Skip to main content
Side view of group of Erasmus people ganging out outdoors having fun, one guy looking at camera smiling. Copy space.

International Travel Guidance

International Services Portal

Contact

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
Go Back to Office of International Services