J-1 category.

The J-1 Research Scholar or Professor's supervisor must submit an online notification form to ISSP. Click here for the link to the online submission form. If approved, ISSP is required to report this absence to the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State via SEVIS. In this special case, while outside of the US, J-1 Research Scholars and Professors are still required to email ISSP with a new address within 10 days of any change.