Form DS-2019 Instructions and Information

 

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Purpose of the DS-2019: Form DS-2019 is designed for international scholars who have been invited to Michigan Technological University for teaching or research as J-1 Exchange Visitors. The Form DS-2019 is your certificate of eligibility for J-1 status.

-If you are not yet in the U.S., Part I will tell you how to enter the country in J-1 status.

-If you are already in the U.S. as a J-1 scholar affiliated with another school, and if that school issued your current Form DS-2019, then Part II will tell you how to transfer your J-1 sponsorship from that school to MTU. But if you hold J-1 documents from an agency, such as USAID or the Fulbright Commission, these instructions do not apply to you, and you should consult with that agency's J-1 Responsible Officer about changing schools.

-If you are already in the U.S. as an Echange Visitor in subcategory other than "Professor or Reseach Scholar" (see item #4 on your current Form DS-2019), or if you hold a status other than J-1, please contact the International Programs and Services Office (IPS) at MTU for assistance.

The five-year time limit:  The total stay in the U.S. for Exchange Visitors in the “Professor or Research Scholar” category is limited to five years.  An additional six-month extension beyond that time may be possible, but only under special circumstances.  If you are now in the U.S. in your third year in this category, or if in the last two years you concluded a three-year period as a J-1 scholar, please contact the IPS Office.

Home-country physical-presence requirement:  Some, but not all, Exchange Visitors are subject to this requirement.  Its purpose is to have the home country benefit from the Exchange Visitor’s experience in the U.S.  Exchange Visitors come to this country for a specific objective such as a program of study or a research project.  The requirement is intended to prevent a participant who is subject from staying longer than necessary for the objective, and to ensure that he or she will spend at least two years in the home country before coming back to the U.S. for a long-term stay.  For the terms of the requirement, please see item 1 (a) on Page 2 of your DS-2019 Form.  If you have questions about the requirement, including whether or not you will be subject to it, please raise them with the Consular Officer when you apply for your visa.
SEVIS:  SEVIS, the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, is a central computerized system that maintains and manages data about foreign students (F-1), exchange visitors (J-1) and their dependents (F-2 and J-2) during their stay in the United States.

PART I.  IF YOU ARE NOT YET IN THE U.S……
SEVIS Fee:  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a new fee of $100, effective September 1, 2004, for all new J-1 visa applicants.

Who must pay the fee:

• J-1 Exchange Visitors beginning new programs with DS-2019 forms issued on or after September 1, 2004, will be required to pay the $100 fee before applying for a visa.
• Those non-immigrants already in the United States in another immigration status, who want to change to J-1 status, will have to pay the fee before applying for a change of status to J-1.
• Canadians will be required to pay before going to a U.S. Port of Entry. The fee cannot be paid at the port of entry. The $100 SEVIS fee is in addition to any other application fees.

Exemptions from the fee:

• Current and continuing J Exchange Visitors will not pay the fee.
• J-2 dependents are exempt from the fee.
• J-1 visitors whose DS-2019’s are issued by the U.S. government are also exempt.

When does the SEVIS fee need to be paid?

• Applicants needing a J-1 visa to enter the U.S. should pay the SEVIS fee at least 3 business days before going to the U.S. embassy or consulate for their visa interview.
• Applicants who are citizens of Canada or Bermuda or residents of certain other islands described in 8CFR 212.1a wishing to apply for J-1 status should pay the SEVIS fee at least 3 business days before entering the U.S. at a Port of Entry into the U.S.
• Non-immigrants currently in the U.S. who apply for student or exchange visitor status must pay the fee prior to filing a change of status application.

NOTE: You may make an appointment for a J-1 visa before paying the fee.  Information on how to pay the fee can be found at www.FMJfee.com.
Your visa and arrival in the U.S.:  Enclosed is Form DS-2019, “Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status.”  You should sign this form and present it, along with a receipt for the SEVIS fee payment and your passport to an American embassy or consulate to apply for your J-1 Exchange visitor visa.  (Canadians should present these documents at the port of entry to the U.S. to obtain J-1 status.)  The consular official may ask you to document funding that does not come directly from MTU (with such items as a letter of award or support, a bank statement, proof of income, etc.)  If your dependents will be accompanying you, they will need J-2 visas, and you should take their passports with you to the consulate and be prepared to show proof of marriage to your spouse and parenthood of each child.
When your visa is approved the consular official will return the DS-2019 Form to you, and you should present it again to an immigration officer at your port of entry to the U.S.  That officer will return the form, along with an I-94 Arrival/Departure card.  Keep forms DS-2019 and I-94 with your passport.  They are your proof of J-1 status, and you will need them for such purposes as extending your permission to stay in the U.S., work permission, and reentry to this country after temporary trips abroad during the period of validity of your Form DS-2019. 
PART II.  IF YOU ARE ALREADY IN THE U.S. AS A J-1 SCHOLAR..........
Transfer of J-1 sponsorship while in the U.S.:  If you are currently in the U.S. under the sponsorship of another Exchange Visitor program, you may change your sponsorship to Michigan Tech either by leaving the country and reentering or by transferring.  You must ask your present program sponsor to transfer your SEVIS record to Michigan Tech.  At that time, MTU will be able to issue a DS-2019 form to complete the transfer or to use when you reenter the U.S.
Change to J-1 from another nonimmigrant status:  If you are already in the U.S. in a nonimmigrant status other than J-1, you may be able to change to J-1 status by filing an application with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Office.  Further information can be obtained by calling the MTU International Programs and Services Office.
PART III.  LATER—EXTENDING YOUR PERMISSION TO STAY IN THE U.S……..
Your permission to stay in the U.S. ends on the date shown in Section 3 of your DS-2019 Form plus 30 days to facilitate your departure (no work is permitted during this 30 day time period).  If you would like to remain in the U.S. longer, you will have to request an extension of stay.  This requires a letter from your departmental sponsor and must be given to the International Programs and Services Office at least one month before the expiration date of your current DS-2019 Form. 
PART IV.  LATER—SHORT TRIPS OUT OF THE U.S.
To come back to the U.S. in J-1 status, you will need to have Page 1 of your DS-2019 Form endorsed by a Designated School Official in the International Programs and Services Office confirming both your enrollment at MTU and the continuing availability of your financial support.  If you will be leaving North America, you will need a valid visa stamp to reenter the U.S.  If your visa has expired, you will have to apply for a new visa at a U.S. consulate or embassy abroad. 

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