International Faculty and Scholars Office

J-1 Exchange Program

The J-1exchange visitor program, administered by the U.S. Department of State, is intended to encourage temporary educational, collaborative and cultural exchanges in the hope of increasing mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Exchange programs provide foreign nationals an opportunity to experience our way of life and encourage Americans to participate in educational and cultural programs in other countries.

Visit the official State Department website for information on the Exchange Visitor Program.

The J visa is a nonimmigrant visa, and participants in the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program are expected to return to their home countries when they complete their programs. Entry into the United States as a participant in the Exchange Visitor Program is granted with the understanding that participants will complete the objectives of a single program category.

The exchange visitor program is designed for temporary educational and cultural exchanges and collaboration rather than long term employment. At the conclusion of their program, participants are expected to return to their home countries to utilize the experience and skills they have acquired while in the United States.

Services for exchange students (J-1 non-degree students) are provided by the Study Abroad Office of the Center for Global Education Services. For exchange student information visit the International Students page of the CGES site.

Admission information for degree-seeking students (F-1 international student and J-1 degree-seeking), is available on the International Admissions website.

Services for those degree-seeking students (F-1 and J-1) currently attending ASU are provided by the International Student Office.

Eligibility, Categories and Time Limitations

Participants in the J-1 program include visitors coming to teach, to do research, to observe, consult, demonstrate specialized knowledge or skills or participate in a non-degree course of study as part of an exchange agreement between ASU and their home university. An exchange visitor must show the consular officer that they have the intent to return to their home country at the end of the program. The visitor must have sufficient funding for the period of program participation as well as appropriate credentials and experience for the activity s/he will be engaged in. And, the visitor must have adequate English Language proficiency to have a meaningful exchange.

A visitor is not eligible to start a new J-1 program in the Research Scholar or Professor categories if s/he has been in the United States in J-1 or J-2 status for all or part of the 12 months immediately preceding the desired start date of the new program.

This rule does not apply if the visitor:

1.   Is transferring between programs
2.   Was in the U.S. for less than 6 months
3.   Was in the U.S. as a short term scholar

Employees for whom J-1 sponsorship is not available are:             

1. Tenured or tenure-line faculty positions
2.  Regular ASU staff positions 
3.  Researchers for whom the PI intends to obtain a green card

Program Categories and Time Limitations

• Professor and Research Scholar: Scholars in this category may be invited to collaborate in research projects, to teach courses, or to give lectures or seminars. They may come for visits of up to three years. A six month extension beyond the three years is possible.
• Short-Term Scholar: The short term scholar category is suitable for scholars coming to lecture, observe, consult, and participate in seminars, workshops, or conferences, and who will definitely leave the United States within six months. It is also suitable for scholars who may come and go to Louisiana State University periodically for short visits. Extensions of program beyond six month is not allowed.
• Specialist: This category is appropriate for visitors coming for visits of up to one year to consult, observe or demonstrate specialized knowledge or skills in which they are experts.

Note: The Department of State usually does not permit change from one J category to another. However, change from research scholar to professor category, and vice versa, is permitted.

Information for Departments and Visitors

How to Request a DS-2019

In determining the eligibility of a potential J-1 exchange scholar the department must establish that the intended program is suitable to the scholar’s background, needs and experience; that s/he possesses sufficient proficiency in the English language to participate meaningfully in the program and that there is an adequate source of funding for the duration of the intended program.

Forms, instructions and answers to your questions can be obtained by contacting the International Faculty and Scholars Office at (480) 727-7373

How to obtain a DS-2019; Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor

ASU has established certain procedures to facilitate the entry into the United States for someone who wishes to come here as an International Scholar. Those procedures require that the prospective International Scholar, regardless of the intended purpose of his/her visit, first make contact with the academic department with which s/he wishes to be affiliated.

The department will ask you to send your curriculum vitae (C.V./résumé) and other documents, as well as proof of funding (unless you will be paid a salary or supported financially by ASU).

The department will then contact the ASU International Faculty and Scholars Office to initiate issuance of the DS-2019. In order to issue your DS-2019, information on you (and any J-2 family members) will be entered, as required by law, into SEVIS (the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System), a government tracking program used by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Once you have been accepted as an International Scholar at ASU, the ASU International Faculty and Scholars Office will issue the Form DS-2019 and additional information which will enable you to apply for a J-1 visa stamp at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Dependents of J-1 Exchange Visitors (spouse and unmarried children under age 21) can enter the United States in J-2 status. Each dependent must have a separate Form DS-2019. Dependent children cannot remain in J-2 status after their 21st birthday.

Legal Documents and Forms

Your Immigration Documents consist of your:

• Passport 
• U.S. visa stamped in your passport 
• DS-2019 issued by your program sponsor 
• I-94 Record of Arrival and Departure

These documents are extremely important as they are evidence of your lawful status in the US. You will need to present these documents upon occasion, and will need to carry them with you if you must leave the country and wish to re-enter. We strongly recommend that you make photocopies of these documents to facilitate their replacement in case of loss.

Passport: Federal regulations require that your passport be valid at all times while you are in the United States. If your passport will expire while you are still in the US, you must contact the Embassy or Consulate of your home country to make arrangements to have your passport extended. You will not be permitted to re-enter the United States with an expired passport. The addresses and phone numbers of most foreign embassies and consulates in the US are available online.

U.S. Visa: In some cases, the date of expiration on your Form DS-2019 and the expiration date on your visa stamp may not coincide. Please look at the expiration date on your visa. If your visa expires while you are in the US, but your Form DS-2019 is still valid, and you are maintaining your program objective, you may remain in the United States and will be in legal immigration status. Your I-94 should be marked “D/S” which means it expires with the Form DS-2019. If your visa stamp has expired and you depart the United States, however, you must obtain a new visa before attempting to re-enter the United States. In other words, because a visa is purely an entry document, you need a valid visa to enter the United States but not to remain here legally.

Form DS-2019: If you travel outside the US for any reason during your program, you must have your Form DS-2019 signed by your Responsible Officer or Alternate Responsible Officer before you leave. You will be required to present this signed form to the Immigration Officer when you re-enter the US.

I-94 Card: Your I-94 Card is a record of your arrival and departure. This card lists your name, date and place of admission to the U.S, your visa classification, and the date of expiration. All J-1 exchange visitors should have the notation “D/S” on their I-94 cards instead of an actual date of expiration. The “D/S” stands for “duration of status” and means that you are permitted to legally remain in the US as long as you have a Form DS-2019 with unexpired program dates and are maintaining your program objective. (Your program dates can be found in section # 3 of your DS-2019.) Make sure that your program dates have not expired. If you need to have an extension of your program, you must talk to the department or faculty member to whom you report and ask them to arrange for an extension. Do not attempt to travel outside the US with an expired DS-2019 as you will not be permitted to re-enter.

Employment and Authorization to Work

Employment in the United States

As a J-1 Scholar (professor, researcher, short-term scholar or specialist) your employment in the United States is limited to the position described on your DS-2019 form. The occasional lecture or short-term consultation is permitted, but only with prior written approval from your J-1 Responsible Officer, who represents your J-1 sponsor and issues your DS-2019 forms.

Procedures

A request for permission to accept incidental employment will be considered if the activity is directly related to the objectives of your Exchange Visitor program; if it is incidental to your primary program activities; and if it will not delay the completion of your Exchange Visitor program.

To obtain authorization for incidental employment, you must present the following to your J-1 responsible officer:

• A letter of offer from the prospective employer describing the terms and conditions of the proposed employment, including the duration, the number of hours, the field or subject, the amount of compensation, and a description of the activity for which you are being hired. 
• A letter from your department head or supervisor that recommends the activity and explains how it is directly related to your principal activity and how it would enhance your Exchange Visitor program.

Authorization to Work

Your authorization to engage in the incidental employment activity will be in the form of letter to you from your J-1 Responsible Officer. You should give a copy of this letter to your employer and keep the original for your permanent records.

As a J-1 scholar your options for incidental employment are limited. Please remember that employment without proper authorization is a serious violation of your status. Before you begin any kind of employment, you must first consult your J-1 Responsible Officer, whose written approval is necessary in advance of your engaging in the incidental employment activity.

If you are asked to perform services (for example, earn an “honorarium”) by another academic institution or organization on a short-term basis, and if the services you will perform are directly related to your program objective, you must apply to the International Faculty and Scholars Office for permission before you accept the offer. You will need to provide a letter from the outside institution describing the nature of your work, and a letter from your ASU supervisor indicating how you will benefit from this particular activity. If you accept payment for services without obtaining advance permission from your Program Sponsor, you will violate your immigration status.

Expiration Date on Form DS-2019

The end date on your Form DS-2019 (section #3) is the last day you are permitted to perform any services (“work”) in the United States. Regulations permit you to remain in the US for an additional thirty days beyond your expiration date. You may use this thirty day period to prepare for your departure, or to travel in the United States. If you travel outside the US during this thirty day period, however, you will not be permitted to re-enter as a J-1 Exchange Visitor. You may be able to return as a tourist if you have proper documentation as a tourist.

Travel and Program Sponsor Requirements

Travel within the United States: You have the right to travel freely within the United States provided you maintain your legal J-1 status. Carry your passport and immigration documents with you.

Travel outside of the United States, returning to the same program sponsor: In order to avoid problems re-entering the country, consult with your program sponsor before you leave the United States. You will need to have your DS-2019 signed and may also need a letter verifying your status as an exchange visitor. You may also need to obtain a new U.S. visa.

Travel outside of the United States, returning to a different program sponsor: You must consult in advance with your current program sponsor about your proposed travel and transfer to a new program sponsor. Your program sponsor will be able to alert you to possible problems you may encounter. If the change is permissible, you must obtain a new Form DS-2019 from the new program sponsor to which you will transfer before you attempt to re-enter the United States.

Transfer to a different program sponsor: you may be able to transfer from your present program sponsor to a different program sponsor provided you qualify and follow certain procedures. You must consult your current program sponsor to notify them that you are considering a transfer. Your present program sponsor will be required to transfer your record in SEVIS to your new program sponsor, which will then give you a new Form DS-2019 no earlier than the effective date of the transfer. Thus, travel to employment with different program sponsors might well be impossible.

Completion of program: your program sponsor is required by the Department of State to keep them informed of your activities while you are an exchange visitor. This means that you must notify your program sponsor when you have completed your program. Once you have completed your program, you have an additional thirty days within which to depart the United States. (If you end your program early, before the date of expiration on the Form DS-2019, you are not entitled to the grace period, but instead must leave the United States as quickly as possible.) Your program sponsor is required to notify the Department of State of any early departure from the program. If you choose to remain in the United States for more than 30 days following the end of your program, you must apply to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service for a change of visa status, or you will be in violation of immigration laws and could under certain circumstances will be subject to deportation and/or be barred from re-entering the United States for three years.

Length of time you may remain in the United States: You have the right to remain in the United States to complete your program objective provided that does not exceed the total length of time permitted by your program category and you adhere to all regulations of your J-1 status.

If it is necessary for you to remain in the United States beyond the expiration date listed in section #3 of your Form DS-2019 in order to complete your program objective, you and your hosting department have the right to request an extension of your stay. You must contact your program sponsor at least 60 days before your expiration date to request an extension. The actual request for your extension must come from your host department. Providing you submit all of the necessary documentation requested by your program sponsor, have not exceeded the maximum allowable stay for your program category, and have maintained lawful J-1 immigration status, you will be considered eligible to receive an extension.

The two-year home country physical presence requirement: Many J-1 Exchange Visitors are required to return to their home countries for a period of two years after completion of their program objective before they can return to the United States in certain other non-immigrant classifications. If you are subject to this requirement, you will not be able to apply for a change from J status to any other status from within the United States.

In most cases, if you are subject to this requirement, it will be noted on your J-1 visa as “subject to 212e” or “not subject to 212e.” It might also be noted on your DS-2019 in the lower left-hand corner. If you are not sure whether you are subject to this requirement, ask your program sponsor or the International Faculty and Scholars Office.

Health Insurance: The Department of State requires all exchange visitors and their accompanying dependents to purchase and maintain appropriate health insurance for the duration of their stay in the United States in Exchange Visitor status. It is a serious violation of program regulations not to comply with this requirement. The Department of State requires that you be dismissed from the program for willful failure to carry the necessary insurance coverage. If dismissed, you will be required to leave the United States immediately or you will be considered to be unlawfully present.

You were provided with a list of health insurance requirements prior to the issuance of your original Form DS-2019 along with a list of several health insurance carriers. You are required to provide proof of insurance coverage within 30 days of arrival, when requesting the issuance of documents for an extension of stay, or for a Form DS-2019 for your dependents.

Compliance

Responsibility to Comply With Program Regulations

It is your responsibility to comply with all J-1 program and immigration regulations and to maintain lawful immigration status in the United States. Failure to maintain legal immigration status in the United States will nullify your visa and your permission to remain in the country. Remaining in the United States beyond your date of authorized stay (plus grace period, if applicable) could subject you to a bar from re-entering the United States for a period of up to 10 years. In addition, violating the terms and conditions of your immigration status might prevent you from obtaining a visa to enter the United States at any United States Consulate other than the one in your home country.

Additional information about the Exchange Visitor Program, as well as counseling and assistance, is available from the IFSO. We are here to support and guide you through the complex maze of United States immigration laws, and we are available to answer any questions you might have. We cannot help you, however, if you instead listen to the advice of friends or do not seek our advice. Please do not hesitate to contact United States if you have any questions or require assistance.