International Travel Guidance
International Services Portal

Contact

Name: Office of International Services

1020 Walnut Street,
Scott Memorial Library, 5th Floor

Travel Information for Jefferson-sponsored Employees

  • For personal trips and non-Jefferson-sponsored travel, employees should get prior approval from their supervisor, administrator, and their HR business partner.
  • Make sure to take in the visa considerations for your destination in advance and apply for an appropriate visa (as per requirement).
  • Find out if there are visa requirements for your destination in advance.
  • Check travel advisories for your intended destination.
  • If you are traveling to a country or region with a State Department Travel Advisory of Level 3 or 4, it’s required to obtain additional approval from OIS.

Please notify OIS of your international travel plans. In order to return to the U.S. after traveling abroad, you will need a valid visa stamp in your passport (unless you are visa stamp exempt). If you do not have one, you will have to apply for an appropriate visa at a U.S. Consulate abroad. There can be wait times for visa appointments; before you depart the U.S., visit the website of the consulate you will use to learn about application procedures and processing times.

Carefully check your I-94 arrival/departure record every time you enter the United States. Your I-94 defines your period of lawful stay in the United States. If the end date on your electronic I-94 is different from the end date on your I-797 approval notice, the date on the I-94 prevails. 

Send OIS copies of any new visa stamps and every I-94 record when you re-enter the U.S. following international travel.

Documents you will be required to present at the U.S. point of entry include:

  • Passport valid for at least six months beyond your period of authorized stay in the U.S. If your passport expires before the end date on your I-797 approval notice, Customs and Border Protection will limit your I-94 to the expiration date for your passport.
  • Valid original I-797 notice of approval for H-1B or O-1 employment
  • Valid visa stamp*
  • Copies of your three most recent pay stubs (recommended)
  • Employment verification letter (recommended)

* Canadian citizens do not need a visa.

Please notify OIS of your international travel plans. For any international travel, please follow the below steps to ensure you have the required and recommended documentation for travel,
 
  • Prior to traveling outside of the United States during the J-1 program, a J-1 Exchange Visitor is required to submit the International Travel Registration request in the International Services Portal.
  • When traveling internationally, a J-1 Exchange Visitor must have their DS-2019 signed by the Office of International Services. Each signature is valid for one year.
  • A passport must be valid for at least six (6) months past your travel dates.
  • A J-1 visa must be valid for re-entry into the U.S.* If international travel is needed and the visa is expired, a J-1 Exchange Visitor must arrange sufficient time to renew a J-1 visa outside the country at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy before returning to the U.S.
    For more information, visit the Department of State’s U.S. Embassy website.

* Canadian citizens do not need to have a visa.

Export Control Guidelines for International Travel
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