J-1 Visa – Current Scholars

Change of Address for J-1

Regulations governing the J-1 status require that SISS be notified of any change of address for J-1 scholars within 10 days of the address change.  It is also important to notify SISS of any change in phone or email contact information.   If you are a J-1 scholar, please email Angela Hamilton with your new address within 10 days of any address change.

J-1 Scholars Sponsored by Fulbright, IREX, or any other University or Sponsoring Agency

Regulations governing the J-1 status require that the program sponsor who issued the DS-2019 be notified of any change of address for J-1 scholars within 10 days of the address change.  If you are a J-1 scholar with a DS-2019 that was not issued by UC Davis, please contact the University or organization that issued your DS-2019 with any address changes within 10 days of the change.

Instructions for J-1 International Scholars or J-2 Dependents Traveling Outside the United States

In order to travel outside the United States and return to UC Davis as a J-1 research scholar, short-term scholar, or non-degree undergraduate researcher, your DS-2019 must be validated and signed for travel in the lower right-hand corner.  Additional travel information for scholars can be found on our Resources for International Scholars Travel page.

The travel signature is valid for six months.

Please do the following:

  1. Request appropriate leave from your supervisor/ host professor (unless this is for a J-2 only).
  2. Complete, sign and date the J-1 Scholar/J-2 Dependent DS-2019 Travel Signature Request Form.
  3. Have the J-1 scholar department contact or host professor sign and date the request form at the bottom (even if it is for a J-2).
  4. Submit this form to SISS with your most recent original DS-2019 for yourself and/or J-2 dependents.
  5. If you are a J-1 scholar who will be outside the US for more than 30 days, please request a letter from your host professor, confirming that the department is aware of your extended absence; that the absence is for work-related or emergency personal reasons; and that you are expected back in the J-1 program at UC Davis within approximate dates.
  6. Drop the completed travel signature form, the original DS-2019(s) and the extended absence letter (if applicable) at SISS, Monday-Friday, between 9am to noon or 1pm to 4pm.

ALLOW ONE BUSINESS DAY FOR PROCESSING.  You may pick up your signed DS-2019(s) at the front desk on the next business day.  Please bring ID with you when you pick it up.

J-1 Scholars outside of the Davis Area

 J-1 scholars outside of the Davis area but close by may contact SISS to make an appointment with their international scholar advisor to have their DS-2019 signed in an appointment, to avoid the need to travel twice to Davis.  Please call (530) 752-0864 extension 0 to make an appointment.

J-1 scholars at the UC Davis Medical Center may also have their DS-2019 signed at the UC Davis Medical Center Education Building while Gayle Oberlies (International Scholar Advisor) is available there once a month.  To find out the next date for her appointments and to make an appointment to get a signature during Gayle’s monthly visit, please email her at geoberlies@ucdavis.edu

J-1 scholars who are far outside the Davis area (Lake Tahoe, Bodega Bay, Parlier, San Bernadino, El Centro, etc.) should plan to follow the steps above but then mail their document to SISS with a stamped, self-addressed envelope so that their documents can easily be mailed back to them.  With US post, allow at least two weeks prior to travel.  It is best to contact your international scholar advisor directly and let her know that you plan to mail your documents.  Since the original DS-2019 must be signed in the original, you must allow time for mailing documents back and forth, prior to travel.

Resources for International Scholars

For more information, please refer to the Resources for International Scholarssection.