J-1 Students - Completing Your Program

Students should be aware of the visa regulations and options for staying in the U.S. after completing their program of study. Please read the details below and talk to an ISSS advisor if you have any further questions.

Your 30 Day Grace Period to Depart the United States: After you complete your program (the date of your last class or completion of your last assignment or exam), you have 30 days to pack and return to your home country. After 30 days, your SEVIS records will be auto-completed by the U.S government. During these 30 days you can travel within the United States, but if you leave the U.S. (even to Canada or Mexico) you cannot re-enter in F-1 status.

Transferring Out: J-1 students who would like to transfer to another institution should make an appointment with an ISSS advisor to determine if it will be possible. Since the timing for the transfer of an J-1 record is very specific to your current program and the new program you want to transfer to, ISSS will need to work closely with the other school to make sure your status is maintained through the process.

Applying for Work Authorization: If you would like to apply for J-1 work authorization, or Academic Training, you will need to apply for this before your program ends. Please refer to our Academic Training page for more detail information.

Please note that if you leave early from your program the above may not apply to you, so please refer to the Leave of Absence and Withdrawal page.