J-1 research scholars, short-term scholars, professors, and student-interns are responsible for the following.
Maintain accurate visa documents
Your official government documents must be accurate and valid at all times. Contact ISSS to update any information on your DS-2019 (i.e. funding) or DS-7002 (student-interns only; i.e. funding, enrolling in a class).
Name consistency
Your name should appear exactly the same as it is on your passport and should be consistent on all of your official documents in the U.S. The documents are:
- Immigration documents (DS-2019, I-94 Arrival/Departure card or record)
- Payroll documents, if applicable (U.S. Social Security card, UMN Payroll I-9 Form)
- Other identification documents, if applicable (Minnesota driver’s license or state I.D. card)
Report your arrival, residential address, and email address
You must arrive and report to ISSS within 25 days of your DS-2019 start date. At that time you will also need to report your U.S. residential address. You must report subsequent residential address changes within 10 days of moving while you are in J-1 status. You must alert your hosting department and ISSS if you are unable to meet the reporting requirement.
You must always have an active email address that the University can use to contact you. Keep your hosting department and ISSS updated with your email information.
Obtain required health insurance
- Research scholars, short-term scholars, and professors: If the length of your program is 31 days or more, UMN requires that you (and any eligible J-2 dependents) purchase UMN health insurance.
- J-1 scholars and J-1 student-interns (regardless of program duration): You are required to have either the University Employee Benefits Health Insurance, if employed by UMN, or the University Student Health Benefit Plan (SHBP), if not employed by UMN. For more information, visit the Office of Student Health Benefits website.
If you do not purchase UMN insurance for yourself and your dependent(s), for the entire length of your J program, you will not be eligible for ISSS services after you arrive. These services include:
- Travel/Re-entry Signature
- DS-2019 Extension
- Dependent DS-2019 Request
- Financial Update
- Occasional Lecture and Short-term Consultation Authorization
Failure to purchase any health insurance for the duration of your J program will result in ISSS terminating your J status, because J-1 Exchange Visitors and their dependents are required by the U.S. Department of State to carry health insurance in order to maintain their status. Learn more.
Engage in appropriate activities and work only with authorization
You may participate in the specific program or purpose for which your department invited you. Other activities (including enrolling in classes) must be approved by your faculty mentor in your hosting UMN department and by an ISSS J-1 advisor. You must have the approval from your hosting department to audit any courses.
- Scholars: You are only authorized to be enrolled in classes part-time, and only as long as they do not interfere in with your J-1 program. You must maintain full-time focus on the scholar activities you were invited to do.
- Student-interns: You must maintain full-time focus on the activities as listed on the DS-7002, including enrolling in classes. If your activities will vary from the description on the DS-7002, your hosting department must contact ISSS before you engage in any new activities.
You are only authorized to work in your UMN hosting department for the activities you have been invited to do. Other employment or payment either at the UMN or off campus must be authorized by your faculty mentor and ISSS.
Have and maintain funding
You are required to have and maintain enough funding to cover the minimum expenses as outlined in the ISSS scholar or student-intern application for yourself and any J-2 dependents for the duration of your J program. ISSS applications’ minimum cost of living is very low. You and your family’s actual expenses can vary quite a bit depending on where you decide to live, whether you make your own meals or not, transportation costs, etc. It is strongly advised that you plan your finances accordingly to have access to more funding than the minimums stated on the application.
Use of public funding
As a nonimmigrant, you are not eligible to use any type of public funding during your stay in the U.S.
Request ISSS authorization to transfer
You must receive approval from ISSS to change from your current UMN hosting department to another department within the University, or to transfer to another institution within the U.S.
End of program
Your J SEVIS record will automatically complete after the end date on your DS-2019. If you will complete your program with us as expected, there are no additional steps for you to take regarding your visa status. However, if you will be unable or do not intend to return home within the allotted grace period, you must discuss your plans with an ISSS advisor to ensure that you maintain legal status in the U.S. Also, if you complete or end your program more than 15 days before the end date of your DS-2019, you must notify ISSS.
Grace period
J-1 visa holders are given a 30 day “grace period” after the end date of their J-1 program to prepare for departure and/or to travel within the U.S. The program end date is usually the end date on your DS-2019. However, if you do not continue your original J-1 program until the DS-2019 end date, your program (UMN J-1 status) ends on the date you complete your J-1 original activity, transfer to another J-1 sponsor, or change your visa type.
J-2 dependents
- Report your J-2 dependents’ email addresses (if applicable) upon their arrival in the U.S.
- J-2s may enroll for courses without additional authorization.
- J-2s may work only after receiving employment authorization from USCIS. J-2 income cannot become the primary source of funding for J-1s or J-2s.
- J-2s are not allowed to remain in the U.S. after you have completed your J-1 program and have left the U.S.
- Report to ISSS if a J-2 dependent will not use a DS-2019 they were issued.
- If your J-2 dependents leave permanently before your end date, report their departure to ISSS to end their J-2 SEVIS record.
- J-2 spouse status is contingent on marriage. In the case of divorce, J-2 status ends and the spouse must depart the US or independently file for a change of status.
Learn more about J-2 dependents.
File a U.S. income tax form
You must file a U.S. income tax form by April 15 each year, even if you have not earned any income in the U.S. ISSS provides resources for tax assistance but does not offer any tax advising.
Travel
If you are traveling outside of the U.S., you must ensure you have the proper documents needed to re-enter:
- Valid passport
- Valid entry visa stamp in your passport
- Valid DS-2019 with a valid ISSS re-entry signature (lower right corner)
- Proof of funding indicated on your DS-2019
- Proof of health insurance
Learn more about traveling with J status.
Release of information
Your records and other information resulting from any services you may receive from ISSS are private and will ordinarily not be released without your prior written consent. However, the information may be shared within ISSS or with other University offices on a need to know basis. In addition, state and federal laws place some limits on confidentiality and may require ISSS to share information, without your permission, with other offices.
We are required to share information with the appropriate University or government offices if you discuss with us:
- An imminent and credible threat of harm to yourself or another person
- An incident of sexual assault, sexual harassment, relationship violence, or stalking that occurred on campus, occurred during a University program or activity, or was committed by a University student or employee
- Any physical abuse, neglect or sexual abuse of children or vulnerable adults within the last three years (including abuse of you if you were under the age of 18 at the time)
- As required by the Department of Homeland Security or other U.S. government agencies who may be designated to request information
