J-1 Current Students
Maintaining J-1 status- 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 card (the small white card, which you will receive on
the airplane to the United States,) will be stamped 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)
- 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 Office of International 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. For more information on the health insurance requirements
please download the form Exchange
Visitor Health Insurance Requirements in PDF format or contact
the Office of International Services.
- Report a change of residence to the Office of International 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.
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Extensions- 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 Office of International 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
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School Transfers- 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 Office of International Services of your
intention to transfer and request a release of your record in SEVIS
allowing your 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.
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Employment
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 OFFICE
OF INTERNATIONAL 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 Office of
International 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.
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Economic Necessity- The Office of
International 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 Office
of International Services before employment may begin.
If you think you may qualify for this type of employment authorization
please contact the Office of International Services.
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Academic Training- a J-1 student
is eligible for employment, training or experience related to his/her
course of study while the student is enrolled in school or after completion
of his/her 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 Office of
International 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; and
*Why it is an integral or critical part of your academic program
- Submit the job offer and recommendation from your advisor to
the Office of International Services. The Office of International 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 Office of International Services.
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Travel- U.S. law requires 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 currently signed for travel by the Office of International
Services
- Your passport
- A valid visa (if reentering from abroad, unless traveling to Canada
or Mexico for less than 30 days)
- Your I-94 form (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 and Mexico -You may reenter the United States
without a valid visa after a trip of less than 30 days to Canada or
Mexico. 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 Office
of International Services, and have a valid I-94.
*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 Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, North Korea 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 or Mexico.
*Anyone who has been an overstay under INA 222(g) is also not eligible for the revalidation provisions and must obtain a new visa in his/her home country to reenter the U.S.
New 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. There are exceptions for nationals from these countries
who are U.S. Permanent Residents. You can obtain more information about
the airport transit visa requirements on the French embassy's web-site
at http://www.consulfrance-washington.org/article.php3?id_article=383
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. The following web-site has a list of web-site
links for embassies around the world. http://www.embassyworld.com/
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Dependents- 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 Office of International 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 Office of International Services
verifying your status
- Evidence of financial ability to meet expenses
- Marriage certificate or birth certificate
- Evidence of intent to depart the United States after the J-1
completes his/her studies
- A valid passport
- Form DS-156 (Nonimmigrant Visa Application)-This form is
available on the Department of State's web-site at http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/forms/forms_1342.html
- Form DS-157 (Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application) if applicable-
This form is also available on the Department of State's web-site
listed above.
- Form DS-158 (Contact Information and Work History for Nonimmigrant
Visa Applicant)- This form is also available on the Department
of State's web-site listed above.
- Photograph
- Machine Readable Visa (MRV) surcharge fee
- Visa Reciprocity Fee (if applicable)- A listing of visa reciprocity
fees is available on the Department of State's web-site at http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/fees/fees_1341.html
The web-site http://usembassy.state.gov/
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 it is recommended that you check
the above web-site for the procedures at the U.S. consulate you plan
on applying for your visa at.
Insurance- J-2 dependents are also required to meet the health
insurance requirements set forth in 22 C.F.R. Sec. 62.14. For more detailed
information on the health insurance requirements please download the
document Exchange
Visitor Health Insurance Requirements in PDF format or contact the
Office of International Services.
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) Please contact the Office of International
Services for an employment authorization packet. For more
information on employment in J-2 status please download the document
J-2
Employment Authorization Checklist or contact the Office of International
Services.
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J-1 Current Student Forms-You can obtain
the forms mentioned below from the Office or International Services or you can download them in PDF format by clicking on the
desired form below. Download
Adobe Acrobat Reader for Free
Exchange Visitor
Health Insurance Requirements
Academic
Training Checklist
J-2
Employment Authorization Checklist
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Updated Mar. 3, 2005 by Web Manager
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