I'm planning on traveling outside the United States. What do I need to do to re-enter?

If you are planning to travel outside the U.S., you should check that your DS-2019 will not be expiring soon, and that the DS-2019 has a travel signature dated less than a year from your planned date of re-entry to the U.S. If you need to obtain a new travel signature, you should go to the M-Passport portal and click on Scholar Login. After logging in, click on Requests > DS-2019 Travel Signature Request, and follow the instructions from there. You must also bring your passport with you to the International Center when you submit your request. You should also make sure your passport is valid more than six months into the future on your re-entry date, and that your J-1 visa will still be valid for your re-entry. Refer to our Travel Advisory for additional information.