International Students

J-1 EXCHANGE VISITOR PROGRAM

The J-1 visa-status is designated for international exchange visitors, including research scholars, visiting professors, specialists, short-term scholars, students on official exchange programs, and certain other sponsored students. A DS-2019 form is the official document needed by an exchange visitor to obtain a J-1 visa to enter the United States, to transfer to another sponsor, or to extend an ongoing program within the U.S. Exchange visitors may come to UW-La Crosse under the sponsorship of other J-1 sponsoring agencies such as USAID, Fulbright, IREX, or ISEP.

Housing Information

Students from exchange and contract programs are guaranteed on-campus housing . Details housing arrangements will be sent out in the beginning of August.

Health Insurance Requirements

J-1 regulations require each exchange visitor and accompanying dependents to have health insurance. Exchange visitors should be prepared to purchase UW-L's health insurance immediately after arriving in La Crosse, or show evidence of coverage in a comparable plan, for the period covered on their DS-2019 form. The Office of International Education (OIE) will not issue DS-2019 forms for exchange visitors who do not agree to purchase the UW-L or comparable health insurance. Regulations stipulate that J-1 sponsors must terminate the J-1 program of exchange visitors who willfully fail to carry health insurance for themselves and dependents.

Employment

A J-1 exchange visitor is restricted to the activity, financial support, and location that is described on the DS-2019 form. However, with the sponsor's permission, professors and research scholars may present occasional lectures or do short-term consulting. These lectures or short-term consultations must be directly related to the exchange visitor's program. They must be incidental to the primary objective of the program and cannot delay the completion date of the visitor's program.

Two-Year Home Residency Requirement (TYHRR)

Exchange visitors who are subject to the TYHRR requirement must return to their home country for at least two years after completion of a J-1 program. An exchange visitor would be subject to the two-year rule if: he/she received direct government funding (U.S. or home country), or the exchange visitor's skills list applies. If subject, the exchange visitor cannot return to the U.S. on an H1, L, or Permanent Resident visa until he/she has observed the two-year rule. At the discretion of a visa officer, he/she may be permitted to return on a student visa and postpone the two-year home residency. A TYHRR also prohibits the exchange visitor from changing visa type in the U.S., unless he/she obtains a waiver.

J-1 exchange visitors may request a waiver of the TYHRR under certain specific conditions. It is not easy to obtain a waiver. The process is complicated and time-consuming. With some sponsoring agencies, it is impossible to obtain a waiver of the TYHRR.

Inviting Family Members

To join the J-1 visa holder in La Crosse, immediate family members (spouse and children) will need to obtain a J-2 'dependent' visa. The J-1 visa holder will need to provide OIE with documentation of financial support and insurance coverage for family members, so that a DS-2019, marked "to permit visitor's immediate family (_#_) members to enter U.S. separately" may be issued. The family members present this form at a U.S. consulate to obtain J-2 visa stamps in their passports. They will also need to present the form to an immigration officer at the first port of entry in the U.S. Family members on J-2 visas may apply for work permission at the INS office in Milwaukee. Contact OIE for procedures and forms.

Academic Training for Students in J-1 Status

Eligibility
  1. Your primary purpose in the U.S. must be study rather than academic training.
  2. You must be in good academic standing at the school named on your Form DS-2019.
  3. The proposed employment must be directly related to your major field of study.
  4. You must maintain permission to stay in the U.S., in J-1 student status, and apply for an extension as necessary.
General Limitation

Your employment may be authorized for "the length of time necessary to complete the goals and objective of the training, provided that the amount of time...is approved by [both] the academic dean or advisor and...the responsible officer," to quote the regulations. It may not exceed "the period of full course of study" or 18 months, whichever is shorter.

After Completion of Your Program of Study
  1. A written offer of appropriate employment must be presented to the J-1 responsible officer BEFORE the end of the program, or the eligibility for academic training is lost.
  2. Employment authorization after completion of the program should be obtained before leaving the U.S.
The Application
  1. Obtain a letter of offer from your prospective employer that includes the job title, a brief description of the "goals and objectives" of the "training program" (the employment), the dates and location of the employment, the number of hours per week, and the name and address of the "training supervisor." Make sure that the employer's letter includes all of these details.
  2. Give a copy of the employer's letter to the academic advisor or dean, who will need to complete the academic training form.
  3. When the academic advisor's recommendation is ready, it should be delivered to the J-1 responsible officer, with a copy of the employer's letter attached.
  4. The J-1 responsible officer must evaluate the academic training program and decide whether it is warranted and appropriate. If so, he/she will write a letter of approval.
For further information/questions, you can contact Diane Sasaki at 608-785-8921 or email her at sasaki.dian@uwlax.edu.
Office of International Education
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
116 Graff Main Hall
1725 State Street
La Crosse, WI 54601 USA
 
Telephone: 608-785-8016 Fax: 608-785-8923 E-Mail: uwlworld@uwlax.edu