Fall 2022 Express Travel Signature Days for J-1 Students and Scholars

  • Tuesday, December 6 - 1-4 pm

  • Friday, December 9 - 1-4 pm

At Berkeley International Office in-person drop-in (no appointment necessary)

Are you a J-1 student or scholar traveling internationally soon and require a travel signature? Come to Express Travel Signature Days to obtain a travel signature from Berkeley International Office.

Note: The information on this page is only applicable to J-1 scholars or J-1 students who have UC Berkeley-sponsored DS-2019s for their UC Berkeley degree-seeking or UCEAP program, or who are on J-1 Academic Training following their UC Berkeley degree or UCEAP program. If you are an F-1 student, see here.

What do I need?

You will need to bring your most recent DS-2019 with you to your travel signature appointment. Please ensure that the DS-2019 has been signed by you. If you have lost your most recent DS-2019, please submit a Replacement Document request instead. 

Things to keep in mind: 

  • This is not an advising session. Advisors will not provide advising to you during this time. If you have questions, please sign in for virtual advising to speak with an advisor. 

  • You only need a travel signature if you have upcoming international travel plans.
  • You do not need an updated travel signature if your program of study at UC Berkeley is coming to an end and you do not plan to re-enter the US in J-1 status once you depart the US.

  • Please check the most recent Travel Validation date on your DS-2019. The signature is valid for 1 year from the date signed. You need a valid signature for re-entry into the US. You do not need an updated travel signature if your signature is still valid for re-entry into the US. 


What other documents do I need for travel? 

Please see here for Travel and Re-entry into the US. If you are on Academic Training, please see Travel and Re-entry while on Academic Training.

Make sure to check the expiration date on the J-1 visa stamp in your passport before international travel so that you know whether you will need to renew your visa before you can re-enter the US.

The visa stamp in my passport is expiring! Do I need to leave the US to renew my visa?

The visa is just an entry document. Your I-20 or DS-2019 has a future expiration date (or post-completion F-1 OPT) on it to maintain its validity. If you are presently in the U.S., your I-20 or DS-2019 is still valid, and the visa stamp in your passport is expired, there is no need for you to make a trip just to extend the visa.

The visa stamp in the passport only needs to be extended if you leave the U.S. and need to reenter the U.S. 

Automatic Revalidation

If you are traveling to Canada or Mexico but your visa has expired, you may qualify for Automatic Revalidation. Please see here for more information. 

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