J-1 Scholar Visa Sponsorship

International Support Services is designated by U.S. Department of State as an Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor. Exchange Visitor is the title of a J-1 status holder, which is a U.S. non-immigrant classification. We often also refer to an Exchange Visitor as “EV”, “J-1”, or “visiting scholar”. The J-1 exchange visitor status allows temporary educational exchange (which may be either paid or self-funded) in the United States. If you want to invite a scholar to participate at your department in J-1 status, you would start a J-1 scholar application for a new exchange visitor.

The Form DS-2019 is a certificate of eligibility of J-1 status. It is issued by International Support Services through the Department of Homeland Security's SEVIS system. The DS-2019 allows a person to request a J-1 visa to enter the U.S. The DS-2019 also determines the length of a J-1's legal stay in the United States. The Hosting Department Responsibilities section of this page outlines the responsibilities when hosting J-1 Exchange Visitors, and general information about the DS-2019 and J-1 status is on our page.

1. The department at University of Kansas wishing to host the person begins the DS-2019 request process by starting the J-1 scholar application for a new exchange visitor in iHawk.
2. Then both the department administrative contact and scholar will submit information in ihawk.
3. The case will be reviewed by Global Operations and Security for restricted party issues.
4. Once GOS has finished their screening, the administrative contact can route the case to the academic department/research center for final review.
5. At that point ISS will review the entire visa sponsorship request.
6. The request for the visitor’s Form DS-2019 is submitted to the U.S. government's SEVIS system (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) so that Form DS-2019 can be issued.
7. The DS-2019 form is either mailed directly to the exchange visitor, or is provided to the department for mailing, depending on the hosting department’s instructions.
8. A $220 SEVIS I-901 fee must be paid and then the scholar should go to an appointment at the U.S. consulate for the J-1 visa.
9. The Exchange Visitor applies for J-1 visa (a visa application fee is also required) at the consulate.
10. When the visa is approved the Exchange Visitor can enter the U.S. with the DS-2019 and J-1 visa up to one month before the start date of the DS-2019.
11. When the Exchange Visitor has arrived in the U.S., they must attend J-1 check-in program at International Support Services and will enroll in the health insurance (for the J-1 and any J-2 dependents).

Under specific circumstances, J-1 and J-2 status holders may incur a two-year home physical presence requirement. If one is subject to the rule, this means that he/she is not eligible to change to H, L or Permanent Residency (PR) classification without first returning to the home country for a total of 2 years. A waiver of this requirement can be applied for and obtained in specific circumstances. If the two-year rule applies, changing status from J to another non-immigrant classification (such as F-1) in the United States is prohibited. The two year rule does NOT prohibit one from returning to the U.S. in any classification besides H, L, or PR.

All J-1 exchange visitors and accompanying J-2 dependents at the University of Kansas are required to have health insurance coverage that always meets the University’s standards. For KU employees that are benefits eligible this means they should enroll in Plan J with the State Employee Health Plan. For Visiting Scholars, they will be required to enroll in the Kansas Board of Regents United Healthcare policy.

The check-in requirement is linked to the start date of the SEVIS DS-2019. We must report the arrival of the J-1 in SEVIS within the first 30 days after the document begins. If an exchange visitor is delayed and will enter the U.S. more than fifteen days after the DS-2019 start date you should request an “amendment” of the DS-2019 so that the start date is changed to a later date. After completing the online Pre-Arrival and Post-Arrival trainings, a newly arrived scholar may call International Support Services to schedule attendance at the New Scholar Check-In.

The scholar may enter the U.S. to begin J-1 status no more than thirty days before the start date of the DS-2019. J-1 exchange visitors are usually granted admission for “duration of status” which is noted as D/S on the admission stamp in the passport and on the Form I-94 printed from CBP I-94 website. With duration of status granted, a J-1 has a thirty day grace period to depart the U.S. after the expiration of the DS-2019. J-2 dependents must depart before or with the J-1.

The University of Kansas is committed to assisting our international students and scholars when possible. If your exchange visitor contacts you to notify you that they have experienced a visa delay or denial, please ask them to notify an international advisor at International Support Services.

We have created different checklists for new incoming Employees and Visiting Scholars

Please refer to detailed information on our website about travel and visa application for further details. The U.S. visa (stamp or sticker in your passport) is a travel document which allows entry to the United States with a valid DS-2019. The scholar only needs to have a valid J visa when re-entering the United States; the scholar may remain in the U.S. with the valid DS-2019. If the scholar plans to travel and re-enter the U.S. from abroad after the visa has expired, the scholar needs to apply for a new visa before he/she re-enters U.S. The scholar can only apply for the visa outside the country at a U.S. Consulate.

The spouse and children under 21 of the J-1 exchange visitor are eligible for J-2 dependent status. The scholar may request a dependent DS-2019 from in iHawk for J-2 dependents during the program. Family members or friends who are NOT children under 21 or the spouse of the J-1 exchange visitor should apply for a B-1/B-2 visitor visa which allows eligibility to visit the United States temporarily for tourism or business purposes. Family members from certain countries may be eligible to travel to the U.S. for visits of up to 90 days without a B-1/B-2 visa through the U.S. Department of State Visa Waiver Program. It is recommended that the scholar give their family members a letter of invitation to document the purpose of their visit. Refer to Family Visitors to the U.S. for an invitation letter template and more details on the visa application requirements.

In addition to employment at the University of Kansas related to the J-1 objective, J-1 scholars and professors may be eligible to be authorized for incidental employment directly related to the J-1 objective, such as providing occasional lectures or consulting. Incidental employment must be approved in advance by KU International Support Services prior to the activity. For more information, refer to Incidental Employment for J-1 Scholars and Professors.

The exchange visitor may be eligible for an “extension” of Form DS-2019 if they have not reached the maximum duration of the J category (see section 4 of the DS-2019) and has not applied for and received a waiver of the Two-Year Foreign Residency Requirement. You, the sponsoring department, would submit an a J-1 extension in iHawk. Extension requests should be submitted well in advance of the DS-2019 expiration. For more information on program duration and extension you may contact iss@ku.edu The maximum length of program for Short-term Scholars is six months, for Professors and Research Scholars, five years.

If the scholar will return home and is ending participation more than 15 days before the end date of the current DS-2019, the end of the program should be reported to Support Services by submitting our Leaving KU form If the scholar is leaving within 15 days of the end date of the DS-2019, no action is required.

KU International Support Services staff members are not authorized to give advice regarding taxes. We do have some helpful information about taxes, tax preparation, ITIN, or tax treaty questions at Taxes and Social Security. We strongly recommend they contact Legal Services for Students who has a mandate to provide tax assistance to international students, scholars, and employees.

The Department of Homeland Security requires a fee of $220 for all new J-1 program applicants to cover the costs of the operation of the SEVIS program. If a future scholar is issued a new DS-2019 for beginning a new program he/she must pay I-901 SEVIS fee. Transfer, extension, or other updates to the original DS-2019 do not require SEVIS fee. You can read more information on our website at in the Travel section and go to the official website for SEVIS fee information and payment. Some departments choose to pay this fee on behalf of the exchange visitor but it is optional. If you do want to pay the fee, you will need the exchange visitor’s SEVIS ID number, name, and date of birth. This information must match the information printed on the exchange visitor’s Form DS-2019. After the SEVIS fee payment is made, a receipt should be printed. The scholar should bring it to the visa interview and when traveling to the U.S.

KU-Lawrence campus is authorized to issue a Form DS-2019 to foreign medical graduates (M.D.s) to enable them to come to the U.S. for the primary activity of observation, consultation, teaching, or research. They can participate in a non-clinical exchange program, either with NO PATIENT CONTACT OR CARE, or where patient contact is only INCIDENTAL to the primary activity. M.D.s with direct patient contact must be sponsored by ECFMG.

Examples of acceptable activities that involve no patient contact or incidental patient contact:

• Doing a diagnostic examination in the presence of a senior physician who repeats the exam or ensures at every step that it is done correctly, and the proper diagnostic information is obtained.
• Being present during therapies and treatment with opportunities for hands-on experience in ways that do not compromise the care of the patient.
• Being present in the operating room and having limited patient contact, but not performing procedures.

In order for a foreign medical graduate to be sponsored by University of Kansas's J-1 program, the department must provide one of the following statements written and signed by the dean or the dean's designee on University of Kansas letterhead:

If no patient contact or care is involved: “This letter certifies that the program in which (EV's name, M.D.) is to be engaged is solely for the purpose of observation, consultation, teaching, or research and that no element of patient care services is involved.”