Residing in the United States as a J-1 Exchange Visitor
Please note: It is your responsibility to maintain a valid and continuous immigration status and to comply with the regulations of the Exchange Visitor Program.
Initial Registration Requirement
All J-1 Exchange Visitors must report to the Office of Visitor and Visa Services within 30 days of the start date on the Form DS-2019. It is recommended to report in shortly after campus arrival.
Employment Restrictions
J-1 Exchange Visitors should not engage in any unauthorized employment. J-1 visitors are only authorized to participate in the employment specifically authorized on their Form DS-2019. All Exchange Visitors should contact the Office of Visitor and Visa Services prior to accepting employment not covered by the Form DS-2019.
Occasional Lectures or Consultations
J-1 Exchange Visitors may participate in occasional lectures and short-term consultations while visiting other academic or research institutions. Such lectures and consultations should not interfere with your Institute appointment and you must obtain written authorization from the Office of Visitor and Visa Services prior to undertaking such activities.
Social Security Number
If you will be receiving funds from a US source, you will need a Social Security Number. If you do not currently have a Social Security Number, you will need to apply in person at a Social Security Administrative Office. The Institute will arrange transportation to the local office and you will be notified of the trip and application requirements after your Institute arrival.
Maintaining Required Health Insurance
J-1 Exchange Visitors and their dependents must maintain health/medical insurance which meets the minimum requirements as required by the federal regulations governing the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program for the duration of your status as a J-1 scholar:
- $100,000 for medical benefits per accident or illness
- $500 deductible per accident or illness
- $50,000 for medical evacuation
- $25,000 for repatriation of remains
The Institute has information on insurance offered which meets the minimum requirements for J-1 Exchange Visitors and their accompanying J-2 dependents. You may contact the Human Resources for more information at hr@ias.edu or by calling 609-734-8243.
Change of Residential Address
Immigration regulations require that all non-citizens report a change of residential address within 10 days of a move. J-1 Exchange Visitors should report any change of residential address to the Office of Visitor and Visa Services to ensure proper updating of your SEVIS record.
Domestic Travel
When traveling outside of the Princeton area, it is advisable to carry original immigration documents (passport, Form DS-2019, and Form I-94).
International Travel
When traveling outside the United States, you must have the following documentation in order to reenter the United States in J-1 status: a valid passport, a valid J-1 visa, and a valid Form DS-2019 with a current travel authorization signature. A J-2 dependent must also have a valid passport, a valid J-2 visa, and a valid Form DS-2019 with a current travel authorization signature to return to the United States in J-2 status following international travel.
If your J-1 visa is no longer valid, it will be necessary for you to apply at a US Embassy or Consulate for a new J-1 visa in order to reenter the United States (for exceptions to this see Automatic Visa Revalidation below). This also applies to family members with expired J-2 visas.
Automatic Visa Revalidation
Many J-1 Exchange Visitors and J-2 dependents can revalidate an expired visa automatically when returning from a visit of less than 30 days to Canada, Mexico, or the adjacent islands (Saint Pierre, Miquelon, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Bermuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Windward and Leeward Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Martinique, Other British, French, and Netherlands territory or possessions in or bordering on the Caribbean Sea) provided that you have a valid passport, valid Form DS-2019 with current travel signature, and a valid admission stamp or Form I-94.
Please note: If you meet any one of following criteria, you will not be able to automatically revalidate your visa.
- You applied for a new visa and it has not been issued
- You applied for a new visa and were denied
- You have a terminated SEVIS record indicating that you are out of status
- You have been out the United States for more than thirty days
- You are a citizen of one of the following countries: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria
Extension of J-1 Exchange Visitor Program
If your Institute appointment is extended, you must contact the Office of Visitor and Visa Services prior to the end date on your current Form DS-2019 to request a program extension. Please note: Not all Exchange Visitors may be eligible for an extension.
Transfer of J-1 Exchange Visitor Program
If you accept an appointment at another academic institution following your Institute appointment, you must contact the Office of Visitor and Visa Services prior to the end date on your current Form DS-2019 to request a program transfer. Please note: Not all Exchange Visitors may be eligible for a transfer.
Completion of J-1 Exchange Visitor Program
Your US visit may not exceed the period specified on your current Form DS-2019, plus a period of 30 days. The 30-day grace period is intended to be a period following the end of the Exchange Visitor’s program and is to be used for domestic travel and/or to prepare for and depart from the United States, and for no other purpose.
If you complete your program and will leave the United Statues more than one month before the end date on your current Form DS-2019, you must contact the Office of Visitor and Visa Services.
Bar on Participation for Previous Exchange Visitors
US government regulations bar an individual from participating in an Exchange Visitor Program as a Professor or Research Scholar if that person was physically present in the United States as a J-1 Exchange Visitor for all or part of the 12-month period immediately preceding the starting date of the new Exchange Visitor Program. The 12-month bar does not apply to an Exchange Visitor who was sponsored in the category of Short-term Scholar or is transferring directly from another institution’s program.
Additional US government regulations bar an individual from participating in an Exchange Visitor Program as a Professor or Research Scholar if that person was physically present in the United States as a J-1 Exchange Visitor Professor or Research Scholar for all or part of the 24-month period immediately preceding the starting date of the new Exchange Visitor Program.
The 12- and 24-month bars also apply to J-2 dependents of the J-1 Exchange Visitor.
Two-year Home-Country Physical Presence Requirement
An Exchange Visitor is subject to INA 212(e) requirement, if any of the following conditions exist:
- The program in which the Exchange Visitor was participating was financed in whole or in part directly or indirectly by the US government or the government of the Exchange Visitor's nationality or last residence;
- The Exchange Visitor is a national or resident of a country designated as requiring the services of persons engaged in the field of specialized knowledge or skills in which the Exchange Visitor was engaged for the duration of their program (See Exchange Visitor Skills List); or
- The Exchange Visitor entered the United States to receive graduate medical education or training.
If the Exchange Visitor is subject to INA 212(e) requirement, he or she cannot change his or her status to that of H, L, or immigrant lawful permanent resident (LPR) until he or she has returned to his/her home country for at least two years or received a waiver of that requirement.
Waiver of the Two-year Home-Country Physical Presence Requirement
Under certain conditions, an Exchange Visitor may apply for a waiver of the Two-year Home-Country Physical Presence Requirement. However, the Institute may not assist with J-1 Program Waivers. The US Department of State believes this to be a conflict of interest for J-1 program sponsors. Please review the Department of State website for instructions and guidance regarding a waiver application.
Retention of Documentation
Please Note: You should retain all documentation pertaining to your immigration status in the United States. Such documentation may include current and expired passports; Forms I-20, DS-2019, and I-797; and Employment Authorization Documents. These records are important in establishing your compliance with US immigration laws.
It is also advisable after your arrival to photocopy the biographical page of your passport, your visa, Form I-94, and Form DS-2019 and keep them separate from the originals for use in applying for replacements if the originals should be lost or stolen.