Information and resources for the UW-Madison community
International Faculty and Staff Services
The mission of International Faculty and Staff Services is to assist all current and prospective international faculty, staff and visiting scholars at the university of Wisconsin-Madison. Should you experience a delay in obtaining your visa, please contact our office. Although we cannot expedite the process, we can alert offices on campus to your delay.
J-1 Scholars must notify us of any delay in visa issuance that could delay their entry into the U.S. more than 30 days after the start date on their form DS-2019, as we will have to issue a new form. Once more than 30 days have passed since the begin date on the form, the form becomes invalid and the scholar may be denied entry at the airport. There is no flexibility in the SEVIS system, so J-1 scholars must be especially careful to notify IFSS of any delay. We hope that the additional information on this web site will be helpful to you.
Travel Instructions for Current Scholars
J-1 Scholar and Dependent J-2 Travel
J-1 scholars must obtain an endorsement from IFSS on their DS-2019 in order to re-enter the US after travel outside the country. J-2 dependents need a separate DS-2019 in order to enter, and it must be endorsed for re-entry when they travel. The application form is available on the IFSS web site at: http://www.ohr.wisc.edu/ifss/imminfo/index.htm under J Scholar Program. Please submit the form at least 15 days before anticipated travel.
Travel While in H-1B or O-1 Status and Dependent H-4 or O-3
Documents needed for entry/re-entry into the U.S. in H-1B or O-1 status:
- valid passport
- valid visa
- valid I-797 Notice of Approval
- recent letter from the Department confirming on-going employment which includes position title, job responsibilities, salary and dates of employment (same as on form I-797).
For detailed information on travel, please consult this document on the IFSS web site (DOC).