Inviting a J-1 Student-Intern

Begin to determine eligibility three months prior to the student-intern's expected start date.

UMN Department

• Faculty mentor reviews UMN Faculty Mentor Responsibilities webpage.
• Sends prospective Student-Intern the Prospective Student-Intern Eligibility form to determine if they meet the basic eligibility requirements for the J-1 Student-Intern category. The Prospective Student-Intern returns the completed eligibility form to Department.
• Verifies English language proficiency by completing the English Proficiency Requirement form and collecting documentation.
• Completes the DS-7002 Information form.
• Department completes the Student-Intern Administrative Fee form for deposit if program is eligible. 
• UMN Department sends completed documents to ISSS by email to [email protected] with a subject of “Prospective Student-Intern Eligibility Documents.”

ISSS J-1 Advisor

• Notifies Department of Student-Intern eligibility or, if necessary, other visa categories or types.
• Upon approval, J-1 Advisor enters DS-7002 data in SEVIS, then prints, signs, and dates DS-7002.  
• J-1 Advisor emails DS-7002 to Department with instructions to begin Step 2 (below).

UMN Faculty Mentor signs and dates completed DS-7002 (Supervisor line, page 4) and sends to Student-Intern to sign and date (Trainee/Intern line, page 1).

Begin this step two months prior to the student-intern's expected start date.

UMN Department

• Completes Host Department Application to Receive a Student-Intern form, including signatures from faculty supervisor and department head
• Writes Invitation/Offer Letter for prospective Student-Intern (see Guidelines for Writing the Invitation/Offer Letter for J-1 Student-Interns)

Student-Intern submits to UMN Department

• Signed DS-7002
• Financial support documentation, if necessary
• Copy of ID page of valid passport
• Signed Statement of Responsibilities
• Completed and signed letter from academic dean or advisor at home university
• J-2 Dependent application and passport ID pages, if necessary

Department emails the following to [email protected] with a subject of “Student-Intern application for [name of Student-Intern]”

1. All Student-Intern documents in Step 2
2. Completed and signed Host Department Application to Receive a Student-Intern form
3. Signed invitation/offer letter
4. Student-Intern Departmental Administrative Fee form

J-1 Advisor prepares the DS-2019 and visa documentation packet, including the DS-7002 signed by all parties. This step takes two to three weeks for processing. ISSS notifies the department that packet is ready for pick up in 190 Humphrey.

• Twin Cities campus departments: Pick up the DS-2019 at ISSS, review it, and mail it to the Student-Intern.
• Other campus departments: ISSS will FedEx the visa documentation packet, including original DS-2019 and copy of DS-7002 with all signatures, to your campus. Your department then mails the visa documentation packet to the Student-Intern.

Student-Intern must have the original DS-2019 to apply for their visa and enter the U.S. They should not use a copy. They must have a copy of the DS-7002 as well. It is recommended to send the visa documentation packet via FedEx or another private carrier to help ensure timely delivery.

The Student-Intern receives from the visa documentation packet including the DS-2019 Form and the DS-7002 Form. Student-Intern pays the SEVIS Fee and goes to the U.S. Consulate/Embassy in their home country to apply for the J-1 entry visa.

The Student-Intern needs to bring:

1. DS-2019 (must be signed original)
2. DS-7002 (can be copy; must have all three signatures)
3. Passport
4. Proof of Funding/Support (for example, UMN Department support letter, bank statement, etc.)
5. UMN Department Letter of Invitation (if the Student-Intern will not receive funding from the UMN)
6. Receipt of payment of SEVIS Fee (SEVIS I-901 Fee)
7. The Student-Intern should contact the U.S. Consulate/Embassy where they will apply, for further application requirements

Please note: The length of time for the J-1 entry visa to be processed can vary greatly depending on what the current processing times are at the U.S. Consulate/Embassy where the Student-Intern will apply. This can affect their arrival date and when they can begin their program at the UMN. The wait time can range anywhere between 1 week to 3 months or more. Student-Interns should contact the U.S. Consulate/Embassy where they will apply to inquire about current visa processing times.

The Student-Intern receives a J-1 entry visa in their passport and makes travel arrangements to enter the U.S.  At the U.S. border or port of entry, the Student-Intern shows the customs officer:

1. Passport with J-1 visa
2. Letter of invitation / offer letter from UMN hosting department
3. DS-2019
4. DS-7002
5. Proof of funding/support

Immigration regulations require ISSS to report to the government database (SEVIS) the Student-Intern’s arrival at the UMN. Therefore, to maintain J legal status, Student-Interns MUST report to ISSS within 25 days of the start date shown on their DS-2019 form to complete their mandatory Student-Intern Check-In. If a Student-Intern is delayed and cannot meet the reporting requirement, the UMN hosting department should request new DS-2019 dates by submitting the online Initial DS-2019 Amendment form. When Student-Interns report to ISSS, they need to bring all of their visa documents to ISSS.

ISSS also recommends that student-interns attend an orientation to learn about J-1 visa requirements, ISSS services, campus resources, and more.

All Student-Interns are required to have University of Minnesota health insurance coverage for the duration of their internship. If the Student-Intern will not receive employment-based University insurance, they will need to contact the Office of Student Health Benefits to purchase the mandatory insurance for themselves and their eligible J-2 dependents. Learn more about health insurance for J-2 dependents.

If the Student-Intern will be paid by the UMN, they should apply for a Social Security Number after their ISSS Student-Intern Check-In. After obtaining an SSN, or if the Student-Intern already has an SSN from previous employment, they are required to present their visa documents to the University's central payroll.