J-1 Regulations & Policies
Arrival to the U.S. / Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record)
Maintain Health Insurance / Check-in with the Office of International Services
Work Only With Authorization / Returning to the U.S. After a Temporary Absence
Maintain a Valid Passport / Depart the U.S. Within 30 Days After Program Completion
The Exchange Visitor must arrive in the U.S. within the 30 day period prior to the start date indicated on the DS-2019. If the Scholar cannot arrive by that date, he or she should request an amended DS-2019 through his or her host department. To enter the United States the Exchange Visitor must carry the following documents in hand (and must not luggage-check any of the below material) and present them to the U.S. customs officer:
- Passport valid for at least six months beyond the end date of your expected stay.
- J-1 (or J-2) visa stamp. (Canadian citizens are visa-exempt.)
- Original DS-2019.
- Receipt evidencing payment of the SEVIS fee.
- Documentation of the source and amount of your financial support.
- Original offer/invitation letter from host NC State academic department.
At the U.S. port of entry the Exchange Visitor will likely be asked questions related to his or her visit. The Exchange Visitor should clearly indicate that he or she is entering as a J-1 Exchange Visitor in order to visit NC State University. The Exchange Visitor will be issued a Form I-94 Arrival/Departure record which must be completed by the customs officer indicating a “J” status.
Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record)
The Form I-94 indicates the visa classification and any endorsements made by the customs officer. The Form I-94 indicates the place and date of entry to the U.S. and the initial period of authorized stay.
Noted on the Form I-94 for J-1 Scholars and their dependents is "D/S", for duration of status. For a J-1 Scholar, D/S is used in place of a strictly-defined expiration date and it is intended to allow for the period during which the J-1 scholar engages in the activity described on the Form DS-2019, plus any possible DS-2019 extensions, plus a “grace period” of 30 days.
Required Check-in with the Office of International Services
As soon as possible after arrival to the U.S. and in Raleigh, the Exchange Visitor must attend a new J-1 Scholar Check-in at OIS. The Scholar should ask his or her department payroll representative or designated department contact to inform OIS that the Scholar will attend one of the pre-scheduled Check-in sessions. Scholars must bring with them their original DS-2019s, passports with visa and Form I-94, and local residential / non-departmental address (even if temporary).
Attending the OIS Check-in is mandatory before OIS can “validate” or activate the DS-2019 record so the Scholar may legally engage in his or her activity at NC State. Failure to attend the Scholar Check-in within 30 days after the program start date indicated on the DS-2019 will result in an automatic termination of the Scholar’s SEVIS record and J-1 status.
Health and medical insurance is very expensive in the U.S. especially if you have accompanying family members. Depending on your visa type and position at NC State your health insurance options will vary. All J-1 Exchange Visitors and their accompanying family members are required at all times during their stay to have health insurance which meets certain federal requirements: $50,000 minimum per accident or illness; $500 maximum deductible per illness; $10,000 provision for medical evacuation; and $7,500 maximum for repatriation. If the Scholar will not be paid by NC State and does not purchase insurance prior to arriving in the U.S., the Scholar will need to purchase insurance in the U.S. If possible, the Exchange Visitor should assure adequate insurance prior to traveling to the U.S. OIS does maintain a list of insurance companies that sell policies meeting the minimum requirements of the J-1 program.
Employment is any work performed in exchange for money or any other benefit or compensation. Many Exchange Visitors to NC State are financially sponsored by their home institution or governments, and are initially not receiving any funding from a U.S. source. Circumstances on occasion change and Scholars are sometimes offered some funding from their NC State host department, or an opportunity for incidental, short-term employment off-campus related their areas of research. Some forms of limited employment are sometimes possible, but always and only with written OIS authorization in advance of the employment. Exchange Visitors may only engage in activities and receive funding as indicated on the DS-2019. If the circumstances change, so too must the DS-2019.
Returning to the U.S. After a Temporary Absence
If the Scholar travels outside of, and plans to reenter, the U.S. he or she will need to have the material indicated in the above section “Arrival to the U.S.” However, after the initial arrival the Scholar will need to have a travel endorsement signature in the lower right of the DS-2019 which is no more than six months old for subsequent entries to the U.S. Travel endorsement signatures may only be provided by an OIS advisor but are valid for unlimited reentries to the U.S. during a six month period. If the J-1 visa has expired, the Exchange Visitor will need to apply for a new visa** at a U.S. consulate abroad.
**Travel to Canada and Mexico
Under a benefit called Automatic Visa Revalidation J-1 Scholars from most countries may return to the U.S. after short trips of 30 days or less to -- and exclusively to -- Canada, Mexico and other contiguous island nations (except Cuba). Exchange Visitors will need all other materials indicated under the above section “Arrival to the U.S” – including a DS-2019 bearing a valid travel validation signature from an OIS advisor. Currently, Automatic Visa Revalidation is not extended following travel to Cuba, or to citizens of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria. When traveling under the benefit of Automatic Visa Revalidation the Exchange Visitor should, if possible, not hand over the I-94 card to airline personnel or other-national customs officials. The original I-94 card is proof of original entry and will be used for the Revalidation process. Additionally, the Exchange Visitor must be very mindful that the benefit of Automatic Visa Revalidation only impacts the eligibility for return to the U.S. and is absolutely independent of any visa requirements which are imposed by Canada, Mexico, or other contiguous countries. Well prior to travel, the Exchange Visitor should check with the consular posts of the countries to which he or she plans to travel to inquire about visa requirements.
The Exchange Visitor’s passport must be valid at all times during his or her stay. If the passport is lost or stolen, the Exchange Visitor must file a police report immediately. Not only will this assist with potentially recovering the missing material, it will protect the Exchange Visitor from liability and aid in replacing the lost documents; likely, the Scholar’s government will require a police report before a new passport is issued. While in the U.S., it is not generally suggested that the Exchange Visitor carry the original passport for day-to-day activities, but it is suggested that photocopies of visa-related material be carried. When traveling, even within the U.S., the Exchange Visitor should carry original documents but be very cautious to reduce the risk of loss or theft.
Depart the U.S. Within 30 Days After Program Completion
The duration of the Exchange Visitor’s program is stated in item 3 of the DS-2019 form. The University may extend the program to the limit allowed by law. To request an extension, the Scholar must contact his or her sponsoring department. Immigration allows a 30-day grace period beyond the program completion date to settle affairs and return home. Employment and re-entry to the U.S. in J status is not permitted during the grace period.
The Scholar must report his or her address (place residence, not place of work) to OIS at the time of check-in with OIS. Any change of address must be reported to OIS within 10 days of the change. Failure to report a change in address may result in cancellation of the Exchange Visitor’s status. To update his or her address the Scholar should complete the Change of Address Form and submit it to the OIS; or alternatively, the Scholar can mail his or her personal and new address information to ois@ncsu.edu.