J-1 Exchange Visitors

J-1 exchange visitors

Download the J-1 and extension packets on our internal site.

For current employees and students, check out our site on O2

Professors

A professor is an "individual primarily teaching, lecturing, observing, or consulting at post-secondary accredited educational institutions, museums, libraries, or similar types of institutions. A professor may also conduct research, unless disallowed by the sponsor." 22 C.F.R. 62.4 (e)

The maximum period of stay in this category is 5 years.

Research scholars

A research scholar is an "individual primarily conducting research, observing, or consulting in connection with a research project at research institutions, corporate research facilities, museums, libraries, post-secondary accredited educational institutions, or similar types of institutions. The research scholars may also teach or lecture, unless disallowed by the sponsor." 22 C.F.R. 62.4 (f)

The maximum period of stay in this category is 5 years.

Short-term scholars

A short-term scholar is "a professor, research scholar, specialist, or a person with similar education or accomplishments coming to the United States on a short-term visit for the purpose of lecturing, observing, consulting, training, or demonstrating special skills at research institutions, museums, libraries, post-secondary accredited educational institutions, or similar types of institutions." 22 C.F.R. 62.4 (b)

The maximum period of stay in this category is 6 months.

Specialists

A specialist is "an individual who is an expert in a field of specialized knowledge or skill coming to the United States for observing, consulting, or demonstrating special skills." 22 C.F.R. 62.4 (g)

The maximum period of stay in this category is 1 year.

Section 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act requires exchange visitors and their dependents who are subject to the two-year home country physical presence requirement to return to their home countries and be physically present there for an aggregate of two years before being eligible to return to the United States as a permanent resident, H status or L status. Exchange visitors subject to this requirement are also not eligible to change their nonimmigrant status to any other nonimmigrant status in the United States except to A (diplomatic) and G (international organizations) status.

Who is subject?

You are subject to requirement if you fall into any one of the categories below:

Your exchange program was financed directly or indirectly by the United States government or a foreign government for the purpose of the exchange
The field you are coming to study is listed on the State Department's skill list
You are coming to the United States to receive "graduate medical education or training"

Time spent in the United States in J status in the 12 month period immediately preceding the start date on the new DS-2019 may affect a person's eligibility for a J-1 in the professor or research scholar category. A person who has been in the United States in J-1 status in the 12-month period immediately preceding the start date of the new DS-2019 may only return in J-1 status as a professor or research scholar category if:

the participant is transferring to the sponsor's program from another J-1 program in the United States; or
the participant's presence in the United States was of less than six months duration, or
the participant's presence in the United States was pursuant to a short-term scholar exchange activity

22 C.F.R. 62.20 (d) (ii)

A person who has been in the U.S. as a J-1 in the professor or research scholar category or a J-2 dependent of a professor or research scholar is not eligible for participation as a J-1 in the professor or research scholar category for a period of 2 years following the end date of their program as identified in the SEVIS system.

U.S. regulations require all exchange visitors (both J-1s and J-2s) to have health insurance during the duration of their exchange visitor program. The health insurance plan selected by the exchange visitor must meet the minimum requirements designated by U.S. law at 22 C.F.R. 62.14.

Minimum requirements:

Medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness;
Repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000;
Expenses associated with medical evacuation of the exchange visitor to their home country in the amount of $50,000; and
A deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness
Co-insurance may not exceed 25% payable by the exchange visitor. In addition, acceptable coverage may not exclude risks inherent in the activities of the exchange visitor program.

Please see the Health Insurance Requirements handout for the minimum requirements and a listing of some insurance companies that provide this type of insurance if you will not be covered by an OHSU health insurance plan. Please note, the OHSU health insurance plan for employees does not include coverage for repatriation of remains and medical evacuation so if you are covered under an OHSU insurance plan you will need to buy an additional policy to cover repatriation of remains and medical evacuation. You are required to have insurance to cover you from the start date listed on the DS-2019 form and continuing through the expiration date listed on the DS-2019 form. In the situation where the OHSU health insurance plan is not effective on the start date of the J-1 program, a supplemental policy may need to be purchased to cover the period of time from the start date listed on the DS-2019 form through the start of the OHSU health insurance plan.

You should apply for a J-1 visa at the U.S. consulate or embassy with jurisdiction over your place of residence. You must include the following documents with your application for a J-1 visa:

Form DS-2019: You must complete and sign the DS-2019 where it is marked "Exchange Visitor Certification." You should read the form carefully since it provides important information about J status.
Evidence of financial ability to meet expenses: You must provide proof that you have enough funding to cover health insurance, living expenses, etc. This should be in the form of an official letter from your sponsor, personal financial statements, etc.
Invitation letter from OHSU
Evidence of intent to depart the United States after completion of your program. The main reason that nonimmigrants are denied visas is because they fail to prove to the consulate officer that they will return to their home country once they have completed their exchange program. A J-1 visa is a temporary visa, so you must prove that you intend to return to your home country when you have finished your exchange program. This can be proved by showing ties to your home country. The following types of evidence can be used in showing your ties: evidence that shows you or your family own a business and/or property in your home country; evidence that you will return to your job in your home country; etc.
Valid passport
Form DS-160 (Nonimmigrant Visa Application)
Photograph: Must meet Department of State's requirements
Machine Readable Visa (MRV) surcharge fee
Visa Reciprocity Fee (if applicable)

The U.S. Embassy website will provide you with information on applying for a visa at U.S. consulates around the world. You will want to be familiar with the rules and procedures of issuing visas before you apply for yours. Since visa procedures vary depending on what consulate you go to it is recommended that you check the site for the procedures at the U.S. consulate you plan on going to.

When you arrive at the U.S. port of entry you must present the documents listed below to the immigration official:

A valid passport (unless you are exempt from the passport requirement)
A valid J-1 visa (unless you are exempt from the visa requirement, i.e. Canadian citizens)
Evidence of financial support
Form DS-2019
Form I-94: The immigration official will stamp your passport with your date of entry and status. You will then be able to go to the I-94 website to print your arrival/departure record with your status information and expiration date. If you come via a land port-of-entry crossing you will still receive a paper-based I-94 which will have your status and expiration date. The Form I-94/entry stamp should be marked J-1/ D/S. If you notice that the I-94 or entry stamp is incorrect, ask the immigration officer at the border to correct it. If you notice the mistake after you have gone through immigration, contact the Department of immigration Services at OHSU so we can help you get it corrected.

It is extremely important that you maintain J-1 status, since certain violations of status may be grounds for deportation under U.S. Immigration Law. This means that you must meet certain requirements required by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Please note that it is your responsibility to make sure that your DS-2019 is valid during your exchange program here. Your I-94 record will be marked D/S (Duration of Status) by the immigration officer at the port of entry, but your status is controlled by the date in item no. 3 of your DS-2019. For more information, read the handout on maintaining your J-1 status.

Professors, research scholars and short-term scholars may participate in occasional lectures and short-term consultations if these activities meet the following criteria:

The lectures or consultations must be directly related to the objectives of your exchange program;
They must be incidental to your primary program activities;
They must not delay the completion of your program;
You must act as an independent contractor; and
You must receive authorization from the Department of Immigration Services at OHSU before you engage in the occasional lectures or consultations

22 C.F.R. 62.20 (g) and (g) (1)

U.S. immigration regulations require that you carry your immigration paperwork on you at all times. It is highly recommended that you carry the following documents with you when you travel domestically or internationally:

Your DS-2019 signed for travel by the Department of Immigration Services with the last 12 months
Your passport
A valid visa (if reentering from abroad, unless traveling to Canada or Mexico or adjacent islands for less than 30 days)
Your I-94 record (if reentering the United States from a trip abroad you will receive a new I-94, unless you are reentering from Canada or Mexico after a trip of less than 30 days)

Trips to Canada, Mexico and adjacent islands

You may reenter the United States without a valid visa after a trip of less than 30 days to Canada, Mexico or adjacent islands. In order to take advantage of this provision you must be maintaining valid J-1 status, have a valid passport (unless exempt from passport requirements), have a current DS-2019 endorsed for travel by the Department of Immigration Services, and have a valid I-94 record.

Please be aware that if you travel to Canada or Mexico to apply for a new visa you will not be able to reenter the U.S. under the revalidation provisions stated above if your visa application is denied for any reason.

Citizens or nationals of Iran, Syria, Sudan, and Cuba are also not eligible for the revalidation provisions and must have a valid visa to reenter the U.S. after a trip to Canada, Mexico or adjacent islands.

Airport transit visa requirements for countries in the European Union

France, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden are now requiring that nationals from several countries including India obtain "airport transit visas" for connecting flights. If you are from one of the designated countries you are required to obtain the airport transit visa even if you will not be leaving the airport under certain circumstances.

Get more information about the airport transit visa requirements.

Please check with the embassies of the countries you will be landing in before you leave the U.S. to determine whether or not you will need an airport transit visa.

View a list of embassies around the world.

Spouses or unmarried children (under 21 years of age) may accompany you to the United States or join you at a later date in the United States. Your dependent family members will be given J-2 status. If you wish to have a family member accompany you to the United States or join you at a later date please contact the Department of Immigration Services for a dependent DS-2019.

A dependent of an J-1 student will need the following documents to apply for a J-2 visa:

Form DS-2019 as described above
Copies of your immigration documents: current DS-2019, visa, passport biography and extension pages and both sides of your I-94
A letter from the Department of Immigration Services verifying your status
Evidence of financial ability to meet expense
Marriage certificate or birth certificate
Evidence of intent to depart the United States after the J-1 completes their studies
Valid passport
Form DS-160 (Nonimmigrant Visa Application)
Photograph: Must meet Department of State's requirements
Machine Readable Visa (MRV) surcharge fee
Visa Reciprocity Fee (if applicable)

Insurance

J-2 dependents are also required to meet the health insurance requirements set forth in 22 C.F.R. Sec. 62.14.

Employment

J-2 dependents may apply for permission to accept employment provided that the income from the employment will not be used to support the the J-1. "Income from the spouse's or dependent's employment may be used to support the family's customary recreational and cultural activities and related travel, among other things." 8 C.F.R. Sec. 214.2(j)(1)(v)(A)

Contact the Department of Immigration Services for an employment authorization packet.

J-1 OHSU degree-seeking students

It is extremely important that you maintain J-1 status, since certain violations of status may be grounds for deportation under U.S. Immigration Law. This means that you must meet certain requirements required by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Please note that it is your responsibility to make sure that your DS-2019 is valid during your course of study here. Your I-94 record will be marked D/S (Duration of Status) by the immigration officer at the port of entry, but your status is controlled by the date in item number 3 of your DS-2019.

What you need to do to maintain J-1 status:

Have a passport that is kept valid at all times, unless exempt from the passport requirement.
Attend the school listed on your DS-2019 form.
Maintain a full-course of study each term (vacation period excluded). Full-time is 12 credits for undergraduate students and 9 credits for graduate students.
Apply for an extension of your DS-2019 prior to the expiration date on your DS-2019. The expiration date on your DS-2019 is shown in item number 3.
Inform the Department of Immigration Services before you change departments or move from one degree level to another.
Do not work without authorization. J-1 students must receive employment authorization from a responsible officer of the exchange program before engaging in any type of employment.
Maintain health insurance. All J-1 exchange visitors and J-2 dependents are required to obtain health insurance which meets the minimum requirements specified in 22 C.F.R. sec. 62.14. You must maintain health insurance throughout the period of your program, including during periods of post-completion academic training and during any vacation quarters.
Report a change of residence to the Department of Immigration Services within 10 days of the change.
Remain in the U.S. for no longer than 30 days after completing a full course of study, unless prior to that time you have followed procedures for academic training, moving educational levels, school transfer or a change of immigration status.

If you will not complete your program by the program completion date indicated at item 3 on your current DS-2019 you must apply for an extension. Applications for an extension must be made to the Department of Immigration Services PRIOR to the expiration date on your DS-2019.

You are eligible for a program extension if:

You have continually maintained your J-1 status
You are making progress towards your academic objective

If you are maintaining your J-1 status you may transfer from one school with an exchange visitor program to another by following the transfer procedures below. The purpose of the transfer must be to complete the objective of the exchange program for which you were admitted to exchange visitor status.

Transfer procedures:

Inform the Department of Immigration Services of your intention to transfer and request a release of your record in SEVIS allowing you to transfer to the new exchange program.
You must obtain a new DS-2019 from the school you are transferring to prior to the expiration date of your DS-2019 from OHSU.
Check in with the RO or ARO of you new school within 30 days of the program begin date on your new DS-2019 form.

On campus

A J-1 student who is currently maintaining J-1 status may engage in part-time on-campus employment while attending school with written authorization from the Department of Immigration Services. A J-1 student may engage in full-time on-campus employment during official school breaks and during the student's annual vacation quarter.

A J-1 student is not permitted to engage in on-campus employment after completing his/her course of study unless she/he has another form of work authorization. (Part-time employment is defined as 20 hours or fewer per week while school is in session. Full-time employment is defined as more than 20 hours per week.)

You must obtain written authorization from the Department of Immigration Services before you begin on-campus employment. If OHSU is not your exchange visitor sponsor then you must receive written authorization from the responsible officer of your exchange program sponsor before you are allowed to begin employment at OHSU. On-campus employment authorization may be authorized for a maximum of 12 months at a time and is automatically withdrawn if your program is terminated.

Economic necessity

The Department of Immigration Services may authorize you for off-campus employment when necessary because of serious, urgent and unforeseen economic circumstances that have arisen since acquiring your exchange visitor status. You must receive written authorization form the Department of Immigration Services before employment may begin.

If you think you may qualify for this type of employment authorization, contact the Department of Immigration Services.

Academic training

A J-1 student is eligible for employment, training or experience related to their course of study while the student is enrolled in school or after completion of their program.

Important points about academic training:

The employment must be related to your major field of study.
The academic training must be done with a specific employer or training site and be directly related to the major field of study listed on your DS-2019.
You must be in good academic standing.
You must receive written approval in advance from the Department of Immigration Services for the duration and type of academic training.
Academic training is permitted at any stage in your program, while you are enrolled in school or after completion of your program. Post-completion academic training has to begin within 30 days after completion of your program. This means that you must have an academic training offer and the training must be authorized within the 30 days after completion of studies. A DS-2019 issued for academic training must be issued before the expiration date of the previous DS-2019.
Students are permitted an overall limit of 18 months, which includes all academic training, whether before or after completion of studies. The total training period may not exceed the amount of time you spent in your course of study. Postdoctoral training may be authorized for a maximum of 36 months.

How to apply for academic training:

Obtain a written job offer from the employer or training site listing: job title, dates of employment, number of hours of work a week, compensation, name of company, place of employment, supervisor and a description of the job duties.
Obtain a written recommendation for academic training from your advisor including the following information:
- The goals and objectives of the specific training program
- A description of the training program, including its location, the name and address of the training supervisor, number of hours per week and dates of the training
- How the training relates to your major field of study
- Why it is an integral or critical part of your academic program
Submit the job offer and recommendation from your advisor to the Department of Immigration Services. The Department of Immigration Services will then prepare a letter for you authorizing your academic training. Do not begin employment until you have received the written authorization from the Department of Immigration Services.

Your DS-2019 signed for travel by the Department of Immigration Services with the last 12 months
Your passport
A valid visa (if reentering from abroad, unless traveling to Canada or Mexico or adjacent islands for less than 30 days)
Your I-94 record (if reentering the United States from a trip abroad you will receive a new I-94 record, unless you are reentering from Canada or Mexico after a trip of less than 30 days)

Trips to Canada, Mexico and adjacent islands

Citizens or nationals of Iran, Syria, and Sudan are also not eligible for the revalidation provisions and must have a valid visa to reenter the U.S. after a trip to Canada, Mexico or adjacent islands.

Airport transit visa requirements for countries in the European Union

Get more information about the airport transit visa requirements.

Please check with the embassies of the countries you will be landing in before you leave the U.S. to determine whether or not you will need an airport transit visa.

View a list of embassies around the world.

Entry requirements for Canada

Canada now requires all Canadian visa-exempt foreign nationals to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to fly or transit through Canada.　Exceptions include　U.S. citizens and travelers with a valid Canadian visa. Please make sure you apply for an ETA before you book your flight to Canada. Most applicants get approved within minutes. However, some applications can take several days to process, so do not wait until the last minute. Please also make sure that you check to see if you need a visa to enter Canada.

Find out more information on Canadian entry requirements.

A dependent of an J-1 student will need the following documents to apply for a J-2 visa:

Form DS-2019 as described above
Copies of your immigration documents: current DS-2019, visa, passport biography and extension pages and both sides of your I-94
A letter from the Department of Immigration Services verifying your status
Evidence of financial ability to meet expense
Marriage certificate or birth certificate
Evidence of intent to depart the United States after the J-1 completes his/her studies
Valid passport
Form DS-160 (Nonimmigrant Visa Application)
Photograph: Must meet Department of State's requirements
Machine Readable Visa (MRV) surcharge fee
Visa Reciprocity Fee (if applicable)

Insurance

J-2 dependents are also required to meet the health insurance requirements set forth in 22 C.F.R. Sec. 62.14.

Employment

Contact the Department of Immigration Services for an employment authorization packet.

Study as a J-2 Spouse or Child

J-2 dependents may study either part-time or full-time in the U.S.

Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is not legal advice. It is your responsibility to know and abide by the immigration regulations that apply to you.

Office of International Affairs

Office of International Affairs

J-1 students/exchange visitors