As your Work & Travel program winds down, there’s a short window before departure where a few simple steps make your eventual tax filing far smoother. None of this requires filing anything yet — it’s about setting yourself up correctly before you’re back home and the details are harder to track down. Here’s the pre-departure checklist.

This article is written for J-1 visa holders who had a W-2 job (not a 1099/contract role) and worked more than 3 months in the U.S. If that’s not you, some of this may not apply.

The direct answer: before you leave, confirm your employer has a reliable way to reach you (ideally by email, not just a U.S. address), save copies of all your pay stubs and program paperwork, and understand that your actual filing — generally Form 1040-NR and, in most cases, Form 8843 — happens the following tax season, not before you go.

Confirm exactly how your W-2 will reach you

Many Work & Travel participants leave the U.S. weeks or months before their W-2 is issued the following January. Before you go, confirm with your employer specifically whether it will be mailed or made available electronically, and make sure whatever address or email they have on file will still work once you’ve left.

Save every pay stub you have, not just your most recent one

Your full set of pay stubs gives a complete picture of your season’s wages and withholding, useful both as a backup if your W-2 is delayed and as a way to double-check your final W-2’s accuracy once it arrives.

Keep your DS-2019 and program documentation together

Your exact program dates matter for your residency status calculation. Keep a digital copy of your DS-2019 and any category confirmation somewhere you’ll still have access to after you’ve left, not just on a device or account tied to your program.

A simple pre-departure checklist

• Confirm your W-2 delivery method and that your contact information is current
• Save copies of every pay stub you received during the program
• Keep your DS-2019 and program dates accessible after you leave
• Note which state(s) you worked in if your program moved you around

What you don’t need to worry about before you leave

You don’t need to file anything, calculate an exact refund, or apply for anything new before departure. The actual filing happens once your W-2 is issued the following year — your job right now is preparation, not filing.

If you noticed a payroll issue late in your placement

If you catch something — like incorrect FICA withholding — close to the end of your program, it’s still worth raising with your employer even if there’s limited time left to correct it going forward. Any amount incorrectly withheld generally remains recoverable when you file, regardless of how late in your placement it was caught.

Filing from your home country after you return

Filing your U.S. taxes from home is completely normal for Work & Travel participants — the vast majority have already left the U.S. by the time their W-2 arrives. This doesn’t change your filing obligation or your eligibility for any refund you’re owed.

If your program included travel time, not just work time

Work & Travel programs often include a travel component after the work portion ends. This travel time generally doesn’t create additional tax filing obligations by itself — what matters for your filing is the wages you earned during the working portion, not how you spent your time afterward before departure.

A practical note on staying in touch with coworkers before you scatter

If you and your coworkers are heading to different countries after the program, it’s worth exchanging contact information before you part ways — useful not just for staying in touch personally, but occasionally for comparing notes if a shared employer’s payroll issue comes up for multiple people later.

What to expect once you’re back home, timeline-wise

Your W-2 typically arrives in late January. From there, you can move forward with your actual filing whenever it’s convenient, generally well before the following April deadline. There’s no rush the moment you receive it, but filing sooner rather than later means any refund reaches you sooner too.

Wrapping up your program the right way

Whatever your specific question, the fastest way to a real number for your J-1 visa taxes is running your W-2 through the calculator rather than guessing.

This is general information, not personalized tax advice. Your exact situation depends on your visa history and paperwork — use the calculator for a number based on your own details, and consult a qualified tax preparer for anything beyond a standard return.

Key takeaways

• Confirm your W-2 delivery method and contact information before you leave the U.S.
• Save every pay stub, not just your final one, as a backup and verification tool
• Filing itself happens the following tax season, not before departure
• You can and should file from your home country once your W-2 is issued