What Is The J-1 Visa? Requirements And Process – Forbes Advisor – Technologist

Here are the steps involved in securing a J-1 visa to come to the United States and participate in an exchange program.

Get Accepted to an Exchange Visitor Program

Certain organizations are approved to operate exchange visitor programs. If you want to come to the United States on a J-1 visa, you must apply for and be accepted into a qualifying program.

Details about these different programs can be found on the J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program website, run by the Department of State. After applying, you must be accepted into a qualifying program to proceed. Once that happens, you’ll be registered automatically in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).

When your registration becomes active, you must pay a SEVIS I-901 fee, unless the fee is included in your program. You can pay your fee on the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) website.

Complete the Online Visa Application

After being accepted to an approved program, you must submit an Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160. After submitting this application, you should print a copy of the confirmation because you will need to bring it to your visa interview.

Schedule and Prepare for an Interview

If you are between the ages of 14 and 79, you are required to schedule an interview before your visa will be granted. There are some limited exceptions to this if you’re just renewing your visa.

Generally, you will schedule your interview at the U.S. Embassy or the U.S. Consulate in your home country, as it can be harder to demonstrate that you are eligible for a J-1 visa if you’re in a third country when applying and going through the interview process.

Gather Required Documents

You’ll need certain documents to have your J-1 visa finalized. These include:

• a passport that allows you to travel to the United States
• confirmation of the submission of your DS-160 form
• a receipt for paying your application fee
• a photo that meets U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) photo requirements
• a Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status, Form DS-2019, sent to you by your program sponsor after they enter your information into the SEVIS database. Your spouse and children will need their own separate DS-2019 forms if they are planning to come live with you in the United States.
• a Training/Internship Placement Plan, Form DS-7002, if you qualify for the J-1 visa based on the trainee and intern categories