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Overview
for Scholars
Scholar
Immigration Definitions
Scholar
Obtaining Your Visa (J-1)
Scholar
Obtaining Your Visa (H-1B and O-1)
Scholar
Transfer of Visa Supervision
Scholar
Change of Status
Message
for Canadian Scholars
Potential
Delays in Visa Issuance
Scholar Tax
Information
Health
Insurance Overview for J-1 Scholars
Employment
for J-1 Scholars
Employment
Authorization for J-2
Employment
for H-1B or O-1 Scholars
Scholar
Maintaining Immigration Status (J-1)
Scholar
Maintaining Immigration Status (H-1B and O-1)
J-1
Scholar Travel Information
H-1B Scholar Travel
Information
O-1
Scholar Travel Information
Scholar
Departure Information
Home Country Residency Requirement
Address
Change Form
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J-1
Exchange Visitor Travel Regulations
When
leaving the U.S. temporarily during your program of study at Columbia,
you will need to have the necessary documents to both permit entry to
another country as well as to permit re-entry to the U.S. in J-1 status.
For travel to a country other than the home country, check with the consulate
of the destination country for specific entry requirements. A list of
consulates in Manhattan can be found at http://www.citidex.com/.
Information on what to expect
at a U.S. port of entry can be found here.
Documents
Required for Re-entry in J-1 Scholar Status
- Have a passport valid
for at least 6 months into the future:
Some countries have the
expiration dates of the passports automatically extended for 6 months
based on an agreement with the U.S. If your country of citizenship
is on this list, you may enter the U.S. using your passport until
its actual expiration date. Check here to see if your country is on
the list. If your passport will expire, contact your consulate.
Canadian citizens are currently exempt from the passport requirement;
however, we recommend that you carry your passport when entering the
U.S.
- Have your form DS-2019
recertified as needed.
Your DS-2019 must be recertified once a year, for the length of the
DS-2019. If you are traveling, your annual recertification should be
done before your departure.
In order for your form DS-2019 to be recertified, you must maintain
an affiliation with Columbia University and provide financial documentation
covering all expenses for one year for both you and your dependents.
Request recertification of your DS-2019 from the International Students
and Scholars Office (ISSO) or the International Affairs Office (IAO)
at least five business days before you plan to leave.
- Have an unexpired J-1
entry visa stamp valid for further entries.
Obtaining a new visa stamp: If you visit countries outside the U. S.
other than Canada, the Caribbean (with the current exceptions of Cuba
and Bermuda), or Mexico, you must have a valid J-1 entry visa stamp
in your passport in order to return to the U. S. This is essential in
addition to having a form DS-2019. If your visa is no longer valid,
you must take your passport and DS-2019 to the nearest U. S. consulate
or embassy in the country you are visiting to apply for a new visa stamp.
The Department of State's link to individual consular posts at http://usembassy.state.gov/
may be a good source of current information. If you have ever stayed
in the U. S. beyond the date of your authorized permission to stay,
you may not be able to obtain a visa in any country but your country
of citizenship or permanent residence. If you believe that this restriction
applies to you, please consult the ISSO or IAO before leaving the country.
- Carry evidence of financial
resource.
- Receipt of SEVIS I-901
Fee (if applicable). For information on who is required to pay this
fee, go to www.fmjfee.com
- Carry a recent letter
stating that you are currently affiliated with Columbia University.
This can be in the form of a letter from your academic department stating
your title, your duties, and your salary or your Visiting Scholar/Scientist
Designation letter from the ISSO.
- There
are a number of factors that may contribute to delays in having a visa
issued to study in the United States. Heightened security measures
instituted since September 11, 2001 have resulted in delays in visa
issuance abroad-regardless of whether you are applying for first or
subsequent visas in the J classification. Security checks for those
whose field of research or study is deemed to be "sensitive",
interview requirements for almost all non-immigrant visa applicants,
and problems in transfer of data in SEVIS are causing extended delays.
For more detailed information, refer to Potential
Delays in Visa Issuance.
J-2 Dependents Traveling Alone
Dependents in J-2 status must
travel with their own DS-2019 forms. The DS-2019 issued to dependents
is a replication of the J-1's DS-2019 annotated as being for use by dependents.
Dependents must carry documentation showing sufficient funds to cover
expenses (as shown on the DS-2019). Dependents wishing to return to the
U.S. in J-2 immigration status may not be permitted to return unless the
J-1's DS-2019 is valid at the time of the dependent's return. Otherwise,
documentary requirements are the same as those for holders of J-1 visas.
Travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean
If you are traveling only to
Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean (except Cuba and Bermuda) for fewer than
thirty days, you may return to the U.S. with an expired J-1 entry visa
in your passport. To qualify for this privilege, you must:
- Be in lawful J-1 status.
- Have an unexpired I-94 card
indicating your J-1 status in your passport when you enter the U.S.
Do not surrender the I-94 card when you leave the U.S. If you do, you
will not be eligible for visa revalidation.
- Have a current, recertified
DS-2019 in your possession.
- Have a passport valid at
least six months into the future on the day you return to the U.S.
- Travel only to one of the
destinations named above and for fewer than thirty days. For example,
you cannot use automatic revalidation to enter Canada, depart to another
country, return to Canada, and then return to the U.S. within 30 days.
- Not apply for a U.S. visa
while in Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean.
If you apply for a U.S. entry visa during your visit to one of these
destinations, you must wait for it to be issued before you return. If
your visa application is denied by the American consulate, you are not
allowed to use automatic revalidation to return to the U.S. You will
be required to travel to your country of citizenship to apply for a
new visa.
- Have a J-1 visa (expired
or valid) in your passport or an approval notice for change of status
to J-1 and the invalid visa of your previous non-immigrant status in
your passport.
- Be a citizen of a country
other than Syria, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, North Korea, Cuba, or Libya. Nationals
of these countries are not eligible for visa revalidation. If you are
a national of one of the above countries, you must always have a valid
visa in your passport to enter the United States.
Other
Travel Matters
Canadian visas - Persons
from many countries are required to obtain a Canadian entry visa when
entering Canada from the U.S. Visas may be obtained from the Canadian
Consulate General at 1251 Avenue of the Americas (at 50th Street,
tel. 596-1600) between 8:00 and 10:00 am. Consult the Canadian Consulate
General for visa regulations concerning your country before making travel
arrangements.
Mexican visas- Tourist
cards or visas may be required for travel to Mexico. Information is available
from the New
York Consulate General of Mexico, 27 East 39 Street, telephone (212)
821-0313 or 821-0378.
Travel within the U.S.
- In general, special permission is not needed to travel within the continental
U.S.. However, we recommend that you carry with you your passport, I-94,
and DS-2019 when you travel any distance from home.
Last Reviewed:18
February 2011 Last modified:18 February 2011
International Students and Scholars Office
Columbia University
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