J-1 student visa and vacation abroad

[jxn 86]

I have a friend who is on a J-1 student visa doing a Master's program in the U.S. His wife is here with him on a J-2.

They will be going to Mexico on vacation this Sunday and he's not quite sure what's needed for re-entry to the U.S. He said he thinks he needs a letter from the university confirming that he is indeed still enrolled and in good standing, but obviously the school offices will be closed over the weekend.

Do student visas allow international trips abroad without any other supporting documents? Does he indeed need a letter from his university? He researched a bit online and said that Canada, Mexico, and Caribbean countries don't count as "abroad" for certain visa types but said that was if the visa was already expired. He is a current student and wasn't sure if that wording applied to him.

Thanks for any insights, and let me know if I can provide any additional details for clarification.

[phy 1]

This is my personal knowledge acquired while on J-1 a couple of years ago. I may not be accurate in all the details:

While on a valid J-1 visa an international visit absolutely no problem. Less trouble will be in cases of visit to Mexico or Canada.

BUT, He will ABSOLUTELY need a valid DS-2019 with him though, and signed for travel-eligibility by the responsible officer from his school. That indeed mentions validity of his program as well.

In case his current DS-2019 is not signed by the RO of his school, he is highly recommended to avoid traveling abroad and leave the country.

[jan22 3,020]

If the school official signed the DS-2019 within the last 12 months (one for each of them), no problem. If they don't have that, it's not worth it for a vacation trip....they may be able to talk their way back in, but not worth the risk, IMO.

Edited January 11, 2015 by jan22