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J-1 Scholar/Dependent

Documents Required for Re-Entry to the U.S.

  • Valid passport
  • Valid J-1 visa (except for Canadian citizens)
  • Valid DS-2019 signed for travel by a Bechtel advisor. The signature must be no older than 12 months on the date of re-entry unless the DS-2019 end date is earlier. If Stanford is not your program sponsor, the signature must be from the J-1 sponsor. If you need to obtain a travel signature because you are traveling outside of the US and plan on re-entering, please email the scholar advisors at internationalscholars@stanford.edu.
  • J-2 dependents must have their own DS-2019 forms.

Applying for a New Entry Visa

  • If the entry visa in your passport has expired, it does not imply that you are in the US illegally. The entry visa does not determine your legal presence in the US or your actual nonimmigrant status.
  • If you plan to travel outside North America and your entry visa has expired, or your nonimmigrant status has changed, you will need a new visa applied to your passport.
  • You may not need a new entry visa if you are traveling to continguous territory and can request automatic revalidation of your expired entry visa.
  • Apply for a new entry visa in the same manner as you did when you initially sought permission to enter the US. Your application is lodged with the US State Department.
  • Entry visas are not issued in the US.
  • Note that the system that takes your entry visa application assumes you are physically present in the jurisdiction of the US consulate you identify in your application. If you are not, followup communications could be confusing.