Traveling in the US on a J-1 Work and Travel Visa: ID, Documents and Park Passes

Three sets of rules apply to any trip inside the US: the ID you show at the airport, the papers you carry at all times, and how far from your program you may go. The travel hub collects the rest of the end-of-season rules.

The short version

1. Show your passport as ID at the airport.
2. Carry your registration papers at all times if you are over 18.
3. Print your I-94 from the CBP site.
4. Keep a printed DS-2019 with you.
5. Get your sponsor’s signature on your DS-2019 before you leave the US.

What ID to show at the airport

Adult passengers 18 and older must show valid identification at the TSA airport checkpoint. A foreign government-issued passport is on the list of acceptable IDs. The list of acceptable IDs is subject to change without notice. Check the TSA identification page before every flight.

State licenses are where J-1 travelers get stuck. As of May 7, 2025, state-issued driver’s licenses and IDs that are not REAL ID compliant are no longer accepted at airports. A temporary driver’s license is not an acceptable form of identification. Passengers should either travel with an acceptable alternative like a passport or enroll for a state-issued REAL ID at their state DMV. If you are not sure whether your ID complies, check with the state DMV.

If you arrive at the checkpoint without acceptable ID, you have an option. Since February 1, 2026, you can pay a $45 fee to use TSA ConfirmID. If your identity cannot be verified, you will not be allowed to enter the screening checkpoint. On the TSA page seen 2026-10-20, TSA accepts expired ID up to two years after expiration, for the forms of ID on its list. TSA does not require children under 18 to provide ID on trips within the United States.

Papers to carry while you travel

Carry your evidence of registration. Under the alien registration rules, DHS issues evidence of registration, which aliens over the age of 18 must carry and keep in their personal possession at all times. A phone that can display it satisfies the rule, and so does a printout of the evidence DHS issued electronically. That evidence generally includes Form I-94. Failure to comply may bring criminal and civil penalties.

Get your I-94 from CBP before you need it. Print your most recent I-94 so you have your record of legal admission. The same site shows a travel history for the last 10 years of arrivals and departures. Details are on the I-94 page.

Keep a printed DS-2019 as well. Exchange visitors should continue to use printed DS-2019 forms when they apply for a Social Security number or driver’s license, and when they depart and re-enter the United States. The leaving the US page covers re-entry in detail.

National parks: passes and fees

Most sites managed by the National Park Service are free to visit, but some require an entrance pass. You may also need a reservation at a few high-traffic sites. Some parks use timed entry to manage vehicle traffic. Reservations are typically available through recreation.gov on a rolling basis. Visitors need only one pass type: a standard pass, a park-specific annual pass, or an America the Beautiful pass.

Nonresidents face extra costs, and the NPS page was updated on October 9, 2026:

The 11 parks are Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Zion. Nonresidents must pay entrance and any nonresident fees unless they have the Non-Resident Annual Pass.

If you buy a pass, remember the conditions. Passholders must show valid photo ID with each pass. America the Beautiful passes are non-refundable and non-transferable, and cannot be replaced if lost or stolen. Online orders of physical passes may take up to three weeks to arrive, while a digital pass can be saved to a phone and used immediately.

How far you can go: time and borders

Participants may travel in the United States during the 30-day grace period, but they may not work. Leaving the United States in those 30 days is not recommended, because you may not be permitted reentry. The grace period page lists the rules.

Trips abroad during the program need paperwork. Your sponsor’s officer must sign your DS-2019 to denote travel approval. Without a valid travel signature, you may be unable to re-enter the United States. A short trip may be possible on an expired visa: certain holders of expired visas who return after 30 days or less in Canada, Mexico or an adjacent island may be admitted by CBP. That route needs a valid admission stamp or paper I-94. It does not apply if you applied for a new visa that has not yet been issued, were outside the US for more than thirty days, or went beyond those places. J holders who traveled to Cuba are excluded.

Time limits sit behind every trip. The program lasts up to four months, extensions are not permitted, and students must return home before their university start date.

Can you stay permanently after Work and Travel?

Changing status is a USCIS process with a deadline. To change the purpose of your visit while in the US, you must file with USCIS on the appropriate form before your authorized stay expires. Do not assume a status has been approved, and do not change your activity until USCIS approves it. A change of status may not be approved for someone who failed to maintain the previous status or whose status expired before the application was filed.

Two-year rule holders have tighter limits. A J-1 subject to the foreign residence requirement who has no waiver can change to A or G classification only. Those exchange visitors cannot change status in the US to H or L, and cannot adjust status to permanent resident. The after the program page goes through the options and the overstay penalties.