Whether you want to return to your home country over summer break, explore Europe on spring break, or participate in a study abroad program, chances are good that at some point during your time at Indiana University you will want to travel outside the United States.
But before you pack your luggage, there are some steps you need to take to protect your status.
OIS cannot sign your DS-2019 for travel during your post-completion grace period, and you cannot re-enter with your J-1 status if you depart the United States.
Learn moreBefore you leave the country, make sure you have a valid travel signature from an OIS advisor or your program sponsor on your DS-2019. You will not be able to re-enter the United States without one.
To get a travel signature, make a request through iStart at least two weeks before you plan to travel.
Travel signatures are valid for one calendar year, or until the completion of your program, whichever comes first.
You need a travel signature even if you are just traveling across the border into Canada or Mexico. Read more below.
If there have been any changes in your situation that are not indicated on your current DS-2019 (for example, if you have changed your major, degree level, or source(s) of financial support), you will need to get a new one.
Making these changes can be very difficult. Please call 812-855-9086 to make an appointment with an OIS advisor to talk about your plans before you begin the process.
For changes in your source(s) of funding, request a travel signature through iStart and include the changes in the “Notes” section.
For a change in major or degree level, you will need to complete the New Degree Program e-form in iStart. However, you do not need to request a travel signature. When your new degree program request is approved, a new DS-2019 will be printed and will be valid for travel.
Check the completion date in section 3 of your DS-2019 to see whether it is about to expire. If it expires while you are outside the United States, you will not be able to re-enter the U.S.
If your DS-2019 is about to expire and you have not yet completed your program, you can apply for an extension on iStart if IU is your program sponsor. If IU is not your sponsor, please discuss your extension needs with your program sponsor contact.
Is the J-1 visa stamp in your passport valid beyond the date you plan to re-enter the United States? If not, you must apply for a new visa while you are abroad. We strongly advise you to carry the following documents with you when applying for a new visa at a U.S. consulate:
Note: if you intend to apply for a new U.S. visa in Canada or Mexico and are not a resident of either country, please discuss your plans with an OIS advisor.
See also the U.S. Department of State’s website on information for nonimmigrants present in the United States, and visiting Canada or Mexico.
If you need to apply for a new U.S. visa, visit the Department of State’s U.S. embassies and consulates website for an updated list of visa application locations.
If you are traveling to a country other than your home country, you may need a visitor’s or transit visa. To find out, visit that country’s embassy website at Foreign Embassies of Washington, D.C., and search for the consular section nearest you.
If you are traveling to the European Union and your home country is not within the European Union, you may apply for the Schengen visa, which permits travel within E.U. countries.
For the latest travel advisories, visit the U.S. Department of State’s website.
