Is travel outside the United States allowed in J-1 status?
Yes, with certain conditions. (1) As your sponsor, ORAU must validate your standing as a research scholarwe must sign the back of your DS-2019 form showing that you are currently in good standing in the Exchange Visitor (J-1) Program. We also prepare a letter that describes your association with our organization and includes a purpose for the travel and approximate dates of departure and return. (2) If the travel is for official program business (related to the research project), you will need special approval for foreign travel, which is a lengthy process and must be approved before the travel begins.
