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Overview Student Immigration Definitions Obtaining J-1 Exchange Visitor Student Category Status at Columbia Transfer of J-1 Supervision Change of Status to F-1 Potential Delays in Visa Issuance Dependents Student Tax Information CBP Fact Sheet on Arrival Problems Message for Canadian Students Maintaining J-1 Status Health Insurance Overview for J-1 Students J-1 Travel Information J-1 Extension of Stay (Current Program) J-1 Extension of Stay to Begin New Program J-1Reinstatement J-1 Work Opportunities Employment Authorization for J-2 J-1 Academic Training J-1 Leave of Absence, Suspension or Withdrawal Student Departure Information Home Country Residency Requirement J-1 Last Term Authorization Address Change Form |
Visa and Document Overview for Students in J-1 Status
Your Legal Obligations It is essential to remember that you must take full responsibility for maintaining your status with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). That is, you are responsible for finding out, knowing, and following pertinent regulations. If you take time early on to familiarize yourself with your obligations to the Department of Homeland Security, you should find it easy to maintain your legal status. If, however, you allow yourself to "fall out of status", it may be extraordinarily difficult to be reinstated to legal J-1 status. The best resources available to assist you in maintaining your status are this Web site, Coming to Columbia on-line, and the staff of the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO), at 524 Riverside Drive, and the International Affairs Office (IAO) at the Medical Center, Room 1-126B Black Bldg., 650 West 168th Street. Every effort has been made to provide reliable and accurate information on rules that govern student and scholar immigration classifications. When regulations change - as is frequently the case - the ISSO and the IAO will have current information. Come in and ask questions anytime. Note that there are two offices that handle the immigration documents for Columbia University students. You can determine which office to contact by looking at your Form DS-2019. The name and address of the appropriate office is on your form. As your visa sponsor, Columbia University has legal obligations which are met by the ISSO or IAO. International students in J-1 status are in SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System), a national database through which student immigration documents created and student records maintained. Among other things, these offices are required to make regular reports on students' enrollment status, completion of program, employment recommendations, and failure to maintain status. A Few Words of Advice for Students
Last Reviewed: 20
December 2005 Last modified: 20 December 2005 |