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Travel Documents for Scholars

When you travel as a Cornell faculty or staff member, you’ll need to carry various documents to prove your immigration status and to allow reentry if you leave the United States.  

If you’re leaving the United States and you need a new visa stamp, find out what you need to do. If you have further questions, visit our drop-in advising hours before leaving on your trip

J-1 Documents 

  • Valid passport
  • Valid entry visa stamp (Canadians excepted)  
  • DS-2019 showing J-1 status, signed for travel by an Office of Global Learning advisor within the last year.  
  • Letter from your Cornell host department/unit confirming continued employment 

J-1 Dependent (J-2) Documents  

The spouse or children of an J-1 scholar traveling with the scholar need the following documents to reenter the United States in J-2 status: 

  • Valid passport  
  • Unexpired J-2 entry visa stamp 
  • Unexpired DS-2019 showing J-2 status, with a valid travel signature. A travel signature is valid for 12 months or until the DS-2019 end date, whichever is earlier. 
  • Proof of financial support 

If the J-2 dependents of an J-1 scholar are traveling without the scholar, they need all the above documents, plus the following: 

  • Copy of the scholar’s J-1 visa page 
  • Copy of the scholar’s most recent I-94 arrival record as proof of J-1 status 
  • Copy of the scholar’s DS-2019

H-1B/O-1 Documents  

  • Passport valid beyond the end date on your I-797 approval notice (E-3 workers excepted) or ETA 9035 (E-3 workers only)
    • If your passport is not valid beyond this date, you may be issued a shortened I-94 when you enter the U.S. Please contact us if your I-94 is shortened
  • Valid entry visa stamp (Canadians excepted)  
  • Letter from your Cornell host department/unit confirming continued employment 
  • I-797 approval notice for your current position
  • 1-129 form  

E-3 Documents  

  • Passport valid beyond the end date on your ETA 9035.
    • If your passport is not valid beyond this date, you may be issued a shortened I-94 when you enter the U.S. Please contact us if your I-94 is shortened.
  • Valid entry visa stamp  
  • Letter from your Cornell host department/unit confirming continued employment 
  • ETA 9035 form 

Next Up: J-1 Travel Signatures