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How
to Obtain J-1 Scholar Immigration Status at
Columbia
University
The information to follow is
provided to help you get to Columbia in appropriate immigration status
in compliance with the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (USCIS) regulations.
Please note that there are
two major offices that handle the immigration documents for students at
Columbia University. All students studying at the Morningside campus are
served by the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO). Some
students at the Columbia University Medical Center are served by the ISSO
and some by the International Affairs Office (IAO). You will be informed
of which office will manage your paperwork after you have been admitted
to the University.
If
You are Outside the United States.
Canadian
Citizens Canadian citizens do not require an entry
visa to enter the U.S. from Canada, but do require a DS-2019 and must
follow certain procedures.
How
to Apply for an Initial J-1 Entry Visa.
Step 1: Make an appointment
at a U.S. Consulate to apply for an J-1 Exchange Visitor visa. You will require the DS-2019
form from Columbia University at the time of your appointment. DO NOT
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT UNTIL you have received the DS-2019 or are sure that
you will have received the DS-2019 in time for the appointment. Check
the following websites for more information on visa appointments.
Click here
for information about current wait times for the appointment and for visa
issuance. NOTE that the processing wait times do not include extra time
that may be required for security clearances. Refer to
Potential Delays
in Visa Issuance and at Ports of Entry for more information regarding
security clearances.
Locate the nearest U.S. Consulate and follow the instructions for applying
for a visa (including links to required forms). Make a list of documentation
required for the interview. Note procedures for paying the visa application
fee and any visa issuance fees, if applicable.
Step 2: Check your form DS-2019 for completeness and correctness!
Your DS-2019 indicates that we have created a record for you in SEVIS
(Student and Exchange Visitor Information System), a national database
for international students and scholars. Your unique assigned SEVIS ID
number is in the upper right corner of page 1. Check to see that all information
is correct and that your expected completion date is in the future.
If you have informed us that your dependents (husband, wife, or children
under the age of 21) will come with you to the U.S., each of them will
receive their own "dependent" DS-2019 needed for applying for
their J-2 visas and entering the U.S. in J-2 status. If your family name
is different from your dependents, be prepared to show documents that
prove your relationship.
Step 3: Make sure your passport is valid.
When you apply for a visa or enter the U.S., your passport must be valid
for at least 6 months into the future. Some countries are exempt from
this requirement and have their passports automatically extended for 6
months which means that you can use your passport up until the written
expiration date. This rule applies to subsequent entries to the U.S. while
traveling as a student. The list of countries exempt from this rule can
be found here.
Step 4: Pay the SEVIS fee and print the receipt.
Go to the website and follow the instructions. You will need the DS-2019 available because
the SEVIS number is required. Print copies of the receipt - you will need
one with you for the visa interview and you should keep one for your own
records. You can only access the receipt at the time of payment so be
sure your printer is working before paying the fee.
If you have been a J scholar in the U.S. and are transferring institutions,
it is possible you may not have to pay the SEVIS fee. See the USCIS website for more information.
Step 5: Complete the required Department of State application form DS-160. Be sure to print and keep the DS-160 barcode page.
All applicants for a non-immigrant visa must complete this form.
Step 6: Refer to step one and follow instructions for paying any visa
fees required in advance of your appointment. Procedures may vary
from country to country, and even post to post within the same country.
Step 7: Bring a passport-size photo less than six months old. Check
Nonimmigrant
Visa Photograph Requirements for details.
Step 8: READ! Prepare for your interview appointment by learning what
to expect.
You will be applying for a J-1 visa, a non-immigrant classification. According
to U.S. immigration law, "Every alien shall be presumed to be an
immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the consular officer,
at the time of application for admission, that he is entitled to a non-immigrant
status." This means that you need to show that you do not intend
to remain in the U.S. permanently after completing your studies. While
the consular officers are aware that it may be difficult for students
to demonstrate strong professional and economic ties to their home countries,
you should still bear this in mind as you prepare for your interview.
In advance of your interview, please read the following:
Obtaining a U.S.
Visa: Published by Department of State
Applying
for a Student or Exchange Visitor Visa: Published by Education USA,
a division of DOS
See You in the USA: An eJournal published by DOS. Note article "On
the Other Side of the Visa Window", by U.S. visa officer in Cairo
Ten Points to Remember When Applying for a Nonimmigrant Visa
published by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, in consultation
with the U.S. State Department.
Step 9: Checklist of what
to take with you to your visa interview: Have both the originals and
a set of photocopies. In addition to the items listed here, you may be
required to submit additional documents as listed on your local consulate's
website.
____ A passport valid for at least six months
____ Form DS-2019
____ School letter confirming
your affiliation with Columbia University. For those with a University
appointment, it is a letter from the academic department confirming the
dates, title and salary of the appointment. For Visting Scholars/Scientists
it is a letter of designation from the ISSO.
____ Completed visa applications
(DS-156, DS-158, and, if applicable, DS-157) Remember to complete the
DS-156 electronically and take a printed copy with you. Consulates have
advised that the electronic version will speed up the process.
____ A photograph in the prescribed
format (see Step 7)
____ A receipt for the visa
application fee
____ A receipt for the SEVIS
fee. If you have not received an official receipt in the mail showing
payment and you paid the fee electronically, the consulate will accept
the temporary receipt you printed from your computer. If you do not have
a receipt, the consulate may be able to see your payment electronically
if your fee payment was processed at least 3 business days before your
interview.
____ Financial evidence that
shows you have sufficient funds to cover your living expenses during the
period you intend to stay.
____ Any information that demonstrates
your intention to return to your home country after finishing your program
in the U.S. This may include proof of property, family, or other ties
to your community.
Step 10: After the visa
is processed, make sure you got what you requested!
Check your passport to be sure you obtained a J-1 visa and that any dependents
were issued a J-2 visa.
Canadian Citizens: Canadians DO require a valid passport, a DS-2019 form and proof of payment of the SEVIS
fee to enter the U.S. in J-1 status. To pay the SEVIS fee, go to http://www.fmjfee.com
and follow the instructions. Be sure to make a copy of the receipt for
your own records.
At the port of entry, Canadians must present the Form DS-2019 and supporting
financial documentation to the immigration inspector to be admitted into
the U.S. in J-1 status. You will be given an I-94 Admission/Departure
card to complete. Be sure to look at your I-94 card before you leave the
inspection area to ensure that it has the notation "J-1, D/S"
written on it. Canadians must have an I-94 card to confirm current J-1
status. If not, you are considered to be in Visitor (B-2) status, a status
which does not permit study or employment in the U.S.
Some Canadians have mistakenly
assumed that regulations that apply to international students do not apply
to them. Scholars from Canada are subject to the same regulations regarding
employment in the United States and all other provisions for maintaining
status. It is especially important for Canadian scholars to be vigilant
about entering the United States in proper status, as immigration inspectors
are accustomed to admitting Canadian citizens as visitors.
Changing Status
in the United States • If you do not plan to leave the United States
before beginning your work or research at Columbia and you are currently
in an immigration status other than J-1, you will be required to change
your status by application to the USCIS. Changing your status in the
United
States can be problematic, so please
consult an ISSO (212-854-3587) or IAO adviser (212-305-5455) for more
information.
Continuing • If you are in J-1 Researcher or Professor category and continuing your
work or research at the University, the United States Department of State
(DOS) Exchange Visitor Program must be informed. In order to extend your
J-1 employment authorization and legal stay in the
United
States
, your department initiates an
application to the ISSO or the IAO. After the ISSO or the IAO receives
the letter from your department and prepares a new DS-2019, you must bring
your passport, I-94 card (and those of your accompanying dependents),
and current DS-2019 to the ISSO or the IAO so that we may complete the
procedure. Note that an extension of your program must be completed before
the ending date on the current DS-2019 form. J-1 scholars are allowed
to stay in this immigration status for five consecutive years.
Transferring
Scholars • As a J-1 Exchange Visitor in Researcher or Professor category
you are allowed to stay in the United States for a maximum of five consecutive
years. During
this period you may transfer from one program sponsor to another within
the same category of Researcher or Professor. The “responsible officer”
of the program from which you are transferring needs to assign a transfer
date in the SEVIS database before
Columbia
University is allowed to issue
a new DS-2019 for transfer to Columbia.
It is essential that the transfer of visa sponsorship be concluded before
your authorized period of stay from your first program sponsor has expired.
This is extremely important.
If You Will Be
Accompanied by Dependents • If your dependents (spouse or unmarried
children under twenty-one years of age) will accompany you to the United
States or will be joining you shortly after your arrival, you will need
to provide the ISSO or the IAO with additional documentation showing your
ability to meet your dependents’ expenses. Upon receipt of the required
information we will send you the document needed by your dependents to
apply for a visa.
Last Reviewed:13 February 2013 Last modified:13 February 2013
International Students and Scholars Office
Columbia University
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