J-1 Visa Information and Regulations
The United States has laws governing foreign nationals living within its borders. It is vital for you to take responsibility and learn about these laws which are constantly updated.
In order to remain legally present in the U.S., you must “maintain” your status. To maintain legal status in the U.S., you must follow the rules that apply to your visa category.
**It is your legal responsibility to know and adhere to these rules.**
Students who come to the U.S. are granted nonimmigrant classifications known as “F-1,” “J-1” and “M." This is commonly referred to as your “status.” (South ֱ State University only admits F-1 and J-1 students.) A spouse or child (under the age of 21) who is allowed to come to the U.S. to be with a J-1 student/scholar is considered a “dependent” and is given J-2 status. This status is valid as long as the J-1 student/scholar maintains valid status.
- You must attend the school that you were authorized to attend on your DS-2019.
- You must engage only in activities permitted under your program and category.
- Students must maintain a full course of study during the academic year.
- Scholars must teach or perform the research they were authorized to do.
- You must maintain the required health insurance coverage.
- You cannot be employed without proper authorization (on campus or off campus). Please stop by the Office of International Affairs for authorization.
You must follow the Department of States’ rules regarding:
- Filing timely and appropriate transfer and extension notifications.
- Report any changes in your residential address by updating the current mailing address with the Office of International Affairs.
Full course-of-study requirements:
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services requires all international students with J-1 student visas to register for a minimum number of credits each semester to maintain their student status in the U.S. It also requires the university to verify that its international students are registered for a full course of study.
Credit requirements:
Minimum credit levels to maintain your J-1 student status:
- Undergraduate students:
- Minimum enrollment of 12 credits per semester, with at least nine of these credits face-to-face.
- Graduate students:
- Without assistantship: Minimum enrollment of nine credits per semester, with at least six of these credits face-to-face.
- With assistantship: Minimum enrollment varies by percentage of assistantship. Please contact an international student adviser with questions on minimum enrollment for assistantships. (Students are only able to count three online credits towards the minimum number of credits required to maintain full-time status.)
Important: To be able to be considered taking a full course load, your transcript must indicate that you are in 12 credits at the undergraduate level or nine credits at the graduate level. (Unless the graduate student has an assistantship.) As a result, it is not possible to withdraw from a course unless you meet certain criteria. If you are in jeopardy of failing a course, you may want to consider changing the way the course is graded to avoid it affecting your GPA. If this happens, you will want to speak with the Office of Records and Registration to change from being grade on an A-to-F scale, to either an AU (audit) or P/F courses. Furthermore, only three credits of online courses can count toward full time enrollment each semester.
If you fall below full-time status during a term for any reason that is not recognized in the regulations, you will lose your legal status in the U.S. This is the most common way students lose their legal status! Meet with your international student adviser for prior approval before you finalize your plans to register for less than a full course or to withdraw from a class.
Note: For independent study courses and for courses in which you have taken an "incomplete," the credits count only in the academic term in which you registered for them.
Graduate students who have an assistantship or who have completed their formal course work and are working on their thesis/dissertation will need to complete the Full-time Enrollment Verification Form. You must then submit the signed form to your international adviser during a scheduled appointment. The form is processed and kept in your permanent file in the Office of International Affairs. One copy should also be kept by you. It is important to keep copies of your signed forms. You may be required to present them to a U.S. consular or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services official in the future if you request a new visa stamp, file for a change of visa status or request an adjustment of status to permanent residence.
Employment
Academic training can be granted prior to the student completing his/her degree or after the student completes his/her degree. Authorization requires documentation from the student’s academic advisor and is approved by an international student adviser here at SDSU. This work authorization can be granted within days of receiving the appropriate documentation.
If you are a J-1 student, you need to contact our office prior to working on campus so we can authorize you to work on campus within your Student and Exchange Visitor Information System record. That being said, on-campus employment is limited to 20 hours per week while school is in session. During annual vacation periods and during the summer semester, you are allowed to work on campus 40-plus hours per week. However, this is only while school is not in session and you are not required to attend classes.
As a result of having been admitted (or approved to come) to South ֱ State University, a DS-2019 will be issued to you. Once you have in your possession the DS-2019, you will need to make the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System payment.
Payment Information
J-1 exchange visitors are required by the U.S. government to pay a fee to help cover the costs of administering and maintaining the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. This fee will apply to any potential academic students and scholars who are initially issued Form DS-2019. (Dependents of Students who are issued an I-20 for an J-2 visa are not required to pay the SEVIS fee.) The SEVIS fee for J-1 students and scholars is currently $220. This fee may be paid in one of the following ways:
- By Mail
- The fee may be paid by mail, by submitting Form I-901 together with a check or money order to the U.S. government that has been drawn on a U.S. bank and has been made payable in U.S. currency. (An application fee submitted from outside the United States “may be made by an international money order or foreign draft drawn on a financial institution in the United States” and payable in U.S. currency.) In other words, many foreign banks are able to issue checks or money orders drawn on a U.S. bank. The form you will need to pay the SEVIS fee can be downloaded on the (It is located on the right side of the page and titled as “Paper Form I-901.”) Do not send this form and fee to SDSU, but rather the address provided on the downloadable form.
- Electronically
- The fee may be paid electronically, by completing the Form I-901 through the internet and using a credit card. .
This fee payment does not need to be completed prior to scheduling an interview with the consulate, or any other activities undertaken prior to the in-person application process at the embassy. However, it does need to be paid before the consulate can issue the visa. The fee payment must be processed at least three days prior to the date upon which you will go for your visa interview.
Visa Application
After you have a receipt of that payment, report to the nearest United States embassy or consulate and apply for a student or scholar visa on the nonimmigrant visa application Form I-160. Apply for the J-1 visa promptly, since processing times vary at each .
Eligibility
The U.S. embassy or consulate will require certain information to verify your eligibility to obtain admission to the U.S. a J-1 Exchange Visitor. Please refer to the list below for items that may be required as evidence of your eligibility.
- Form DS-2019 signed and dated by the school official.
- Valid passport for travel to the United States with a validity date at least six months beyond the applicant's intended period of stay in the U.S.
- Appointment or offer letter from South ֱ State University to be engaged in a research or teaching opportunity.
- Proficiency in the English language.
- Sufficient financial resources to cover all living expenses during the entire period you anticipate being in the United States.
- One photograph (37x37 mm) for each applicant age 16 and older, showing.
- After you have completed your visa interview at the U.S. embassy, please contact us via email to let us know whether you have received your visa. This is an important step as it will allow us to prepare for your arrival. Please email Kirsten Linke or call 605-688-5612 or fax 605-688-6540.
- After you have received your visa, please contact both the adviser in the academic department you are working with and our office. Please email Kirsten Linke.
