Required Documents
The following documents are required for reentry to the United States after international travel:
NOTE: Do not place the above documents in your checked baggage! Carry them with you, as you will need to present them to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer upon your reentry to the United States and prior to securing your baggage.
IMPORTANT:
How to Request a Travel-Validated Form DS-2019 from ECFMG
If a J-1 physician or J-2 dependents have travel plans outside the United States and they are not in possession of a travel-validated DS-2019, they must complete a Request for Duplicate Form DS-2019 for Travel and fax it to ECFMG at 215-386-9766. ECFMG will process the request within seven to ten business days and send the Form DS-2019 to the physician or Training Program Liaison by regular U.S. mail, unless otherwise instructed. If the physician wishes to receive the travel-validated Form DS-2019 by express mail, s/he must submit a completed and fully signed Request for Duplicate Form DS-2019 for Travel and mail or express mail it with a pre-addressed, pre-paid airbill to: ECFMG, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. To pre-pay your airbill, you must include an account number for the express mail service. ECFMG cannot accept credit card numbers for this purpose. Do not enter a credit card number on the airbill or provide credit card information with your request. Due to time constraints and volume of travel requests, ECFMG staff is unable to complete airbills on applicant's behalf.
Please note that the number of requests for travel-validated Form DS-2019s received by ECFMG increases significantly at certain times of the year, such as the end of the calendar year. It is your responsibility to ensure that your request for a travel-validated DS-2019 is received by ECFMG well before your departure from the United States. In addition to the seven to ten business day processing time, you should also allow ample time for ECFMG to mail or express mail the travel-validated Form DS-2019 back to you. If you will be applying for a new J visa at a U.S. consulate, it is vital that you request and receive the travel-validated Form DS-2019 from ECFMG prior to scheduling your appointment at the U.S. consulate.
“Visa” and “Visa Status”
It is important to understand that “visa” and “visa status” are two separate things. A “visa” is the physical stamp affixed to a passport page that permits a foreign national to enter the United States in a specific visa classification. Visas may only be obtained at U.S. consulates outside of the United States. “Visa status” is the legal condition or manner under which a foreign national is present in the United States. Specifically, visa status determines an individual’s purpose for being in the United States and the objectives he or she is authorized to pursue while in the United States, such as training, studying, or working. Upon entry to the United States, a foreign national’s “visa status” is reflected on an I-94 card (Entry/Departure Record) which is issued at the U.S. port-of-entry to every entering nonimmigrant. In the case of physicians sponsored by ECFMG, the I-94 card should always reflect “J-1” status with the notation of “D/S,” which stands for “Duration of Status.” The expiration of the “visa” in a passport will not affect a physician if he or she is maintaining J-1 visa status in the United States. The only time a person requires a valid J-1 “visa” is if he or she is physically outside of the United States and wishes to enter the United States in J-1 status. In order to maintain J-1 visa status while in the United States, a physician must:
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