Maintaining J-1 Status

It is your responsibility to understand and comply with the terms of your visa during your stay in the United States. A violation of the immigration regulations (for example, failure to check in with ISO within 30 days of your program start date) could have serious consequences. Review this information carefully, and contact ISO if you have questions.

Federal law requires that J-1 Exchange Visitors report in person to their program sponsor within 30 days of the start date indicated in item 3 of the DS-2019. You must visit ISO in 239 Gerberding Hall so that your arrival on campus can be reported to the government as required by law. Check-in is conducted every Tuesday at 3:00, followed by a one-hour presentation of information. Bring your passport, DS-2019, Seattle-area residence address and Insurance Compliance Statement. (Student Interns attend VISIT Program orientation rather than ISO check-in.)

Report your address (where you live in Seattle, not where you work) to ISO at the Tuesday check-in. Report any change of address to ISO within ten days of the change. Failure to report a change of address may result in revocation of your Exchange Visitor status.

This document allows you to apply for a visa, enter or re-enter the U.S., and establishes your legal eligibility to remain in the United States. The DS-2019 must remain valid at all times. Request a new form prior to the current form's expiration date. To request an extension, contact your sponsoring academic department. Keep every DS-2019 for your permanent record.

Your passport must be valid at all times. Keep it and other important documents in a safe place. Report a lost or stolen passport to the police, as your government may require a police report before issuing a new passport. To renew or replace your passport, contact your country's consulate in the U.S. While in the United States, always carry with you a photocopy of your passport's identity page, and a photocopy of your DS-2019 form. When traveling, carry the original documents but guard them carefully against theft.

J-1 Exchange Visitors may receive compensation for the employment stated in item 5 on the DS-2019. Additionally, occasional lectures or short-term consultations, both on and off-campus, that involve wages or other remuneration may be authorized by ISO on a case-by-case basis. The occasional lectures or consultations must be authorized in advance and in writing. The activity must be directly related to the objectives of your program, be incidental to your primary program activities, and not delay the completion date of the program. Contact ISO to request authorization to engage in occasional lectures or short-term consultations involving wages or other remuneration.

Dependents in J-2 status may request employment authorization from USCIS. Income from the J-2's employment may be used to support the family's customary recreational and cultural activities and related travel, among other things. Employment will not be authorized if the income is needed to support the J-1.

The U.S. government requires all J-1 Exchange Visitors and their J-2 dependents to carry health insurance. Failure to maintain health insurance will result in termination of your Exchange Visitor program.

The duration of your program is stated in item 3 of your DS-2019 form. The University may extend your program to the limit allowed by law. To request an extension, contact your sponsoring department. Immigration allows a 30-day "grace period" beyond the program completion date to settle your affairs and return home. Employment and re-entry to the U.S. in J status is not permitted during the grace period.

International scholars and their dependents may be surprised to learn that federal law requires that they carry "registration" documentation at all times. These include a basic identity document such as a passport, plus your current DS-2019 (formerly IAP-66) and I-94 card.

For day-to-day purposes, we suggest that these documents be kept in a secure location such as a bank safe deposit box. However, if you are traveling within the United States you should carry these documents with you. If you are traveling by air, train, bus or ship, you may be required to produce these documents before boarding. Keep photocopies of all your documents in a separate location, in the event your documents are lost or stolen.

You may transfer from one program sponsor to another if the purpose of the transfer is to complete the Exchange Visitor objective for which you were admitted. The transfer process requires coordination between the Responsible Officer of the current J-1 program and the Responsible Officer of the new J-1 program. The Responsible Officer is the administrator of an institution's Exchange Visitor program, and is typically a staff member in a university international student and scholar office.

Transferring to the University of Washington

Transferring out of the University of Washington