The J-1 Exchange Visitor Program was created "To increase mutual understanding between people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchanges." -U.S. Department of State

International Scholars on J-1 visas, otherwise referred to as Exchange Visitors (EV), may begin the process by speaking with your department concerning your current visa status and what type of J-1 visa your supervisor will sponsor.  The IO only accepts J-1 requests from NU sponsoring departments. 

Once your department has confirmed their sponsorship of your J-1, you are ready to begin the J-1 application process. The remainder of this webpage gives you information about:

            Types of J-1
            Important J-1 Visa Regulations           
            Applying for a J-1 Visa
            Arrival and maintenance of your J-1 Status
            Travel
            Obtaining a J-1 visa stamp abroad
            Requesting immigration documents from the IO
            J-2 dependents
            Transferring

TYPES OF J-1

There are several different types of J-1 visa categories that Northwestern University Departments host. Brief information can be found below. For comprehensive information regarding each type, please review the Types of J-1 Visa Table for further information. 

Short-Term

• Purpose of visit: lecture, observe, consult, train staff, demonstrate special skill(s)
• Current position in home country: Professor, researcher (post-doc or pre-doc/graduate student), or someone with similar credentials (Doctor, attorney, etc.)
• Duration of U.S. visit: 1 day- 6 months
• Individual may return in this category an unlimited amount of times

Research

• Purpose of visit; research, observe, consult, teach, capacity in connection with a research project
• Current position in home country: Professor, researcher (post-doc or pre-doc/graduate student), or someone with similar credentials (Doctor, attorney, etc.)
• Duration of U.S. visit: 3 weeks- 5 years
• Individual is subject to the 24 Month Bar

Professor

• Purpose of visit: teach (primary), lecture, observe, consult, research
• Current position in home country: Professor, researcher (post-doc or pre-doc/graduate student), or someone with similar credentials (Doctor, attorney, etc.)
• Duration of U.S. visit: 3 weeks- 5 years
• Individual is subject to the 24 Month Bar

Intern

• Purpose of visit: participate in structured internship program
• Position in home country: undergraduate student
• Duration of U.S. visit: 1 day- 12 months
• Individual may return in this category in an different internship program
  

Trainee

• Purpose of visit: participate in structured internship program
• Position in home country: recent undergraduate student who has been working in internship field
• Duration of U.S. visit: 1 day- 18 months
• Individual is subject to the 24 Month Bar
  

IMPORTANT J-1 VISA REGULATIONS

212 (e) - 2 year Home Residency Requirement

 Which EV's are subject?

• Any EV who is on the Exchange Visitor Skills List. See this link for more information. Please be advised that the IO recommends that all EV's check the Skills List even if their documentation does not reflect subjectivity.
• Any EV receiving U.S. or home government funding
• Any EV receiving graduate medical education or training.

What does an EV have to do to fulfill this requirement?

• After the completion of the J-1 program in the U.S., EV's subject to the 212(e) must spend two years physically present in their country of citizenship or last legal permanent residence. Time does not have to be continuous.

What are the limitations associated with the 212 (e)?

• EV is not eligible to obtain an H or L visa at a U.S. consular office or change to these visa categories within the U.S. before fulfilling this requirement
• EV is not eligible for lawful permanent residence status before fulfilling this requirement
• EV is not eligible to change status from J to any other nonimmigrant status from within the U.S. before fulfilling this requirement
• Note: Change of status to F-1 or O-1 is permitted, but only granted if the EV leaves the U.S., applies, and re-enters in these categories. Please note- the 212(e), 2-year home residency requirement will still apply after the completion of the F-1 or O-1 status. 

Can an EV have this requirement waived?

• The 212(e) waiver process is initiated and filed by the EV and not by the International Office. More information on this waiver process can be found at the Department of State link

24 Month Bar

Which EV's are subject?

• All EV's in the Research Scholar, Professor or Trainee categories

What does an EV have to do to fulfill this requirement?

• After the completion of the J-1 program in the U.S., he/she is not eligible to begin another exchange program in the J-1 Research Scholar, Professor or Trainee category for a period of 24 months.
• EV's are eligible to enter the US-if not subject to the 212(e)-in other visa categories and as J-1 EV's in the Short-Term category.  Any time in the U.S. on these other visa categories will not count towards the 24 month bar fulfillment.
• Note: If you entered the U.S. on a J-1 visa prior to November 2006 you are subject to a 12 month bar not the 24 month bar.  For more information contact the IO.

APPLYING FOR A J-1

As stated above, the IO only accepts J-1 requests directly from NU departments.  Once the International Office receives the supporting documents collected for the J-1 request, an International Scholar Advisor will create a DS-2019 certificate of eligibility to be used by the EV to make an appointment at their home embassy/consulate in order to apply for the J-1 visa stamp or extend J-1 status. 

During the J-1 request process there will be three main points of contact:

1. An advisor from the IO assigned to your case;
2. the contact person in your hiring department handling the paperwork; and
3. you, as the Exchange Visitor. 

Timeline information:

International Processing Time:
International Office processing time for DS-2019's are currently two weeks

External Processing Time:
For EV's currently outside the U.S.- processing time varies by embassy or consulate. Please make sure the EV checks the local embassy/consulate website for processing time and procedures.

For EV's applying for a Change of Status (COS) within the U.S.- EV will file Form I-539 with USCIS and wait for the Change of Status Approval Notice before the EV can begin employment.  Note: The Receipt notice is sent approximately 3 to 4 weeks after submission and the Approval is sent approximately 3 to 4 months after receiving the petition.

Please keep in mind IO and Embassy processing times are subject to change based on processing volume.

Application Process:

1. Review the J-1 Request Form
2. Complete pages 2, 3, and 4 of the J-1 Request Form and submit these documents to your sponsoring department.
3. Review the checklist on page 6 and submit any/all relevant supporting documents to your sponsoring department.

Change of Status (COS) applicants:
Once you receive your DS-2019, complete the I-539 form and submit it to USCIS

J-1 Extension applicants:
Please refer to the Types of J-1 visas table above to learn the maximum an EV can remain in the current J-1 category.  Note: the maximum for Research Scholar/Professor categories is five years, while the maximum for the Short-Term category is 6 months.

**If an EV was subject to the 212(e), two year home residency requirement, and has received a written waiver recommendation from the US Department of State, then he/she is not eligible for an extension beyond the current end date of his/her DS-2019.**

J-1 Transfer applicants:
If you are a J-1 Exchange Visitor (EV) transferring to a Northwestern (NU) department from another NU department or another non-profit institution, you must complete the J-1 Transfer Form and submit it to the IO.

ARRIVAL AND MAINTENANCE OF YOUR J-1 STATUS AT NU

Arrival/Check-in

Once you arrive in Evanston/Chicago, please come to the International Office to check-in.  Complete the J-1 EV Check-In Form and bring your immigration documents for the IO to copy and keep on file.

Note: J-1 Transfers will receive their new DS-2019 from NU upon checking-in with the IO.

Maintenance

As an Exchange Visitor (EV) at Northwestern University, 3 documents are very important in the maintenance of your status.  They are:

1. DS-2019 - Issued by Northwestern University for you to obtain your visa stamp. This document reflects your program dates, your current J-1 visa category and whether you are subject to the 212(e).
2. Visa Stamp - Issued to you by a U.S. Embassy/Consulate outside the U.S.  This document is necessary to enter the U.S. and can only be renewed outside the U.S.  Remember: it is not a problem if your visa stamp expires while you are in the U.S.; you only need it to enter the U.S. in valid J-1 status.
3. I-94 Card - This is your arrival and departure notice.  You will receive a new one every time you enter the U.S. and will surrender it every time you exit the U.S.

You need a travel signature on your DS-2019 when you travel outside the U.S.  This signature is valid for one year.

If you move/change address while at Northwestern, please email scholar services at intscholars@northwestern.edu with your new address within 10 days.

Keep track of your documents and when you are approaching the end date on your DS-2019, please speak with your department about an extension.

TRAVEL

If you plan on traveling while in J-1 visa status, please review the following Q&A's and contact your IO Advisor with any further questions.

Exchange visitors (EV) must travel with 3 main documents:

1. DS-2019 with valid travel validation signature;

• Come to the IO to have your DS-2019 signed prior to travel.
• Travel signatures are valid for one year.

2. Visa stamp; and
3. I-94 card

What if I am traveling within the U.S.? 

• We recommend that all EV's carry their valid passport and a copy of their DS-2019 for domestic travel.

What if I am traveling to Canada or Mexico and will stay for less than 30 days?

• All EV's should carry their valid passport and DS-2019 with valid travel signature.
• If the J-1 visa stamp has expired, EV's must carry their valid DS-2019 and can re-enter the U.S. on expired visa stamp.  
• EV's I-94 card will not be surrendered nor will a new one be issue upon re-entering the U.S.

What if I am traveling to Canada or Mexico and will stay for longer than 30 days?

• All EV's should carry their valid passport and DS-2019 with valid travel signature.
• If the J-1visa stamp has expired, EV's must obtain a valid J-1 visa stamp to re-enter the U.S.

What if I am traveling outside of the U.S. (other than Canada or Mexico) for any period of time?

• All EV's should carry their valid passport and DS-2019 with valid travel signature.
• If the J-1visa stamp has expired, EV's must obtain a valid J-1 visa stamp to re-enter the U.S.

What if I am traveling with a valid visa stamp from another employer?

• If you recently transferred from another institution, please speak with an IO advisor about traveling with a visa stamp from the other employer.

OBTAINING A J-1 VISA STAMP ABROAD

All J-1 visa stamps must be obtained outside the U.S.

If while applying for a J-1 visa stamp, your name is sent for a background check, there is very little the university can do to ameliorate the situation. However, if more than 60 days have passed since the date of application, and no information has been given regarding application status, please follow the instructions on the IO website regarding Visa Delay Process.

REQUESTING IMMIGRATION DOCUMENTS

Use our online International Scholar Document Request Form to request your immigration documents. As a J-1 Exchange Visitor, you may request:

• J-1 immigration status letter

Please plan ahead and allow two weeks for processing. The IO will notify you when your request has been processed. 

J-2 DEPENDENTS

The J-2 visa category is for dependents (spouses or children) of the J-1 Exchange Visitor.  J-2 dependents are eligible for full-time or part-time study.  When J-2 dependent children reach the age of 21 years old, they will "age-out" of the J-2 visa category and will have to obtain their own visa status in an appropriate category. 

J-2 dependents are eligible for full or part time employment with an Employment Authorization Document Card (EAD).  J-2 dependents must complete the form I-765 for J-2 employment authorization before beginning employment.

All J-1 visa regulations which apply to the J-1 EV, also apply to the J-2 dependent including 24 month bars and 212 (e) home residency requirements.

If you would like your family (spouse and/or children) to join you in the U.S. on J-2 status, please complete the J-2 Request Form and submit them directly to the IO.

TRANSFERRING

Transfer-in
If you are a J-1 Exchange Visitor (EV) transferring to a Northwestern (NU) department from another NU department or another non-profit institution, you must complete the J-1 Transfer Form and submit it to the IO.

Transfer-out
If you are a J-1 EV transferring to another non-profit institution, you must complete the J-1 Transfer Form and submit it to the IO.