The United States, like most countries,
has established laws and regulations for persons wishing to visit. The guidelines
are complex and can be bewildering to someone unfamiliar with the system. It
is important that you inform LASPAU about any immigration issues that arise
so we can help ensure that you are in compliance with the rules governing your
status. For further information, please refer to the section on Immigration
and Visa Information on the LASPAU website.
| Compliance with Immigration Regulations Please note that you may jeopardize your immigration status if you neglect to complete and update as needed the required documents defined below, including your passport and your DS-2019 form. You are also required to report any address changes to LASPAU within 10 days of moving. |
The Student and Exchange Visitor
Information System (SEVIS) is an online database implemented by the U.S. government
in January 2003. The system enables the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE) to maintain updated biographical and program information on J-1 exchange
visitors living in the United States. SEVIS tracks all entries and exits to
and from the United States. In addition, LASPAU is required to track the following
types of information via SEVIS:
As the recipient of a grant that
is administered by LASPAU, you are admitted to the United States as part of
the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program administered by the Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State. This program requires
you to return to your home country as soon as you finish your program, including
any authorized academic training, and to reside there for at least two years.
You will be permitted to enter the United States as a tourist (or in another
nonimmigrant visa category) during this two-year period.
As an exchange visitor, you should understand the need for and use of the following documents:
Passport: Your passport must
be valid for at least six months after your current DS-2019 is due to expire.
If your passport will expire during your stay in the United States, you must
renew it through your country’s consulate or embassy before applying to extend
your DS-2019. The Embassy
World site lists information on all foreign embassies inside the United
States. When you send in your passport for renewal, keep your Arrival-Departure
Record Form (I-94) and your DS-2019 with you.
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It is always a good idea to register your name and length of stay with the nearest office of your country’s consulate. This will facilitate any services you may need from them. |
DS-2019 form: The DS-2019,
Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status, is normally sent
to you in your home country within 60 days of your departure so that you can
apply to have the J-1 visa placed in your passport (see below). It is therefore
critical that your name on the DS-2019 form is identical to your name in your
passport. If the names differ, notify your LASPAU program advisor or coordinator
immediately. Once you receive the DS-2019, read the information on page 2 and
then sign the bottom of page 1 where it says "Exchange Visitor Certification."
You will need the DS-2019 form when you travel to the United States. Your DS-2019 is valid for the period listed in box #3 of the form, beginning with the month of your arrival in the United States. If necessary, LASPAU will provide you with an extension of your DS-2019 in order to enable you to complete your program. Keep all the DS-2019 forms that you receive with your passport.
Your DS-2019 outlines some of the regulations governing exchange visitor status. In order to remain in J-1 status, you must
Exchange visitors are not allowed
to accept any form of public assistance for themselves or for their dependents.
LASPAU will make every effort to help ensure that you meet these requirements.
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Signatures on Immigration Documents Any immigration documents issued by LASPAU can only be signed by LASPAU staff. U.S. university or government officials cannot sign these forms. |
J-1 visa: The J-1 visa, placed in your passport by an officer at a
U.S. embassy or consulate, gives you permission to approach the United States
border. The visa must be valid whenever you enter the United States. To apply
for a J-1 visa, present your DS-2019 form and your passport at a U.S. consulate
or embassy abroad (preferably in your home country). We suggest you call ahead
of time to make an appointment and find out if you need to bring any other
documents. To find out the estimated waiting period for a visa interview and
the expected length of time it will take for your visa to be processed, please
visit the U.S.
Department of State's website. Once you have completed your visa application,
a consular officer will place your visa in your passport. If possible, ask
for a multiple entry visa so that you can leave and reenter the United States
without difficulty for the duration of your DS-2019. Once you have entered
the United States, your visa may expire. It does not need to be renewed
as long as you have a valid DS-2019 and you do not travel outside the United
States. An exception is made for travel to Canada, Mexico, and adjacent
islands (see the information in this section on Travel Outside
of the United States).
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Visas are only issued abroad and cannot be renewed while in the United States. |
Arrival-Departure Record Form
(I-94): Each time you enter the United States, you will be asked to complete
an Arrival-Departure Record Form (I-94). If you are arriving by air, a flight
attendant will distribute the form prior to landing. If you are arriving by
land, the U.S. immigration official at the port of entry will provide the form
to you.
You will present the Arrival-Departure
Record Form (I-94) with your passport (which contains your J-1 visa) and your
DS-2019 to the U.S. immigration official. After checking your documents, the
officer will stamp your DS-2019 form and Arrival-Departure Record Form (I-94)
for duration of status ("D/S") and return the forms to you with your
passport. The Arrival-Departure Record Form (I-94) is valid as long as you have
a valid DS-2019. The Arrival-Departure Record Form (I-94) and DS-2019 should
be kept with your passport. Your legal status will expire 30 days after the
expiration date of your DS-2019 or 30 days after your academic program ends,
whichever is earlier. The Arrival-Departure Record Form (I-94) must be returned
at your port of departure when you leave the United States.
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Please take extra care to complete the Arrival-Departure Record Form (I-94) exactly as requested. Your family name(s) should be written on the first line and your first and middle name(s) on the second line. The names on your Arrival-Departure Record Form (I-94) must match exactly the names in your passport and DS-2019 or you will have difficulty entering the United States. |
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Immigration Documents Always keep your DS-2019 form and Arrival-Departure Record Form (I-94) with your passport, and make sure that your dependents do the same. These documents demonstrate that you are in the United States legally, and they must be kept valid. You should know where they are at all times! We strongly advise that you and your dependents photocopy the identification pages of your passports, your visa pages, both sides of your Arrival-Departure Record Form (I-94) , and the first page of the DS-2019. Keep these copies separate from the originals so you can apply for replacements if the originals are lost or stolen. It is also a good idea to bring photocopies of all immigration documents with you whenever you travel. Make sure you have your DS-2019 forms with you each time you enter and exit the United States to show the history of your stay in this country. Similarly, make sure your dependents bring their DS-2019 forms with them when they travel. |
If you plan to bring your family
to the United States, LASPAU will need to issue a separate DS-2019 for each
of your dependents in order for them to obtain a J-2 visa. A DS-2019 will be
issued provided that each dependent has sufficient financial support and medical
insurance coverage, as specified below. If you are participating in an English
language training or orientation program, you must complete the program before
your family joins you. Anyone in your immediate family, defined as your legal
spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21, is eligible for a J-2 visa.
Your mother, father, siblings, other relatives, or household help are not eligible.
At least three months before your family’s planned arrival, complete the Dependent Visa Information Form, which you can download from this site in PDF format. This form provides LASPAU with information required by the U.S. government for the SEVIS tracking system. Mail, fax, or scan and email the Dependent Visa Information Form as an attachment to LASPAU along with the following documents:
Once we receive all of the necessary
documentation, it will take approximately two weeks for LASPAU to issue the
DS-2019 for each of your dependents. The form(s) will be sent to you and it
will be your responsibility to sign the bottom of the first page of each form
before forwarding them to your family. You can have the form(s) sent to you
by express mail if you pay for the additional cost.
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We recommend that you travel to the United States alone and have your family join you at a later date. This will allow you to find suitable housing and become familiar with your new environment before their arrival. |
If you receive a grant for personal maintenance, you may not use these funds to support your family. In order to bring your family to the United States, you need to demonstrate to LASPAU that you will have at least US$500 per month for the first dependent, US$300 per month for the second dependent, and US$150 per month for each additional dependent. Regional variations and your personal lifestyle may mean that you and your family will need more than the amounts specified here.
To demonstrate that you have sufficient financial support, you must provide LASPAU with documentation in the form of a contract or official statement from an institution guaranteeing the necessary level of funding. Acceptable forms of proof include: a contract for your salary in absentia, a copy of a rental agreement on property showing you as the landlord, proof that you possess sufficient funds and are able to transfer them into a U.S. bank account in your name, or bank statements from a friend or relative along with a notarized letter certifying that they will send you a fixed amount of U.S. dollars during your stay in the U.S.
Dependents’ Medical InsuranceDependents of J-1 visa holders must be covered by health insurance while they are in the United States. You will need to send LASPAU proof that your dependents have adequate medical insurance coverage that will take effect as soon as they arrive in the United States and last for a minimum of three months. Their coverage must meet the same levels that the U.S. government has established for your own coverage (see section on Health Care).
Please consult with LASPAU to make
sure that the policy you choose provides sufficient coverage. Send us a brochure
or the address of a website that will enable us to ascertain the benefits and
amount of coverage provided by the policy you would like to buy. If LASPAU approves
purchase of the policy, send us a copy of the completed insurance application
and a copy of the canceled check used to pay for the policy as proof of coverage.
Make sure that you also include information about the number of dependents the
policy covers, the benefits selected, and the duration of coverage. Information
on several health insurance policies that meet United States government requirements
can be found in the Health
Care section.
On the above mentioned Dependent Visa Information Form, LASPAU will require you to sign a statement certifying that your dependents will have adequate insurance coverage during their stay in the United States. LASPAU is not only concerned about protecting you and your family from the high cost of medical care for uninsured individuals in the United States, but we also are required to remain in compliance with J Exchange Visitor Program regulations regarding adequate insurance coverage for all grantees and their dependents.
If you have any questions about visas, insurance, or other issues concerning your dependents, please do not hesitate to consult with LASPAU. We also ask that you keep us informed about any changes in your marital status or family situation during your studies.
If your DS-2019 is not valid for the length of your program, it must be extended at least 15 days before it expires (the expiration date is specified in box #3 of the form). LASPAU will automatically extend your DS-2019 to the end date of your program funding or to the completion date of your program, whichever comes first. We will send the DS-2019 extension to you 15-30 days prior to the expiration date of your current DS-2019.
Once you receive the DS-2019 extension, read the information on page 2 and then sign the bottom of page 1 where it says "Exchange Visitor Certification." Keep the new form with your Arrival-Departure Record Form (I-94) and passport. The DS-2019 maintains your legal status in the United States. The visa in your passport does not need to be renewed as long as you have a valid DS-2019 and you do not travel outside the United States.
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If your passport has expired, contact your country's embassy or consulate to renew it before renewing your DS-2019. |
If you have dependents, you may need to send LASPAU proof that you continue to have adequate funds to support them in order for us to issue their DS-2019 extensions. Your LASPAU program advisor will request this information from you if necessary.
If you are planning to travel outside
the United States close to the time that you will be receiving a DS-2019 extension
from LASPAU, you can present the new DS-2019 form to an immigration official
for processing at the border upon reentering the United States. Let LASPAU know
if you have travel plans before the DS-2019 extension is issued.
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Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act In September 1996, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act was signed into law. This law mandates severe penalties for "visa overstays" (persons who have remained in the United States after the expiration of their authorized stays as defined in box #3 of the DS-2019).
In addition, those who remain in the United States even one day following the expiration of their authorized stays (or extension thereof) must apply for new reentry visas in their home countries. The visa becomes "void" even if the dates are still valid and marked "multiple entry." In this case, you would no longer be permitted to apply for a visa in any country except your home country. |
Many of you plan to travel home
during holiday seasons or during other university breaks. We want to remind
you that you may encounter delays when traveling outside the U.S. if you need
to renew the J-1 visa in your passport. The same is true for any dependents
who need to renew their J-2 visas. If you need to renew your visa, please be
sure to contact the U.S. embassy in your home country to schedule an appointment.
If you are traveling outside the U.S. during the holidays (or at any time), please send your travel dates to your LASPAU program advisor. Please also review the following points:
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LASPAU DS-2019 Deadlines for Travel Outside the United States Let your LASPAU program advisor or coordinator know if you will be traveling outside the United States close to the expiration of your DS-2019 so that we can send your DS-2019 extension to you before you travel. If you need the LASPAU Responsible Officer validation on your DS-2019, please send it to your LASPAU program advisor or coordinator at least two weeks in advance. |
Call the appropriate consulate to
see whether you will need a tourist visa to enter the country you will be visiting.
The Mexican consulate has a website (www.consulmexny.org/)
that lists which nationalities need a formal visa in order to visit Mexico.
To learn which nationalities need a formal visa in order to visit Canada, check
the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website (www.cic.gc.ca/).
Regardless of whether you need a tourist visa, you must have the following documentation for a visit:
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It is also useful to bring with you a document confirming your student status, such as a transcript. |
According to the policy of the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, the maximum amount of time that an individual can remain in J-1 status through the Fulbright Program—including English language training, academic program, and academic training—is three years for a master’s student and five years for a doctoral student. Please note that the duration of your particular grant will depend on various factors. Please see the Financial Terms section for specific information about the expected length of your program.
The U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) website provides a list of USCIS
forms, including the fee and the date the form was last revised. It also
provides a useful guide to local USCIS
offices in the United States.
The Embassy World site lists information
on all foreign embassies and consulates inside the United States as well as
on the U.S. Embassy in your home country.
U.S. Department of State website, which provides information regarding the estimated waiting period for a visa interview and the expected length of time it will take for a visa to be processed.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Fact Sheet: "Arriving at a U.S. Port of Entry - What an Exchange Visitor Can Expect."
