Maintaining J-1 Status

J-1 Exchange Visitors must understand and adhere to the rules governing maintenance of status.  OVIS works closely with our J-1 student and scholar populations to monitor data reported in SEVIS, advise students, scholars and other Exchange Visitors on maintaining valid status including reporting obligations, travel and employment restrictions, and to communicate changing policy and regulations.  J-1 Exchange Visitors are responsible for understanding and following the rules and regulations governing their J-1 status, as well as J-2 status for accompanying family members.

To maintain J-1 nonimmigrant status, you must:

• Maintain valid passport, Form DS-2019 with travel signature, and I-94 record of arrival throughout duration of J-1 program.
   
• Pursue the stated research/teaching or other authorized activity of your J-1 program.
   
• Do not engage in unauthorized employment. Unauthorized employment will result in termination of the J-1 record.
   
• Notify OVIS of any change of address and/or telephone number within 10 days of the change.
   
• Notify OVIS of any change in your site of activity, funding, or program dates.
   
• Follow correct procedures for shortening or extending your exchange visitor program, or transferring to another J-1 program in the U.S.
   
• Maintain sufficient health insurance coverage for yourself and any dependent J-2 family members for the duration of your J-1 program.
   
• Follow the rules for the grace period following the end of your J-1 program.

You can find more information on the Department of State's J-1 website.

As a J-1 exchange visitor in the U.S., you are required to have the following unexpired documents:

• Current passport
   
• J-1 Visa. This stamp or sticker in your passport allows you to enter the U.S. for the primary purpose as stated on your Form DS-2019. The stamp may expire while you are in the United States. After the stamp is expired, you must get a new one to return to the United States. Permission to remain in the U.S. depends upon the validity of the underlying Form DS-2019. Visa applications are normally made in your home country. Talk with your OVIS advisor about "third country" visa applications.
  Canadian citizens are exempt from the visa stamp requirement.
   
• I-94 record
   
  • If you travel by land, the I-94 card is given to you by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer at the border when you travel to the U.S. from Canada or Mexico. You will fill out the card, and then the immigration officer will stamp part of it and give it back to you. The I-94 card will have your Admission number on it and it should indicate "D/S" (Duration of Status) instead of an expiration date. This means that the institution sponsoring you can extend your program of stay, even if the visa itself has expired. The I-94 card should remain in your passport at all times.
     
  • Your arrival information, including your admission number, will be processed electronically by CBP. We strongly recommend that you print and keep an electronic I-94 record after you enter the United States.
     
• Form DS-2019 is issued to you by your program sponsor, Dartmouth College. The Form DS-2019 allows a J-1 exchange visitor to apply for a J-1 visa to enter and remain in the U.S. for as long as the J-1 status is maintained. An exchange visitor may not remain in the U.S. past the program end date on the Form DS-2019. The exchange visitor must read and understand the information on page 2 before signing at the bottom of page 1. Before leaving the country for a vacation or break, J-1 exchange visitors must receive a travel endorsement from the ARO/OVIS advisor.

If you lose any of these documents, contact OVIS.