Hosting a J-1 Exchange Visitor

The purpose of the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program is to promote international educational and cultural exchange to develop mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and other countries.

Overview of the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program

Four principal parties are involved in the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program.

• Department of State (DOS):  issues J visas to Exchange Visitors (EV) and their dependents and creates and administers federal regulations and policies governing the Exchange Visitor Program.
• Exchange Visitor Program Sponsors:  legal entities – such as the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor - that have applied for and received designation from DOS to conduct an Exchange Visitor Program. The International Center administers U-M/Ann Arbor’s Exchange Visitor Program (Program Number P-1-00142), and serves as the University’s official representative to Department of State for this program. An International Center staff member serves as the Responsible Officer (RO) for the J-1 program on the Ann Arbor campus, and is the point of contact on any issue that relates to the school's compliance with J-1 program regulations.
• Exchange Visitors: foreign nationals who have been selected by an exchange visitor sponsor to participate in a particular exchange visitor program.
• Department of Homeland Security (DHS): manages the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), admits an alien to the U.S. in J exchange visitor status, and which adjudicates certain immigration benefits for J exchange visitors and their dependents.

Primary Activities/Duration and Funding: The University of Michigan, as a J-1 Program Sponsor, can invite J-1 Exchange Visitors to the university for a period of up to five years. Some of these exchange visitors, often referred to as international scholars, are U-M employees; others are supported by external funding or by personal funds. Regardless of the funding source, U-M Exchange Visitors’ primary activities must consist of teaching, lecturing, observing, or conducting research, and their program must include components of cultural and educational exchange. Although J-1 status allows employment, the primary purpose of the program is not employment, but rather, cultural and educational exchange.

Form DS-2019 and the J-1 Visa: Participants in the exchange visitor program will enter the U.S. on a J-1 visa, which is the nonimmigrant visa classification for “exchange visitors.” The International Center issues Form DS-2019 to J-1 Exchange Visitors, which will allow them to apply for a J-1 visa at a U.S. consulate. Form DS-2019 will include the Exchange Visitor’s category. The University of Michigan/Ann Arbor can invite international scholars in the following categories: Professor, Research Scholar, Short-Term Scholar, or (rarely), Specialist.

Basic Eligibility Requirements

[22 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 41.62(a)]

• Intent to pursue appropriate activity
• Intent to return to home country (as determined by consular officer)
• Sufficient funding
• Appropriate background for program activity
• Adequate English
  Note: J-1 Exchange Visitors must have the English proficiency required to carry out their J-1 program objective (research, teaching, etc.), to navigate everyday life in the U.S., and to participate in cross-cultural activities.

Additional Important Considerations

The regulations that govern the J-1 Exchange Visitor program are complex and involve some specific restrictions.

For example:

• No tenure or tenure-track positions: A J-1 Professor or Research Scholar cannot hold tenure or be placed in a position “on a tenure track.”
• Foreign Medical Graduates: The U-M International Center is authorized to issue a Form DS-2019 to foreign medical graduates (M.D.s) to enable them to come to the U.S. for the primary activity of observation, consultation, teaching, or research. They can participate in a non-clinical exchange program, either with NO PATIENT CONTACT OR CARE, or where patient contact is only INCIDENTAL to the primary activity. M.D.s with direct patient contact must be sponsored by ECFMG. If the J-1 Exchange Visitor is not an M.D., no patient contact is permitted.
• Two-year home country physical presence requirement: certain J-1 Exchange Visitors may be subject to this requirement for a variety of reasons, including their source of funding and/or the education, training, or skill they are pursuing in the U.S. Exchange visitors who are subject to the two-year home country residence requirement must "reside and be physically present" in their "home" country for an aggregate of two years before being eligible for certain immigration benefits.
  • Two-Year Foreign Residency Requirement and Waiver (INA 212e)
• Prior J status may result in required waiting periods: Prior participation in any J category may subject the prospective exchange visitor to the "12-month bar", and prior participation in the Professor or Research Scholar category may subject the prospective exchange visitor to the "24-month bar" on repeat participation..
  • 12- and 24-Month Bars for Professors and Research Scholars

Visitor Categories

• Research Scholar: An individual primarily conducting research, observing, or consulting in connection with a research project. The research scholar may also teach or lecture.
• Short-term Scholars: A professor, research scholar, specialist, or a person with similar education or accomplishments coming to the U.S. on a short-term visit for the purpose of lecturing, observing, consulting, training, or demonstrating special skills at research institutions, museums, libraries, post-secondary accredited educational institutions, or similar types of institution. Examples include educators, scientists, research fellows, writers, and museum administrators. The short-term scholar may also engage in collaborative research.
• Professors: An individual primarily teaching, lecturing, observing or consulting. A professor may also conduct research.
• Specialists: An individual who is an expert in a field of specialized knowledge or skill coming to the U.S. for observing, consulting, or demonstrating special skills.

Exchange Visitor Category Time Limits

Category	Minimum Duration of Stay Required	Maximum Duration of Stay
Professor or Research Scholar	3 weeks	5 years
Short-term Scholar	N/A	6 months
Specialist	3 weeks	one year

Hosting Unit Responsibilities

1. Compliance with Federal Eligibility Requirements

When you invite a scholar and submit a DS-2019 request form, you are responsible for verifying that s/he meets the eligibility requirements to come to the United States as a J-1 exchange visitor. The exchange visitor:

• may be sponsored as a J-1 if s/he will be participating in a program that furthers the objectives of the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program
• must possess sufficient financial support.
• must possess sufficient English language proficiency for the proposed teaching/research activity.
• must have appropriate academic credentials for his/her category and position
• must intend to return to his/her home country.
• must be aware of the health insurance requirement and maintain health insurance which meets both Federal and University requirements throughout his/her J-1 program.

2. Arrival

• An exchange visitor may enter the U.S. no more than 30 days before the start date indicated in section 3 of the DS-2019.
• All J-1 exchange visitors must complete the Mandatory Check-In Process.
• The IC is required by law to verify the exchange visitor’s immigration documentation and report arrivals of exchange visitors to the Department of Homeland Security in SEVIS. J-1 Exchange Visitors must attend the Mandatory Immigration Check-In no later than 15 days after their DS-2019 start dates so that the International Center can report their arrival by the government deadline. Missing this deadline has significant consequences; the Exchange Visitor will no longer be in valid J-1 status, will no longer have employment eligibility, and will have to leave the United States. Note: Colleges and universities are required to report information about J-1 Exchange Visitor and their J-2 dependents to the Department of Homeland Security using SEVIS, the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. It is the International Center’s responsibility to comply with SEVIS reporting regulations.

3. Delayed Arrival

If the exchange visitor is unable to arrive and report to the IC within 15 days of the start date on the DS-2019, contact the Shared Services Center (SSC), or for Medical School units, contact the Immigration Compliance Unit (ICU), so that a request for an amended start date can be submitted to the International Center. The IC must update the intended start date in SEVIS to prevent the record from being cancelled by SEVIS.

4. Early Departure

Since the IC is required to report any changes to the end date of an Exchange Visitor’s J-1 program to the Department of Homeland Security through SEVIS, departments hosting scholars must notify the IC if a scholar is leaving U-M before the end date of the DS-2019 (found in section 3). Please submit the Notice of Early Departure request through the M-Passport portal to report a scholar’s early departure. Remember that even if your J-1 Exchange Visitor is employed by U-M and you terminate his/her appointment in M-Pathways, you must also submit the departure request in order to notify the IC that the Exchange Visitor’s J-1 program has ended.

5. Health Insurance

• All U-M J-1 exchange visitors are required to have health insurance which meets University of Michigan standards, for themselves and their dependents, from the start date through the end date of their DS-2019 form. These standards are met by any of the health insurance plans administered by the Benefits Office (U-M Premier Care, etc.) or by the U-M International Student/Scholar Health Insurance, which is offered by Blue Care Network (BCN).
• All exchange visitors will be automatically enrolled in the International Student/Scholar Health Insurance beginning on the start date on their DS-2019 to ensure that they are covered.
  J-1 exchange visitors who have University appointments and are eligible for one of the U-M faculty/staff health insurance plans should use normal Benefits Office procedures to enroll themselves and their dependents in one of these plans as soon as possible after arrival. Once the visitor has been enrolled into a benefits plan, the International Health Insurance will be cancelled automatically. Note: Please remind benefits-eligible Exchange Visitors whose dependents will join them in the U.S. at a later date to enroll their dependents in their U-M faculty/staff insurance plan as soon as their dependents arrive. If the dependents are not enrolled within 30 days of arrival, they cannot be added until the next open enrollment period.
• J-1 exchange visitors who are not eligible for a U-M faculty/staff health insurance plan will stay enrolled in the U-M International Student/Scholar Health Insurance plan, effective from the start date of their DS-2019. If these visitors would like to request a waiver of the insurance requirement by presenting evidence of alternative acceptable coverage, they should follow the instructions at U-M Health Insurance Standards and Insurance Waiver. The waiver request form must be submitted within 30 days of the Mandatory Check-in.

6. General Obligations

• Make sure that your J-1 exchange visitors understand how to enter and update their local addresses and phone numbers in Wolverine Access, and help them if they need assistance. U.S. Government guidelines for updating addresses and phone numbers are special for these visitors, so they should follow the instructions on the I-Center website.
• Cultural Exchange: provide opportunities for your Exchange Visitor to interact with American individuals and groups and experience American culture firsthand. This includes both activities within the department (meetings, seminars, etc.) and activities that have been arranged with the express purpose of enabling the visitor to actively participate in an aspect of American culture, including sports, theater, holiday celebrations, etc., or to gain a deeper understanding of some aspect of U.S. culture.
• Make sure that your Exchange Visitors get MCards if appropriate.

Information for Faculty

Inviting a J-1 Exchange Visitor involves faculty, a department administrative contact, the Shared Services Center, and the International Center. Your department will need to request Form DS-2019 (Certificate of Eligibility for the J-1 visa) from the International Center, so that the J-1 Exchange Visitor can apply for a J-1 visa in order to enter the United States in J-1 status. The administrative contact is often a member of the human resources group in your unit, but can be anyone who will be able to carry out the responsibilities outlined in Information for Administrative Contacts below.

Procedures

• Review the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program overview, funding requirements, and department responsibilities.
• Determine the program objective
• Work with your administrative contact to prepare the Form DS-2019 request
  • Department administrative contact prepares and submits e-Form to Shared Services Center (SSC).
  • SSC collects documents from the prospective Exchange Visitor and enters information into M-Pathways. They then transfer the request to the International Center for review and approval.
  • Your department administrative contact should notify the SSC about any necessary corrections or updates (changes in dates, for example)

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure that the program objective accurately reflects what the J-1 Exchange Visitor will do at U-M, and that you have considered cultural and educational exchange components. The Shared Services Center will prepare the official letter of invitation (addressed to the Department of State Exchange Visitor Program) based on the program objective information. This letter is then reviewed by the International Center.
• Verify that the prospective Exchange Visitor’s English language proficiency is sufficient for the proposed teaching or research activity. Note: The Shared Services Center will conduct a second assessment to verify that the prospective Exchange Visitor has sufficient English proficiency to navigate everyday life in the U.S. and to participate in cross-cultural activities.
• Verify that the prospective Exchange Visitor has appropriate academic credentials
• Maintain communication with your administrative contact throughout your Exchange Visitor’s program at U-M, especially with regard to:
  • Delayed arrivals or program cancellations inquiries from your Department Administrative Contact about the whereabouts of exchange visitors who have not yet checked in
  • Early departure (before the DS-2019 form end date) of your Exchange Visitor. Your department will need to submit the Notice of Early Departure request through the M-Passport portal so that the International Center can comply with the government obligation to report early departures.
  • J-1 Exchange Visitors who require out of country authorization.
  • Plans to extend your Exchange Visitor’s stay at U-M (beyond the DS-2019 end date)

Information for Administrative Contacts

All U-M units who host or plan to host J-1 Exchange Visitors (international scholars) should designate one or more administrative contacts to serve as the liaison between the unit and the Shared Services Center and between the unit and the International Center. Once the Exchange Visitor arrives, the department administrative contact is responsible for on-going issues related to the visitor’s program. The International Center offers training for administrative contacts who would like to learn more about the J-1 Exchange Visitor program.

Note: There is one exception: Medical School Immigration Support and Compliance serves as the administrative contact for the Medical School, and works directly with the International Center.

Procedures: New Requests

1. Review the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program overview and department responsibilities
2. Work with your faculty member to determine the program objective for the visitor, program dates, funding, and site of activity.
3. Complete the J-1 Visa Request (New, Return, Transfer) e-form and submit it to the Shared Services Center (SSC).
4. SSC staff will:
   • Contact the Exchange Visitor (EV) and complete an English language assessment
   • Set up a U-M Box folder so that the EV’s documents can be collected securely, and obtain required documents
   • Enter information into M-Pathways
   • Draft the official invitation letter (“Department of State” letter) for review and signature by the department, and final review by the International Center.
5. Once all information has been collected and the data entry is complete, the SSC transfers the request to the International Center (IC) for review and approval.
   • The request is first reviewed by an Immigration Assistant, then forwarded to an Immigration Advisor.
   • If additional information or clarification is needed, the IC will contact the SSC, the department, or the prospective visitor, depending on the issue. If nothing additional is needed, the Immigration Advisor submits a request for the visitor’s Form DS-2019 to the U.S. government's SEVIS system (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System.)
   • When the Form DS-2019 has been issued, it will be delivered according to the instructions the hosting department entered on the e-form.
6. After the DS-2019 has been issued, the SSC sends electronic versions of the “Department of State letter” and the “DS-2019 cover sheet” (informational handout) to the EV, and the IC uploads a letter with the EV’s uniqname and password to the EV’s U-M Box folder so that the EV can receive this information securely.

Procedures: Program Extensions

1. Work with your faculty member to determine the new end date for the visitor and verify department funding for the extension period, if applicable
2. Complete the J-1 Visa Amendment / Extension Request e-Form and submit it to the Shared Services Center (SSC).
3. SSC will set up a U-M Box folder so that the EV’s documents can be collected securely, and obtain required documents.
4. Once all information has been collected and the data entry is complete, the SSC transfers the request to the International Center (IC) for review and approval.
   • The request is first reviewed by an Immigration Assistant, then forwarded to an Immigration Advisor.
   • If additional information or clarification is needed, the IC will contact the SSC, the department, or the prospective visitor, depending on the issue. If nothing additional is needed, the Immigration Advisor submits a request for an extended Form DS-2019 to the U.S. government's SEVIS system (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System.)
5. When the DS-2019 is ready, the IC contacts the SSC and arranges for delivery of the DS-2019 per the department’s instructions:
   • Mail via UPS
   • Send to Administrative Contact via campus courier
   • Hold for pick up by the department at the IC

Key Responsibilities: Before the EV arrives

• Contact SSC for:
  • Changes in EV program dates due to visa delay or other circumstances.  For example, if the Exchange Visitor will not be able to arrive in time to complete the check-in at the International Center no later than 15 days after the start date, the start date should be amended.
  • Biographical corrections (birthdate, name spelling, birth location, etc.)
  • Changes in funding
  • Cancelation of visit
• Inform the EV about the health insurance requirement

Key Responsibilities: After the EV arrives

• EV Onboarding
  • Make sure EV completes any required employment-related paperwork and any standard departmental on-boarding procedures
  • Help the EV obtain an MCard
  • Help the EV schedule a Mandatory Check-In at the International Center
  • Help the EV update Wolverine Access with a current address and phone number. The current address must be a local residential address, and the phone must be a U.S. phone. Both must be entered in the required format.
• Contact the IC if your exchange visitor wishes to engage in any activity that would involve payment such as a lecture or presentation at another university or a collaborative project with a research company.
• Submit the Notice of Early Departure request through the M-Passport portal if the Exchange Visitor plans to leave before the DS-2019 end date, so that the International Center can comply with the government obligation to report early departures.
• Submit requests to the Shared Services Center for an amended Form DS-2019 if there are any changes in the Exchange Visitors funding, site of activity, etc.)
• Submit requests to the Shared Services Center for an extended Form DS-2019 if the EV plans to stay beyond the DS-2019 end date. Note: Extensions are not always possible. Contact the IC with any questions.​
• Submit J-1 Continuing Out of Country requests for J-1 Exchange Visitors who require out of country authorization.
  • Continue to supervise the J-1 professor/research scholar while he/she is out of the country
  • Notify the IC if there is any change in the purpose, activities, or dates of the EV's “Out-of-Country” period.
  • In the event that the J-1 professor/research scholar will not return to U-M after his/her absence, coordinate with the visitor to submit a Notice of Early Departure request through the M-Passport portal so we may end the J-1 status and SEVIS record.

Contacts and Assistance with the DS-2019 Process

DS-2019 Request Submissions

Shared Services Center main number: (734) 615-2000

• Issues with eForms and other documents related to submitting requests:

Additional Comment Field in ServiceLink Case Connect

• Questions related to a DS-2019 request in process or changes related to a current request, such as a change to a start date or a cancellation

Mandatory Check-In and Post-Arrival Issues

Katherine Yang ([email protected])

• Exchange Visitor Departure Notifications
• Questions regarding the Mandatory Check-In process

Immigration issues

Call 734.647.0658 and ask to be connected to the immigration advisor assigned to your department or email [email protected]

• J-1 Immigration regulations
• Deciding between J-1 and another visa category; which is most appropriate for visitor?
• Deciding which J-1 category to use
• Questions regarding changing from one visa category to another
• Two year home residency requirement 212(e) and waiver
• Incidental employment
• Visa issues including rejection, delays, and security clearances

Resources, Forms, and Government Links

Government Links

• Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Codes
• U.S. Consulate Wait Times
• I-901 SEVIS Fee for F, M, and J Nonimmigrant Students and Exchange Visitors
• Exchange Visitor Visa Information

U-M Links

• Funding Requirements for J-1 Exchange Visitors
• Training Materials: Understanding Form DS-2019 and J-1 Exchange Visitor Host Department Responsibilities
  • International Center Department Training Presentation
  • DS-2019 Form Data Field Description
• Payroll, Tax Treaty and Tax Withholding Forms for International Scholars, Faculty and Staff
• Information for your Exchange Visitor about J-1 Immigration Regulations
• Online Tax Software
• Applying for a Social Security Card
• U-M Standard Computing Services
• University of Michigan Volunteer Guidelines

Forms

• Shared Services Center e-forms - look for “J-1 Visa Request Process.”
• J-1 Exchange Visitor Information Form (EVIF)
• J-1 Scholar Notice of Early Departure
• M-Passport