Change of Status to J-1

Overview

Persons in the U.S. in certain immigration categories may wish to or need to change status to F-1 or J-1 in order to begin an educational or exchange program at the University of Michigan. This page includes information on how to apply for a change of status while remaining inside the U.S.

Individuals holding nonimmigrant status C, D, K, WB or WT are not eligible to change to any other status within the U.S., including J-1. In addition, individuals currently in J status (including J-2) who are subject to the Two-Year Foreign Residency Requirement INA 212(e) may not change status in the U.S. unless a waiver has been granted.

In any application for change of status, you will need to explain why you did not originally enter the U.S. in the status now being requested. A change of circumstances or intention should be documented or explained to make the application acceptable. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office may deny a request by an F-1 student to change to J-1 status if the USCIS officer believes that the reason for the change is primarily to enable the dependents to apply for permission to accept employment.

Documentation Needed

  • G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance (paper filing only)
  • A cover letter requesting the change of status and explaining your circumstances.
  • Copy of Form DS-2019 from U-M (sign the form before making a copy). Do NOT send your original DS-2019. USCIS does not require the original and will not return it.
  • Receipt indicating payment of the SEVIS fee.
  • Evidence of financial support (i.e., copy of bank statement, assistantship, offer letter, etc.). If you are applying to become a J-1 student and you have been offered an assistantship from a department, you may request that USCIS expedite your change of status application and include a copy of the assistantship offer letter. There is no guarantee that your application will be expedited.
  • USCIS Form I-539 Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status including application fee.
  • Copies of all of your immigration documents (e.g. DS-2019, I-20, I-797, paper or print-out of electronic Form I-94, valid passport, visa stamp, if applicable).
  • Copy of the waiver (if you were subject to the Two-Year Foreign Residency Requirement while in J status), if applicable.

Mailing Address and Where to File

It may take USCIS several months to adjudicate an I-539 request, and therefore you should use a return address that will be valid for many months. We recommend you avoid trying to change your I-539 mailing address once your application has been filed with USCIS unless there is truly no other option.

Therefore, if you know that you will be moving soon, we recommend using a friend or relative’s address in the U.S. If you select this strategy, make sure to include the name of your friend or relative on the line of the I-539 form that says “In care of.” Be sure to verify that their name is on their mailbox.

The USCIS allows for online or paper-filing of Form I-539 to change status to J-1.  If you will not have a family member concurrently filing a change of status to J-2 with you, we strongly recommend the online filing option since there are many benefits to online filing including:

  • Immediate filing of I-539 application with USCIS and issuance of I-539 receipt notice;
  • Direct access to USCIS notices including, but not limited to receipt notice, requests for evidence, approval notice, etc.
  • Ability to communicate with USCIS through a secure inbox
  • Option to provide additional unsolicited evidence/updates to your application if necessary
  • Minimizes risk of rejection of the application by vetting common reasons for rejection such as applicant’s signature and proper fee payment
  • Ability to pay application fee through your bank account (ACH), debit, or credit card.

If you are unable to file your application online or will have a family member concurrently filing a change of status to J-2 with you, please follow the instructions below for paper-filing. DO NOT FILE BOTH the online and paper-filing options.

For paper-filed applications, the address that you use on your I-539 will dictate to which USCIS Service Center you should mail your application. Please refer to the 'Nonimmigrants and Their Dependents' section of Filing Addresses for Form I-539 on the USCIS website to locate the appropriate mailing address. If you are filing the change of status application under premium processing, Form I-907, please refer to the appropriate filing location on the 'Filing I-907 for I-539' section of the USCIS website.

Please note that the U.S. Postal Service is the only service that delivers to a P.O. Box address. We recommend that you use a trackable mailing method so that you have delivery confirmation of your application. If you send your application with a method that requires a signature upon delivery, use the express mail and courier deliveries address (e.g., UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc).

If your change of status is pending with USCIS and you later decide to leave the U.S., your change of status is considered to have been abandoned.

Important Information about Changing to J-1 Status

  • Your current status must be valid until at least 30 days prior to the program start date of the DS-2019, so there cannot be a gap of more than 30 days between the Form I-94 expiration or the end of grace period and the program start date of the DS-2019.
  • If you are currently in B1/B2 status and you wish to become a J-1 student, you are prohibited from enrolling in a course of study unless you apply for and USCIS approves your change of status application. If you are currently in F-2 status and you wish to become a J-1 student, refer to the information in the Study section of F-2 Dependents.
  • The alternative method to become a J-1 is through traveling and re-entering the U.S. in your new visa status. In this case, you must apply for a J-1 visa at a U.S. consulate abroad. Applying at the local consulate in your home country is recommended.  A J-1 can enter the U.S. no earlier than 30 days before the DS-2019 program start date. Depending on your situation, you may prefer to leave the U.S. to obtain a visa instead of submitting a Form I-539 Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status request.

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