This form is used by Stevens to invite students and/or researchers for study or research at Stevens.
Please note: this form is not for prospective students or faculty to gain admission or offer to Stevens Institute of Technology.
J1 Request Form for Download
J1 Regulations
Description
The purpose of the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program is to promote international educational and cultural exchange in order to develop mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and other countries. The U.S. Department of State administers the Exchange Visitor Program, and it assigns certain cultural and educational institutions, such as Stevens, as sponsors to administer its programs. Designated ISSS staff members serve as representatives, known as Responsible Officers or Alternate Responsible Officers, and they help administer Stevens's exchange visitor program.
The type of visa used for the Exchange Visitor Program is the J visa. Stevens sponsors foreign nationals for J-1 visas in the following categories: professor, research scholar, specialist, and short-term scholar.
Professor and Research Scholar: The length of stay is limited to five years, including any previous continuous time spent at other institutions.
Specialist: The length of stay is limited to one year, including any previous continuous time spent at other institutions.
Short-term Scholar: The length of stay is limited to six months, including any previous continuous time spent at other institutions.
J1 Procedures at Stevens Institute of Technology
Beginning a New Program
If your department plans to request J-1 status for you, the department administrator will complete a Request for DS-2019 form. The department administrator will ask you to submit various documents required for the application, including a copy of your passport, curriculum vitae, and financial documentation if necessary. Once International Scholar Services receives the request form and supporting documents from your department, the office will review the information and issue a DS-2019 form for you using the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database. Your department administrator will mail the form to you so you can then apply for your J-1 visa stamp at a U.S. embassy or consulate.
International Scholar Services requires a minimum of a three-month lead-time for all new scholars arriving from overseas. This is to allow sufficient time for International Scholar Services to process your DS-2019 form and for you to receive it in the mail then apply for your J-1 visa at a U.S. consulate or embassy in your home country.
Transferring FROM Another Exchange Visitor Program
If you will be transferring your J-1 status to Stevens from another institution, your Stevens department administrator will need to include with the Request for DS-2019 copies of your current immigration documents. International Scholar Services will then contact your current institution for your transfer of your record in SEVIS. Once your transfer date arrives, International Scholar Services will have access to your SEVIS record and will be able to issue your DS-2019 form after you arrive at Stevens. If you plan to travel before transferring to Stevens, please contact International Scholar Services immediately.
Transferring TO Another Exchange Visitor Program
Transferring your J-1 status to another institution during your period of authorized stay may be permitted if the new program is consistent with the purpose of your program at Stevens, but it will require a release of your record in SEVIS by International Scholar Services. The international office at your new institution must contact International Scholar Services regarding your transfer so the staff can release your record in SEVIS before you start at your new institution.
Extending your J-1 Program
If you would like to extend your J-1 status, please contact your department at least three months before the expiration of your current period of authorized stay, as indicated on your DS-2019 form. If you will be extending your J-1 status at Stevens, your department administrator will need to include with the Request for DS-2019 form copies of your current immigration documents. Once International Scholar Services receives the request form and supporting documents from your department, International Scholar Services will review the information and issue a DS-2019 form for your extension. You do not have to obtain a new J-1 visa stamp in your passport unless you will be traveling outside the U.S. and reentering in J-1 status during your extension period. Please contact International Scholar Services with any questions regarding your visa status during your extension period.
Dependents
Immediate family members, i.e., a spouse and/or unmarried children under 21, may apply for J-2 visas to accompany exchange visitors to the U.S. If you have dependents and would like them to join you at some point during your stay at Stevens, notify your department of this when you are asked for information for your visa application.
Health Insurance Requirements for J Exchange Visitors
Federal regulations require that all J-1 exchange visitors and J-2 dependents have health insurance that meets specified minimum requirements. Coverage must run for the duration of the exchange visitor's program in the U.S.
It is important to understand that failure to maintain insurance coverage, as detailed below, is a violation of U.S. government regulations that results in immediate termination of exchange visitor status.
Minimum insurance requirements:
-
Medical benefits of at least $50,000 per accident or illness
- Payment for repatriation of remains in the amount of $7,500
- Payment for medical evacuation to home country in the amount
of $10,000
- A deductible not to exceed $500 per illness or accident
Certain exchange visitors, after completing their programs in the U.S., must return home for 2 years before they can change or adjust to H, L, or permanent resident status in the U.S. The intent of this requirement is to have the home country benefit from the exchange visitor's experience in the U.S. The requirement to return home, also known as rule 212(e) or the "Home Residency Requirement" does not apply to all J-1 exchange visitors.
If you hold J-1 status and meet any or all of the below criteria, then you are subject to this requirement:
- You have been financed in whole or part by the U.S. or your
home government,
- Your skills are needed by your home country as indicated in
the U.S. government's "Exchange Visitor Skills List,"
- Your purpose in coming to the U.S. is to receive graduate medical education or training.
If you hold J-2 status as a dependent of a J-1 exchange visitor
who is subject to the Two-Year Home Residency Requirement, then
you are also subject to the Two-year Home Residency Requirement.
Note: An exchange visitor subject to the two-year home residence
requirement is NOT permitted to change to any other
non-immigrant status in the U.S.
If you are unclear as to whether you are subject to the two-year
home residence requirement, you can write to the U.S. Department
of State and request a formal advisory opinion. Before doing so,
however, you should first consult with a Scholar Services
Advisor.
Exchange visitors who are subject to the two-year home residence
requirement may, under certain circumstances, apply for a waiver
of the requirement. If you are considering applying for a
waiver, you should consult with a Scholar Services Advisor as
soon as possible.
Registration and Orientation
Registration
Immediately upon your arrival at Stevens, inform International
Scholar Services of your arrival. In order for Stevens to
validate your arrival in the SEVIS database, you must register
with International Scholar Services. J-1 federal regulations
require every exchange visitor to register upon arriving in the
U.S., even if you have been in the U.S. in J-1 status before.
Program sponsors must report the exchange visitor's arrival in
SEVIS within 30 days of the begin date on the DS-2019 form. This
cannot be done if International Scholar Services is not informed
of your arrival.
When registering at International Scholar Services, bring your:
1. Passport
2. I-94 card
3. Form DS-2019
Change of Address
Program sponsors are required by law to keep the Department of
Homeland Security of exchange visitors' U.S. addresses at all
times. It is your responsibility to keep International Scholar
Services apprised of your current residence. Within ten days of
a move you must notify International Scholar Services of your
new address so the staff can update your SEVIS record.
Travel: Re-Entering the U.S. in J-1 or J-2 Status
Before traveling outside the U.S., review the following
checklist. If you have any questions or concerns before you
leave the U.S., please consult an advisor at International
Scholar Services.
Upon re-entry into the U.S., be prepared to present to an
immigration inspector your valid passport with valid J visa,
original Form DS-2019 with a travel signature, and financial
documentation.
- Passport: Be sure that your passport is valid at least six
months into the future from the day you intend to re-enter the
U.S.
- Visa: Check your visa to make sure it will be unexpired on
your intended re-entry date. Also note the number of entries
allowed on your visa: if it is only valid for two entries, you
may not have entered the U.S. more than once.
Note: Canadian citizens do not need a passport or an entry visa to enter the U.S. from Canada or another country within the Western Hemisphere (a passport is required for entry from a third country outside the Western Hemisphere). However, Canadians must show Form DS-2019 or I-797 approval notice at the port of entry to obtain appropriate status on their I-94/Arrival/Departure Record.
- Form DS-2019 and Travel Signature: You must have with you
your original DS-2019 form. Be sure you have a valid signature
dated within the last 12 months from International Scholar
Services on the section marked "Travel Validation by Responsible
Officer" at the bottom right of your form.
Note: J-2 dependents must each have their own DS-2019 with a valid travel signature dated within the last 12 months.
- Financial Documentation: You must have with you evidence of
your financial documentation, e.g., an Stevens appointment
letter, an award letter from a funding organization, or personal
financial documents.
Be prepared for US-VISIT, a program to monitor the entry and exit of all
nonimmigrant’s to the U.S. At the port of entry, you will be fingerprinted and photographed. The exit procedures for the program are still being developed. It is possible that upon exiting the U.S., you will be directed to a self-service kiosk to scan your travel documents and fingerprints.
Status
When the immigration inspector stamps and marks your I-94 card upon re-entry into the U.S., be sure to check at that time that it is noted with the correct immigration status-J-1. This is critical to your being able to pursue your program objective. If you are a J-1 professor and the immigration inspector puts another status on your I-94 card, e.g., B-2 you will not be eligible to take up your teaching position at Stevens.
Travel to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean
If you travel to Canada, Mexico, and adjacent islands* of the Caribbean except Cuba for 30 days or less, you do not need a new visa stamp even if your current one has expired if you
are in lawful status,
- have a valid DS-2019 form in your possession, which has been
signed for travel,
- have an unexpired I-94 card with you (do NOT surrender it when
you leave the U.S.),
- have an unexpired passport valid at least six months into the
future, and
- have a previously-issued nonimmigrant visa (even for a
different nonimmigrant classification).
Incidental Employment Outside Stevens Institute of Technology
(Occasional Paid Lecturing or Consulting)
Eligibility
J-1 federal regulations for exchange visitors in the Professor, Research Scholar, and Short-Term Scholar categories (checked as either 4.4, 4.8, or 4.9 on Form DS-2019) allow for participation in occasional lectures and short-term consultations at locations not listed on Stevens's Form DS-2019. Such activities must be approved by the program sponsor (Stevens) and:
- must be directly related to the objectives of the exchange
visitor's program;
- must be incidental to the exchange visitor's primary program
activities; and
- may not delay the completion date of the visitor's program.
Procedures
In advance of the date of your engagement:
Obtain a letter from the offerer that:
- requests from Stevens permission to undertake the lecturing or
consulting and sets forth the terms and conditions of the offer to lecture or
consult, including duration (not to exceed end date of your
current DS-2019), number of hours, field or subject, amount of
compensation, and description of activity.
- Obtain a letter from your Stevens faculty sponsor/supervisor
recommending such activity, explaining how it would enhance your
exchange visitor program.
- Submit both letters above with your request for work
permission to International Scholar Services. Indicate what you
would like done with the letter, e.g. faxed or mailed to the
employer, mailed to you, or left for you to pick up at
International Scholar Services.
- International Scholar Services will review the request and if
approved, issue a permission letter within five working days.
NOTE: Permission is necessary even if you will only be reimbursed for expenses.
Stevens is responsible for reporting early departures in SEVIS.
If you plan to leave Stevens more than 30 days before the end date of your authorized stay as indicated on your Form DS-2019, notify International Scholar Services of your departure shortly before you leave.
Guide to Maintaining Proper J Immigration Status
Here is a quick checklist that should help you to maintain
proper J (exchange visitor) immigration status. These guidelines
are based on applicable regulations of the Department of
Homeland Security and the Student and Exchange Visitor
Information System (SEVIS).
- J-1 Students must be enrolled full-time in every regular (fall or spring) semester. Full time is 12 credits for undergraduate students and 9 credits for graduate students.
- Only one distance learning (WebCampus), or 3 credits, can be counted towards the number of credits required for full-time status each regular semester. You may take additional distance learning courses if you have already met the full-time requirement.
- Do not engage in any employment without authorization from the ISSS Director or Immigration. Students who are properly maintaining J immigration status are authorized to work on campus up to 20 hours a week during regular semesters and full time during vacation periods. Any other type of employment requires PRIOR authorization from the ISSS Director or Immigration.
- Inform the ISSS office of any changes of address, legal name, major, degree level, or other substantive change in your program within 3 days of the change. This requirement also applies to J-1 students engaged in Academic Training.
- Make sure that your DS-2019 form does not expire. If your form is nearing expiration and you will be continuing your studies beyond the expiration date, you are required to obtain an extension in advance of the expiration date.
- Make sure that your passport does not expire. If it is nearing expiration, contact your consulate or embassy well in advance (4-6 months) of the expiration date to check on renewal procedures and deadlines.
- Students interested in post-completion academic training (J) must submit their requests to Immigration or ISSS PRIOR to completion of their academic program regardless of the actual expiration date shown on their I-20 or DS-2019.
- Students in J status who do not apply for academic training prior to completing their program have a 30-day grace period to depart the country.
- You must obtain a travel signature prior to leaving the U.S. for vacations. Travel signatures are valid for six months. Please request signature in the ISSS office at-least 1 week prior to departure.
ISSS Home
New Accepted Students
Current Students
Forms
Immigration
J-1 Request form & Guide
F-1 Status Guide
H-1 Employment
