This section includes important information on how to maintain your J-1 visa status while participating in your Fulbright Program in the United States. Here you will find policies and procedures on traveling abroad and re-entry, information on the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), the US-VISIT program, and J-1 visa terminology.See also the Fulbright Foreign Fellows Handbook: Guide to Living and Studying in the Unites States, pages 9-11 (visa and related regulations) and pages 36-38 (travel abroad).
Travel Outside the United States
When you enter the United States for the first time, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer at your port-of-entry will stamp your Form DS-2019 in Box 6, validating your first entry into the U.S. on your J-1 visa.
For subsequent travel outside of the United States, the box located in the lower right-hand corner of your DS-2019 form (“Travel Validation By Responsible Officer”) must be signed by IIE at least once during the academic year. The signature indicates that you are maintaining your J-1 status. Your J-2 Dependent will also need a travel signature on his or her DS-2019, if he or she will travel outside of the United States. The travel signature issued by is valid for 12 months after the date of issue, or until the end date of your DS-2019, whichever comes first. If you need a travel validation signature on your DS-2019 form, please send it to the address below and include your travel dates and the address for return mailing.
Institute Of International Education (IIE)
Attention: Global Operations Travel Validation Request
809 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017 No phone calls to IIE/New York please to check the status of the return mailing.
Your Fulbright stipend may be reduced if you are outside of the US for more than 30 days consecutively. Please contact your IIE representative for further consultation about this.
Re-entry Procedures
In order to re-enter the United States after travel to another country you will need:
- A passport that is valid for at least 6 months beyond your date of entry into the U.S.
- A DS-2019 form, signed for travel by an IIE Alternative Responsible Officer.
- A valid U.S. J-1 visa (except for visits of less than 30 days to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean.) If your visa has expired, follow the J-1 visa renewal instructions below.
- Upon U.S. reentry, verify that Customs and Border Patrol have stamped on your DS-2019 and I-94 “J-1 D/S” (or “J-2 D/S”).
In addition, it is strongly recommended that you carry: - Evidence of participation in an academic or research program, such as a grade transcript or other official proof of enrollment.
- Evidence of your financial resources, such as a university award letter and/or bank statements.
- Name and contact information of your IIE Regional Contact.
If the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer at the port-of-entry cannot verify your information or you do not have all of the required documentation, you may be directed to an interview known as “secondary inspection.” This will allow the official to conduct additional research in order to verify your information, without causing delays for other arriving individuals.
Note: All of the above information also applies to your traveling J-2 Dependents.
For comprehensive information on procedures for traveling and arriving in the U.S. go to: SHORT TRIPS TO CANADA, MEXICO, OR THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS:
If you intend to visit Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean Islands for less than 30 days and the J-1 visa in your passport has expired, you do not need to obtain a new visa for re-entry into the U.S. This process is called Automatic Revalidation.
As you leave the U.S., do not surrender your I-94 card (Arrival-Departure Record), which is stapled inside your passport. Instead: - If you are flying: Make a photocopy of your I-94 card before your departure. Present the photocopy of your I-94 card and show your round-trip ticket to the airline attendant.
- If you are driving: Present your documents and explain to the port-of-entry official that you are visiting for less than 30 days and that you need to keep your I-94 card. At your port of re-entry to the United States, present your passport, your DS-2019 form, and I-94 card.
Note: If during your short visit of less than 30 days to Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean you choose to apply to renew your J-1 visa and your application is denied, the denial will be reflected in your passport and you will NOT be permitted to re-enter the United States If during your visit you have not applied to renew your J-1 visa, you may still re-enter the United States using your expired visa, along with the supporting documents mentioned above.
Exceptions to Automatic Revalidation:
Citizens of Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria are not eligible to use the automatic revalidation process and must have a valid J-1 visa to enter the U.S. Consult http://www.ice.gov/sevis/travel/faq_f2.htm for details.
If you will visit Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean Islands for more than 30 days, you must have a valid J-1 visa for re-entry into the U.S. J-1 Visa RenewalIf you need to renew your J-1 visa, contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country you are visiting. Application procedures for U.S. visas vary across U.S. Embassies, and some U.S. Embassies or Consulates will serve only nationals of the country in which the U.S. Embassy or Consulate is located. You should consult the Department of State website at http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html and click on “Find a U.S. Embassy” to get specific information.
Along with your application for the J-1 visa, you will be required to submit: - A passport that is valid for at least 6 months beyond the end date of your DS-2019.
- A DS-2019 form signed for travel by an your IIE Regional Contact.
- Evidence of financial support, such as a university award letter and/or bank statements.
Please note that you may also be required to attend an in-person interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. The U.S. Embassy or Consulate will outline these procedures for you. To find out typical wait times to obtain an exchange visitor visa go to: http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_wait.php.
APPLYING FOR A VISA IN A THIRD COUNTRY:
If you are planning to travel to a country that is not your home country (referred to as a "third" country), and your J-1 visa has expired, you will need a new J-1 visa to return to the United States. It is very difficult for students and scholars to renew their visas at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate in a third country. If you choose to renew your visa in a third country and you are denied the visa, you will need to return to your home country and apply for the visa there. As there is no guarantee that you will be issued a visa in either case, please consider your travel plans carefully before departing.
Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)
As of August 1, 2003, the United States Government mandated that an Internet-based system be implemented to enable schools and the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS), formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Service, to exchange information on the immigration and academic status of international students, scholars, and their dependents, nationwide. This program, called the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), is also used by the U.S. government to track the arrivals and departures of international exchange visitors, as well as continued enrollment, academic training, on-campus employment, and other important related activities.
Through our normal administrative processing of grant renewals and visa sponsorship extensions, IIE will provide you and each of your J-2 dependents with a SEVIS DS-2019 form, which you will need in order to obtain a new entry visa.
U.S.-VISIT ProgramWhen you enter the United States after traveling abroad, the U.S. CBP official processing your entry will use an inkless fingerprint scanner to read your index finger print. The official will also take a digital photograph of you. Together with the standard information gathered about your identity and travel, US-VISIT will verify your identity and compliance with visa and immigration policies. Race, national origin and religion are not factors in the US-VISIT program, as it applies to ALL non-immigrant visa holders.
Canadian nationals (except those entering in E or K status) are not subject to US-VISIT.
For more information about US-VISIT, go to http://www.dhs.gov/us-visit.
J-1 Important Terms - SEVIS Form DS-2019 (Certification of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor [J-1] Status) — Required for of J-1 entry visa; also supports permission to stay in the United States for duration of period indicated while engaging in approved activities. DS-2019 must be valid throughout your stay in the United States
- Visa - Entry permit stamp in passport; may expire while in the United States without penalty. There is no process to renew the J-1 entry visa in the United States either through the Department of State or or any other U.S. Government agency. The entry visa does not need to be renewed unless the grantee plans to leave the United States and seek re-entry. An entry visa may be renewed by a Visa Issuing Officer at the American Embassy in your home country.
- Duration of Status - (At United States port of entry, CIS annotates a "D/S" on the I-94 Form [Arrival-Departure Record] and also in Box 6 of the DS-2019 form.) D/S indicates that the exchange visitor is in status as long as his/her DS-2019 form is valid and s/he engages in authorized activities.
- Valid Program Status - The Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) Office of the United States Department of State considers an exchange visitor to be in "valid program status" only through the completion of approved J-1 activities, regardless of the end date of the DS-2019 form. EVP does not consider the thirty-day grace period as part of valid program status.
- 30-Day Grace Period - Upon completion of approved J-1 activities (even if earlier than the end date of the DS-2019 form), the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly INS) grants exchange visitors 30 days during which the only activities in which they may engage are travel within the United States and/or preparation for departure.
- BCIS: Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services
- SEVIS: Student and Exchange Visitor Information System
|
