J-1 Visa Regulations
Entering and exiting the U.S.
U.S. visa holders who do not appropriately maintain their immigration status while in the United States may be detained by U.S. officials or may be denied future visa applications. It is your individual responsibility to abide by visa regulations and maintain your lawful status. The following tips below will help you do so. Contact the Teacher Resources team if you have any questions.
You and your dependents should follow the guidelines below when traveling.
Before exiting the U.S., make sure your visa, passport and DS-2019 are valid and up-to-date.
- Make sure that your passport and/or visa have not expired. Your passport must be valid for at least six months.
- Make sure that your DS-2019 is valid, including that the information on the DS-2019 form is correct and the travel validation is up-to-date. Your travel validation is up-to-date if the travel validation box in the lower, right-hand corner of the DS-2019 form was last signed no more than one year ago.
When re-entering the U.S., do the following:
- Show your original DS-2019 form with signed travel validation, valid J visa*, valid passport, and proof of employment/financial support, such as a couple of pay check printouts.
- Print your electronic I-94 arrival record for both yourself and any dependent(s) after re-entering the U.S. The I-94 record can be printed from the Customs and Border Protection website. You must print a new I-94 each time you enter the U.S. Check that the status on your I-94 reflects J-1 or J-2 and “D/S”. Contact Participate Learning immediately if this is not the case.
*Canadian citizens do not need the visa and need only an original DS-2019 form with signed travel validation and a valid passport. Canadian citizens apply for entry directly at the border. Upon arrival, ensure that your passport is stamped with the correct date and clearly noted with your visa category (J-1 or J-2).
DS-2019 form travel validation
Your DS-2019 is a form that shows your legal status in the U.S. and also serves as your work authorization. It is an extremely important document, so be sure to keep it in a safe place. You must always take the form with you when you travel. You may receive a second DS-2019 form during your time in the program. Staple all DS-2019 forms that you’ve ever been issued together.
When traveling, take both old and new DS-2019 form(s) with you. There is a signature on the bottom right of the form which validates the form for travel. Participate Learning staff will validate your form at Participate Learning Orientation. Be sure to keep the travel validation of this form up-to-date. Your DS-2019 form’s travel validation will expire one year from the date it is last signed.
If you leave the United States for any reason and the travel validation will expire before you return, you must have it updated before you leave. If the travel validation is expired when you attempt to re-enter the United States, you could be denied entry or detained.
Updating your travel validation – Participate Learning provides travel validation signatures electronically by digitally signing your DS-2019. If you need to update your travel validation, simply send an email to [email protected] with your name, date of travel, and the date your form was last signed (see the bottom right hand corner of your form). We will then email you a link to download your new, digitally signed electronic DS-2019 form(s) and will automatically include any active J-2 dependents.
Do not send your DS-2019 for travel validation via physical mail.
Tips for maintaining visa status
Contact the Teacher Resources team if you have questions about any of the following guidelines:
- Notify your school and visa sponsor (Participate Learning) of any leave of absence. Leaves of absence must be approved by your school and visa sponsor. This does not apply to holiday travel. If a long leave of absence is required, Participate Learning may not be able to maintain your J visa status. Always contact Participate Learning if you have questions.
- Never engage in employment outside of your teaching assignment at school, unless you request and receive written authorization from Participate Learning before beginning work. We recommend submitting your request for additional work authorization 30 days in advance. Note that Participate Learning can only give authorization in limited circumstances, such as for teaching programs paid for by your school district. If you perform work and receive any compensation for any work or activities while in the U.S. other than for your exchange teaching assignment, you are subject to termination from the program under visa regulations.
- Submit any changes of current home address, school or subject assignment, or legal name to Participate Learning immediately and no later than within 10 days of the change.
- Comply with the terms of your J-1 visa as listed on the back side of the DS-2019 form along with the Participate Learning and government regulations related to your J-1 visa status.
- Pay health benefits premiums in a timely manner in order to maintain adequate health benefits coverage through Participate Learning for yourself and your dependents.
- Keep your DS-2019 form(s), visa, and passport in a safe place at all times.
- Always take your valid DS-2019, visa, and passport with you when traveling outside of the United States and maintain current travel validation on your DS-2019 form at all times so it will be valid for international travel.
- Report to Participate Learning any significant problems that arise with your participation in our program or your teaching position.
- Carefully review all correspondence from Participate Learning and regularly check your personal email address for updates and urgent notices.
- Don’t allow your dependent to work without a valid employment authorization card.
- Teach enthusiastically and to the best of your abilities and respond positively to any feedback about your teaching methods.
- Don’t attempt to stay in the United States beyond your authorized period with Participate Learning. Make plans to return to your home country to complete the exchange part of the J-1 cultural exchange visitor visa.
While unlikely to affect J-1 exchange visitor teachers, we are required by the Department of State to make you aware of two recent immigration related policies. See below.
1. Unlawful Presence Policy (effective August 9, 2018): For F, M, and J nonimmigrants, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will start counting days of unlawful presence the day after an F, M, or J status violation occurs.
What does this mean? If someone violates their visa status (for instance, this could be by performing unauthorized work) USCIS will start counting days from the first day the violation occurs. Individuals will be subject to a 3 or 10-year bar (or permanent inadmissibility) to the U.S., depending on how many days of unlawful presence are accrued. Remaining in the U.S. beyond the expiration of your visa also starts the unlawful presence clock.
2. Public Charge draft rule was published in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on 10/10/2018:
The rule states that noncitizens seeking admission to the U.S. or applying for green cards or those seeking an extension of, or changes to, their non-immigrant status are subject to review to determine whether they are or might become a “public charge” – someone dependent on the government for subsistence.
What does this mean? Non-citizens may jeopardize future visa applications or their status if they are found to be accepting public benefits. Such benefits may include Medicaid insurance benefits, enrollment in federally funded programs such as Head Start, as well as FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) assistance during hurricanes or natural disasters. J-1 Teachers with U.S. citizen children should contact Participate Learning before applying for or accepting any benefit for their child(ren).
Department of State annual report requirement
In February 2016, the U.S. Department of State published a new rule affecting Cultural Exchange Teachers in the Exchange Program. In order to remain in good standing, each year you participate in the program, you must submit an annual report consisting of a cultural activity and a virtual exchange activity. Submit reports for review through this link.
This requirement supports and reinforces that the purpose of the Exchange Visitor Program is “to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchanges.”
Please note that we are not able to file visa extensions for Ambassador Teachers who have not submitted an annual report for each school year in the program.
DOS Guidelines (PDF Download)
Additional information
The Department of State Exchange Visitor Programs has a Compliance Unit to serve as an information resource for clarification of, guidance regarding, and improvements to the Exchange Visitor Programs. Click here to visit their website.
Exchange Visitor Program
The Exchange Visitor Program of the Department of State may be reached by mail, phone or fax.
Mailing Address:
U.S. Department of State Office of Designation Private Sector Exchange Division SA-44
301 4th Street SW
Room 668
Washington, DC 20547
Fax: 1.202.203.7779
Email: [email protected]
Your Sponsor
The Center for International Education, Inc.
Mailing Address:
201 Sage Rd.
Suite 200
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Senior Visa Manager and Alternative Responsible Officer: Carina Barbash
All Company Officers: David Young (Responsible Officer), Carina Barbash, Thomas Lee, Laura Tobal, Kerrie Frederick, Kaselehlia Sielken, Marlee Devine, Stephanie Cooper.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (919) 265-5123
1-800-952-4521
Resources
Exchange visitor welcome brochure
Rights and protections pamphlet (Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Act)