J-1 / J-2 · Timeline

From DS-2019 to arrival

1. 1

   1. Sponsor and Form DS-2019

   Your sponsor's responsible officer (RO) or alternate responsible officer (ARO) issues Form DS-2019, which can only be produced through SEVIS. Before the visa is issued, you sign page one, certifying among other things that you will comply with the two-year home-country rule if it is found to apply to you. The electronic SEVIS record, not the paper form, is the definitive record.^[1,2]

2. 2

   2. SEVIS fee

   Pay the I-901 SEVIS fee at FMJFee.com before your visa interview; you may book the appointment first. Only the J-1 pays; J-2 family members do not. The fee is reduced for some categories, including Summer Work Travel, camp counselor and au pair, and participants in government-sponsored programs with sponsor numbers G-1, G-2, G-3 and G-7 do not pay it.^[2]

3. 3

   3. Visa interview

   Apply at a U.S. embassy or consulate as early as you can, since waits for interview appointments vary. Bring the signed paper DS-2019. Before issuing the visa, the officer must tell you whether you will be subject to the two-year home-country rule. The J-1 visa is generally issued for the program dates on your DS-2019, or for a shorter period where the reciprocity schedule for your nationality allows only that.^[1,2,3]

4. 4

   4. Arrival

   The visa can be issued any time before your program start date if your SEVIS record is in initial or active status, but you may not enter the United States more than 30 days before the program start date; this limit does not apply if you are continuing a program. At every entry, show your DS-2019 with your visa to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer. After you arrive, your sponsor updates your SEVIS record to show that you have entered and reported to the program (validation).^[2,4]