General Information
When traveling outside the United States, you need to have in your possession the proper documents to return and resume your studies. These documents are:

• Passport valid at least six months beyond the date of US reentry
• Valid J-1 visa stamp in your passport
• Form DS2019 authorized for travel by an ISS counselor
• Note: You must surrender the current I-94 card at the US border/port of exit.  If this is not done you may have problems with your reentry or future immigration status (Exception: Auto revalidation to Canada or Mexico--see below).

If one or more of the above documents are not valid, you should contact the ISS reception desk by phone (494-5770) or visit the ISS office during walk-in times (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 9am-11:30am and 1:30pm - 4pm; Thursday 1:30pm - 4pm only) to inquire about the procedures to follow.  When visiting the ISS office, be sure to bring your passport, I-94 card, and current Form DS2019.

Furthermore, other documents could be carried with you to confirm your right to reenter the US.  Such documents would be proof of financial support as listed on your DS2019 or a Purdue transcript or enrollment certificate.

If you have a travel endorsement in the "Travel Validation by Responsible Officer" in the lower right corner of your DS2019, that endorsement is valid for a one year period from the date that it has been signed or until the expiration date of the DS2019, whichever comes first.  The expiration date is given in item #3 of the DS2019. 

Following are exceptions to this one-year endorsement.  Please read and pay careful attention to these exceptions.

• On the date that you complete your degree or program the endorsement is no longer valid.  This may be the date you deposit your thesis, complete the semester or graduate.

• A new travel endorsement must be obtained for J-1 students on academic training (AT) after application approval.  If you travel abroad on AT, be sure to carry your proof of employment in the US in order to return.

• If the visa stamp in your passport has expired you will need to have your DS2019 endorsed for travel and obtain a “good standing letter” from the ISS office in order to apply for a re-entry visa at a US Embassy or Consulate abroad.

• If you are academically dropped, suspended, expelled or terminated from the university the endorsement, your DS2019 is no longer valid.  It is imperative that you talk with an Immigration Counselor in ISS concerning your nonimmigrant status.  If one of these situations applies to you and you travel outside of the US, you should not use the endorsed DS2019 to reenter the US; you will be denied legal entry to the US.
  

• If you are traveling to Canada or European countries and need a visa stamp, that country might require a signature within the current semester before granting a visa.  Of course, if you are from that country, you do not need a visa stamp.  Please check with the consulate of the country you plan to visit to confirm what is required for a visa.

• If you are out of the US for over 5 months your DS2019 will no longer be valid for reentry according to CIS regulations.  Please notify ISS of such prolonged absences so we may give you the best advice for future reentry into the US.

SPECIAL REGISTRATION (NSEERS). If you were subject to the special registration when you last entered the US you must carefully follow the instructions given to you at that time for exiting the US.

If you need to apply for a new J-1 visa abroad, please visit the ISS office at least two weeks prior to your departure date and ask about required documentation for your trip.

Please plan far in advance for travel. With well over 5000 international students and scholars at Purdue, end of semester periods can be busy at ISS with many travel and other types of requests.

Visa Appointments in Canada and Mexico
If you are traveling from the United States to apply for a non-immigrant visa at the U.S. Embassy or a U.S. Consulate in Canada, or at a U.S. Consulate in Mexico located along the U.S./Mexico border, you must have an appointment for an interview. You may either schedule an appointment via Internet or phone:

• Internet-based appointment system
• Phone-based appointment system:
• from Canada, the number is:

• 1-900-451-2778

• from the U.S., the number is:

  • 1-900-443-3131
  • 1-888-840-0032 (if using a credit card)

Only applicants with appointments will be interviewed.

Canadian Landed Immigrant or Mexican Citizens:
If you are a Canadian Landed Immigrant in the US and wish to make application in Canada, or if you are a Mexican citizen in the US desiring to make application in Mexico, you do not need to make a visa appointment.

Traveling to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean: Auto-revalidation of visa:  If you travel for less than 30 days to Canada, Mexico, or certain Caribbean Islands you may re-enter the US with your present expired or valid non-immigrant F or J visa in your passport. In order to re-enter the US you not only need the expired or valid visa but also a valid passport, an endorsed I-20/J document, a valid I-94 and a letter from ISS to ensure that you retain your I-94 card(s). See the exceptions below.

• Auto revalidation is cancelled if you choose to apply for a US visa at the US consulate/embassy in one of these countries and are denied.
• Citizens of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, North Korea, and Cuba are not eligible for automatic revalidation when traveling to Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean Islands. Citizens from these countries must have a valid visa before they may re-enter the US.
• If you remain in Canada or Mexico or the Caribbean Islands for 30 days or longer, you just obtain a re-entry visa at the US Embassy or Consulate. Your application for a re-entry visa may be the lowest priority and may be denied.