Professors

A professor is an "individual primarily teaching, lecturing, observing, or consulting at post-secondary accredited educational institutions, museums, libraries, or similar types of institutions. A professor may also conduct research, unless disallowed by the sponsor." 22 C.F.R. 62.4 (e)

The maximum period of stay in this category is 5 years.

Research scholars

A research scholar is an "individual primarily conducting research, observing, or consulting in connection with a research project at research institutions, corporate research facilities, museums, libraries, post-secondary accredited educational institutions, or similar types of institutions. The research scholars may also teach or lecture, unless disallowed by the sponsor." 22 C.F.R. 62.4 (f)

The maximum period of stay in this category is 5 years.

Short-term scholars

A short-term scholar is "a professor, research scholar, specialist, or a person with similar education or accomplishments coming to the United States 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 institutions." 22 C.F.R. 62.4 (b)

The maximum period of stay in this category is 6 months.

Specialists

A specialist is "an individual who is an expert in a field of specialized knowledge or skill coming to the United States for observing, consulting, or demonstrating special skills." 22 C.F.R. 62.4 (g)

The maximum period of stay in this category is 1 year.

Section 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act requires exchange visitors and their dependents who are subject to the two-year home country physical presence requirement to return to their home countries and be physically present there for an aggregate of two years before being eligible to return to the United States as a permanent resident, H status or L status. Exchange visitors subject to this requirement are also not eligible to change their nonimmigrant status to any other nonimmigrant status in the United States except to A (diplomatic) and G (international organizations) status.

Who is subject?

You are subject to requirement if you fall into any one of the categories below:

• Your exchange program was financed directly or indirectly by the United States government or a foreign government for the purpose of the exchange
• The field you are coming to study is listed on the State Department's skill list
• You are coming to the United States to receive "graduate medical education or training"

Time spent in the United States in J status in the 12 month period immediately preceding the start date on the new DS-2019 may affect a person's eligibility for a J-1 in the professor or research scholar category. A person who has been in the United States in J-1 status in the 12-month period immediately preceding the start date of the new DS-2019 may only return in J-1 status as a professor or research scholar category if:

1. the participant is transferring to the sponsor's program from another J-1 program in the United States; or
2. the participant's presence in the United States was of less than six months duration, or
3. the participant's presence in the United States was pursuant to a short-term scholar exchange activity

22 C.F.R. 62.20 (d) (ii)\

A person who has been in the U.S. as a J-1 in the professor or research scholar category or a J-2 dependent of a professor or research scholar is not eligible for participation as a J-1 in the professor or research scholar category for a period of 2 years following the end date of his/her program as identified in the SEVIS system.

U.S. regulations require all exchange visitors (both J-1s and J-2s) to have health insurance during the duration of their exchange visitor program. The health insurance plan selected by the exchange visitor must meet the minimum requirements designated by U.S. law at 22 C.F.R. 62.14.

Minimum requirements

1. Medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness;
2. Repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000;
3. Expenses associated with medical evacuation of the exchange visitor to his or her home country in the amount of $50,000; and
4. A deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness
5. Co-insurance may not exceed 25% payable by the exchange visitor.  In addition, acceptable coverage may not exclude risks inherent in the activities of the exchange visitor program

Please see the Health Insurance Requirements handout for the minimum requirements and a listing of some insurance companies that provide this type of insurance if you will not be covered by an OHSU health insurance plan.  please note, the OHSU health insurance plan for employees does not include coverage for repatriation of remains and medical evacuation so if you are covered under an OHSU insurance plan you will need to buy an additional policy to cover repatriation of remains and medical evacuation.  You are required to have insurance to cover you from the start date listed on the DS-2019 form and continuing through the expiration date listed on the DS-2019 form.  In the situation where the OHSU health insurance plan is not effective on the start date of the J-1 program, a supplemental policy may need to be purchased to cover the period of time from the start date listed on the DS-2019 form through the start of the OHSU health insurance plan.

You should apply for a J-1 visa at the U.S. consulate or embassy with jurisdiction over your place of residence. You must include the following documents with your application for a J-1 visa:

• Form DS-2019: You must complete and sign the DS-2019 where it is marked "Exchange Visitor Certification." You should read the form carefully since it provides important information about J status.
• Evidence of financial ability to meet expenses: You must provide proof that you have enough funding to cover health insurance, living expenses, etc. This should be in the form of an official letter from your sponsor, personal financial statements, etc.
• Invitation letter from OHSU
• Evidence of intent to depart the United States after completion of your program. The main reason that nonimmigrants are denied visas is because they fail to prove to the consulate officer that they will return to their home country once they have completed their exchange program. A J-1 visa is a temporary visa, so you must prove that you intend to return to your home country when you have finished your exchange program. This can be proved by showing ties to your home country. The following types of evidence can be used in showing your ties: evidence that shows you or your family own a business and/or property in your home country; evidence that you will return to your job in your home country; etc.
• Valid passport
• Form DS-160 (Nonimmigrant Visa Application)
• Photograph: Must meet Department of State's requirements
• Machine Readable Visa (MRV) surcharge fee
• Visa Reciprocity Fee (if applicable)

The U.S. Embassy website will provide you with information on applying for a visa at U.S. consulates around the world. You will want to be familiar with the rules and procedures of issuing visas before you apply for yours. Since visa procedures vary depending on what consulate you go to it is recommended that you check the site for the procedures at the U.S. consulate you plan on going to.

When you arrive at the U.S. port of entry you must present the documents listed below to the immigration official:

• A valid passport (unless you are exempt from the passport requirement)
• A valid J-1 visa (unless you are exempt from the visa requirement, i.e. Canadian citizens)
• Evidence of financial support
• Form DS-2019
• Form I-94: The immigration official will stamp your passport with your date of entry and status. You will then be able to go to the I-94 website to print your arrival/departure record with your status information and expiration date. If you come via a land port-of-entry crossing you will still receive a paper-based I-94 which will have your status and expiration date. The Form I-94/entry stamp should be marked J-1/ D/S. If you notice that the I-94 or entry stamp is incorrect, ask the immigration officer at the border to correct it. If you notice the mistake after you have gone through immigration, contact the Department of immigration Services at OHSU so we can help you get it corrected.

It is extremely important that you maintain J-1 status, since certain violations of status may be grounds for deportation under U.S. Immigration Law. This means that you must meet certain requirements required by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Please note that it is your responsibility to make sure that your DS-2019 is valid during your exchange program here. Your I-94 record will be marked D/S (Duration of Status) by the immigration officer at the port of entry, but your status is controlled by the date in item no. 3 of your DS-2019. For more information, read the handout on maintaining your J-1 status.

Professors, research scholars and short-term scholars may participate in occasional lectures and short-term consultations if these activities meet the following criteria:

• The lectures or consultations must be directly related to the objectives of your exchange program;
• They must be incidental to your primary program activities;
• They must not delay the completion of your program;
• You must act as an independent contractor; and
• You must receive authorization from the Department of Immigration Services at OHSU before you engage in the occasional lectures or consultations

22 C.F.R. 62.20 (g) and (g) (1)

U.S. immigration regulations require that you carry your immigration paperwork on you at all times. It is highly recommended that you carry the following documents with you when you travel domestically or internationally:

• Your DS-2019 signed for travel by the Department of Immigration Services with the last 12 months
• Your passport
• A valid visa (if reentering from abroad, unless traveling to Canada or Mexico or adjacent islands for less than 30 days)
• Your I-94 record (if reentering the United States from a trip abroad you will receive a new I-94, unless you are reentering from Canada or Mexico after a trip of less than 30 days)

Trips to Canada, Mexico and adjacent islands

You may reenter the United States without a valid visa after a trip of less than 30 days to Canada, Mexico or adjacent islands. In order to take advantage of this provision you must be maintaining valid J-1 status, have a valid passport (unless exempt from passport requirements), have a current DS-2019 endorsed for travel by the Department of Immigration Services, and have a valid I-94 record.

Please be aware that if you travel to Canada or Mexico to apply for a new visa you will not be able to reenter the U.S. under the revalidation provisions stated above if your visa application is denied for any reason.

Citizens or nationals of Iran, Syria, Sudan, and Cuba are also not eligible for the revalidation provisions and must have a valid visa to reenter the U.S. after a trip to Canada, Mexico or adjacent islands.

Airport transit visa requirements for countries in the European Union

France, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden are now requiring that nationals from several countries including India obtain "airport transit visas" for connecting flights. If you are from one of the designated countries you are required to obtain the airport transit visa even if you will not be leaving the airport under certain circumstances.

Get more information about the airport transit visa requirements.

Please check with the embassies of the countries you will be landing in before you leave the U.S. to determine whether or not you will need an airport transit visa.

View a list of embassies around the world.

Spouses or unmarried children (under 21 years of age) may accompany you to the United States or join you at a later date in the United States. Your dependent family members will be given J-2 status. If you wish to have a family member accompany you to the United States or join you at a later date please contact the Department of Immigration Services for a dependent DS-2019.

A dependent of an J-1 student will need the following documents to apply for a J-2 visa:

• Form DS-2019 as described above
• Copies of your immigration documents: current DS-2019, visa, passport biography and extension pages and both sides of your I-94
• A letter from the Department of Immigration Services verifying your status
• Evidence of financial ability to meet expense
• Marriage certificate or birth certificate
• Evidence of intent to depart the United States after the J-1 completes his/her studies
• Valid passport
• Form DS-160 (Nonimmigrant Visa Application)
• Photograph: Must meet Department of State's requirements
• Machine Readable Visa (MRV) surcharge fee
• Visa Reciprocity Fee (if applicable)

The U.S. Embassy website will provide you with information on applying for a visa at U.S. consulates around the world. You will want to be familiar with the rules and procedures of issuing visas before you apply for yours. Since visa procedures vary depending on what consulate you go to it is recommended that you check the site for the procedures at the U.S. consulate where you plan on applying for your visa.

Insurance

J-2 dependents are also required to meet the health insurance requirements set forth in 22 C.F.R. Sec. 62.14.

Employment

J-2 dependents may apply for permission to accept employment provided that the income from the employment will not be used to support the the J-1. "Income from the spouse's or dependent's employment may be used to support the family's customary recreational and cultural activities and related travel, among other things." 8 C.F.R. Sec. 214.2(j)(1)(v)(A)

Contact the Department of Immigration Services for an employment authorization packet.