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 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.