Travel to Caribbean Islands during Grace Period

[tvk02]

Hi!

I have a very particular question about travel outside the US, re-enter and finally leaving the US permanently all within the Grace Period…
My internship will end at 11/29/2013, which is also the expiry date of my Visa and DS-2019. I plan to go on a trip to the Netherlands Antilles and Antigua and Barbuda (“adjacent islands”). After that I would like to re-enter the US to meet a friend and cancel my bank account, etc. As this is not possible with my expired J-1 Visa, I am seeking either to apply for a tourist travel admission (Germany is eligble for the VWP) or make use of the “automatic visa revalidation”.
Also, my final departure back home lies within the Grace Period, so I am not seeking to extend my program or the Grace Period, neither do I intend to work in the time, when I have re-entered the US.
Can anyone say, which of the options is the best and if I am eligible for the automatic visa revalidation at all? I have not very much information about that, but it seems that it matches my cases pretty well.
Although it says, I will need a valid I-94, but my current one indicates D/S and will expire with my Visa?! Can I get a new one? Same with my DS-2019?! 

Thank you so much!
tvk02

[jairichi]

Hi!

I have a very particular question about travel outside the US, re-enter and finally leaving the US permanently all within the Grace Period…

My internship will end at 11/29/2013, which is also the expiry date of my Visa and DS-2019. I plan to go on a trip to the Netherlands Antilles and Antigua and Barbuda (“adjacent islands”). After that I would like to re-enter the US to meet a friend and cancel my bank account, etc. As this is not possible with my expired J-1 Visa, I am seeking either to apply for a tourist travel admission (Germany is eligble for the VWP) or make use of the “automatic visa revalidation”.

Also, my final departure back home lies within the Grace Period, so I am not seeking to extend my program or the Grace Period, neither do I intend to work in the time, when I have re-entered the US.

Can anyone say, which of the options is the best and if I am eligible for the automatic visa revalidation at all? I have not very much information about that, but it seems that it matches my cases pretty well.

Although it says, I will need a valid I-94, but my current one indicates D/S and will expire with my Visa?! Can I get a new one? Same with my DS-2019?! 

Thank you so much!

tvk02

Grace period is given to pack your stuff or to find another program and not to exit and enter US. I believe you are not eligible for AVR as your I94 is expiring.

[JoeF]

If you leave the country, you won't be able to come back using AVR.AVR does NOT apply to the grace period. The grace period is only to prepare for departure out of the US.

For the VWP, you must register electronically with ESTA, and you must have a round-trip ticket returning to outside the US.

[tvk02]

Alright, thank you guys! Has anyone experiences with re-entering using VWP?! I don't know how likely it is to be denied...Of course I have flight ticket back home and also binding ties like my studies, seeing family and friends or christmas and so on.