Maintaining Status

Welcome to the Georgia Institute of Technology! As a newcomer to the community, there are many things to learn about Georgia Tech, your academic department, the city of Atlanta, and U.S. culture. As a J exchange visitor attending a U.S. education institution, you are also responsible for knowing and complying with the J immigration regulations. The immigration regulations are administered by the U.S. Department of State and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). It is important for you to understand the immigration regulations. The Department of State does not consider ignorance of the law a legitimate reason for failing to obey it. This information is designed to assist you with your awareness of and compliance with regulations that apply to J Exchange Visitors.

Know your RO and ARO

Each sponsoring agency has a Responsible Officer (RO) and several Alternate Responsible Officers (ARO). RO and AROs are thoroughly familiar with the J regulations. As RO and AROs, they can also assist you with traveling outside the United States, employment authorizations, extension of stay, etc.

If you are sponsored by the Georgia Institute of Technology, it will state this in #2 of your DS-2019. At Georgia Tech, the RO and AROs work within the Office of International Education. If you are sponsored by an agency other than Georgia Tech, you should contact your agency directly to ensure you know how to reach your RO and ARO.

Know your Immigration Documents
  • Passport
    An exchange visitor subject to passport requirements must obtain one and maintain its validity at all times while enrolled as a student. If the passport will expire before the end of the period of stay, it is the students' responsibility to contact the Consulate or Embassy of his or her country to have the passport extended or renewed. You can find contact information for your home country Consulate and Embassy in the United States. Passport renewals generally require several weeks. Enough time should be allowed to complete this process before the passport's expiration. When the passport expires, students are in the United States illegally and are subject to deportation.
     
  • Visa
    The visa is for permission to apply for admission to the United States for a specific purpose and period of time. The spouse and children of a J-1 exchange visitor will be assigned J-2 visas. Since the visa is only important for entry or re-entry to the U.S., the visa may expire while the exchange visitor is in the United States. If the exchange visitor plans to travel outside the United States with an expired visa, contact the Office of International Education prior to departure to discuss the preprations needed to apply for a new visa outside the U.S. for re-entry. The travel e-form should be submitted via iStart prior to any travel outside of the U.S. to ensure a Responsible Officer can advise a scholar appropriately regarding preparations and provide travel validation on the form DS-2019.
     
  • Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record)
    The I-94 shows that you have been admitted to the United States. The I-94 is usually stapled onto the U.S. visa page or entry stamp page of your passport. It contains an eleven-digit identifying number (sometimes known as the admission number) the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) uses to track the exchange visitor's arrival and departure from the U.S. The exchange visitor should have D/S (duration of status) written on the I-94, which means that you are admitted for the length of your program of study plus 30 days of grace period.
     
  • DS-2019
    This is the certificate of eligibility for J-1exchange visitors. The DS-2019 is returned to the J-1 at the port of entry or as approval of an extension of stay or transfer of program. Please refer to Item #3 of the DS-2019 for the end date of your program. If you plan on staying past this date, you are responsible for applying for an extension with the Responsible Officer of your program. The DS-2019 provides pertinent information about the Exchange Visitor Program on the back. The exchange visitor should read and adhere to the information. The Consular or Immigration officer will indicate on the front of the form (lower left) if the student is subject to the two-year home residency requirement.Traveling Outside of the United States
Traveling outside of the U.S.

An exchange visitor traveling outside of the United States should be certain to have all necessary documents for entry into all countries he or she intends to visit and for re-entry into the United States. A list of Consulates and Embassies (both abroad and in the United States) is available.

For re-entry into the United States, the exchange visitor needs:

  • A valid passport (if subject to the passport requirement)
  • A valid J visa (if subject to the requirement)
  • A valid DS-2019 that has been signed by a Responsible Officer in the travel validation section (< 1 year ago)

If a new visa is required, the exchange visitor should have a valid passport, DS-2019 signed by the Responsible Officer, and evidence of financial support to present to the United States Consulate or Embassy.

What is automatic revalidation of visa?
An exchange visitor (other than nationals of Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria) can re-enter to the United States with an expired J visa when the exchange visitor:

  • Travels to Canada, Mexico, or the adjacent islands other than Cuba for less than 30 days, and
  • Has maintained and intends to resume J status and the previously authorized stay is valid at the time of re-entry.

In such a case, the exchange visitor will need only a valid passport, with an affixed visa, an endorsed DS-2019, and a current Form I-94. Please consult with the Office of International Education for more information.

Bringing your Dependents

Exchange visitors can decide to bring his/her spouse or children (under the age of 21) to the United States to accompany them during their program. Know that if the dependents will come only for a short visit they may also be eligible for a B1 tourist visa/VWP entry. Refer to the U.S. Department of State website for more detail. 

Requesting a J-2 Dependent DS-2019:

To apply for the J-2 visa at a US Consulate abroad, each of your J-2 dependents require a DS-2019. The  J-2 Dependent DS-2019 request e-form must be submitted in iStart with a copy of each dependent's passport and evidence of funding that demonstrates the J-1 has sufficient funds to cover the additional costs. Please refer to the additional detail described in the e-form itself.

If a dependent is admitted to the U.S. using a DS-2019 then they will be subject to abide by the same rules and responsibilities expected of the J-1 primary visa holder.  This also means, if the J primary is subject to the 212(e) home residence requirement so will their J-2 dependents. In addition, a J-2 dependent of a J-1 Research Scholar or Professor will be subject to the 24 month bar preventing repeat participation in the J Research Scholar and Professor category.

Extension of Stay

An Exchange Visitor is eligible to apply for an extension of stay when:

  • working toward the objective shown on the most recent Form DS-2019.
  • maintaining status as a J Exchange Visitor.
  • can demonstrate adequate funding for the period of the proposed extension.
  • can demonstrate compliance with health insurance requirements for J Exchange Visitors
  • the period being requested is no more than five years in status as a J Visiting Professor or Research Scholar or 6 months as a Short Term Research Scholar.

Procedure:
Exchange Visitors sponsored by Georgia Institute of Technology will receive an email reminder 30 days prior to the expiration of your DS-2019. The sponsoring department HR administrator must be notified of the interest in extending the J program as they will be responsible for completing the J extension request via iStart. The J Exchange Visitor must provide the HR administrator copies of the DS-2019, passport, I-94 card, evidence of health insurance and evidence of financial support for the duration of the requested extension.

If you have questions please email or call the Office of International Education to speak with a Responsible Officer. If your J sponsor is an agency, then your Responsible Officer will be a part of that agency.

Health Insurance Requirements

All Exchange Visitors must carry health insurance that meets or exceeds U.S. Department of State standards, including J-2 dependents, for the full duration of the J program. Government regulations stipulate that if a J Exchange Visitor willfully fails to carry health insurance,  the J sponsor should terminate your program and report the termination to the Department of State.

In many countries the government covers the expense of health care for its citizens, and sometimes even for visitors, individuals and families. In the United States individuals are responsible for these costs themselves. Since a single day of hospitalization and medical treatment can cost thousands of dollars, most people in the United States rely on insurance, and you should do the same. Insurance gives you access to better and more timely health care, and provides the only protections against the enormous costs of health care that are a reality in this country.

Basic Requirements:
Here are the following requirements determined by the Department of State for the type and minimum amounts of insurance policy coverage for those who hold a J-1 or J-2 status:

  • Medical benefits of at least $50,000 per accident or illness.
  • Repatriation of remains in the amount of $7,500.
  • Expenses associated with the medical evacuation of the exchange visitor to his/her home country in the amount of $10,000.
  • A deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness.

The insurance policy must be underwritten by an insurance corporation having an A.M. Best rating of "A-" or above, an Insurance Solvency International, Ltd. (ISI) rating "A-" or above, a Standard & Poor's Claims-Paying Ability of "A-" or above, a Weiss Research, Inc. rating of "B+" or above, or such other rating services as the Department of State may from time to time specify. Insurance coverage backed by the full faith and credit of the government of the exchange visitor's home country shall be deemed to meet this requirement.

Note: Insurance policies that exclude common medical conditions in full (such as pregnancy, cancer, injury due to accidents using transportation equipment, etc...) will not be compliant with the US Department of State Standards. The OIE expects the J scholar to fully understand the insurance policy provisions and exclusions for an insurance policy purchased before arriving to the U.S. and will put forth due diligence to ensure scholars are in compliance.

Health Insurance Compliance:

As a part of the OIE J-1 check-in, each J scholar must complete a Health Insurance e-form via iStart. The e-form has two required sections and includes the ability to upload evidence of insurance and a certification of compliance with the J health insurance requirements. Individuals who do not upload evidence of insurance are sent a link to begin the process to purchase an insurance policy coordinated through Georgia Tech. After the OIE reviews and approves the New J Scholar check-in e-form, the scholar will be scheduled for a mandatory New J-1 Scholar Orientation.

How Medical Insurance Works:
When you pay health coverage, the money you pay (your premium) is combined with the premiums of others to for a pool of money. That money is then used to pay the medical bills of those participants who need health care. Your coverage remains valid only as long as you continue to pay your insurance premiums.

Once you purchase insurance, the company will provide you with an insurance identification card for use as proof of your coverage when you are seeking health care from a hospital or doctor. The company will also provide written instructions for reporting and documenting medical expenses (filing a claim). The company will evaluate any claim that you file, and make the appropriate payment for coverage under your particular policy. In some cases the company pays the hospital or doctor directly; in others the company reimburses the policy- holder after he or she has paid the bills.

Georgia Tech employees: 

Ask your department to see if health insurance is a part of your employee benefits package from the Georgia Institute of Technology. If so, you will learn about the insurance options by attending a benefits orientation at the Office of Human Resources as soon as possible after your arrival. Work with your sponsoring department HR administrator to schedule the HR new employee orientation or visit the OHR website. If you are eligible for GT employee benefits, you will still need to purchase Medical Evacuation and Repatriation coverage to be in compliance with Department of State regulations. The OIE has limited information about Medical Evacuation and Repatriation plans. Scholars are recommended to refer to the Pre-arrival guide health insurance section or email info@oie.gatech.edu.

Non-Georgia Tech employees or Georgia Tech employees who are not eligible for insurance benefits:

You will be eligible to enroll in the GT student health insurance plan (SHIP) upon arrival to the U.S. Enrollment and payment for the GT student and scholar insurance will occur directly with the insurance provider. 

To be eligible to purchase the Georgia Tech SHIP voluntary insurance plan you must:

  1. arrive to the U.S.
  2. visit your sponsoring department to obtain your Georgia Tech log-in and password
  3. complete the electronic New J-1 Scholar Upload to check-in with the OIE using iStart
  4. complete the BCBS web form using the link shared by the OIE upon approving your New J-1 Scholar Upload e-form
  5. mail the pre-populated BCBS enrollment form and payment to BCBS that you will receive via email from BCBS

Refer to the BCBS Student Blue eligibility and enrollment process handout (download here) for additional detail. More information about the BCBS voluntary plan benefits is available on the Stamps Health Center website. DO NOT enroll in the Student Voluntary plan, as this enrollment page caters to students and will require purchase of a full academic semester.

A pre-populated enrollment form including monthly premium rates will be provided to you from BCBS after you complete the BCBS web form. The link to the on-line interest form will be shared with a J scholar after arriving to the U.S. and after completing the New J-1 Scholar upload to check-in with the OIE using iStart. Failure to comply with the Department of State J-1 insurance requirements will produce serious consequences and is a violation of J-1 immigration regulations.

Travel outside of the U.S.

To be eligible to return to the U.S. during the period of a J program after travel, a J scholar must have a signature from a Responsible Officer at the sponsoring organization on the bottom right side of the DS-2019 "validating" the return travel to the U.S. J scholars are requested to complete the travel signature e-form via iStart upon makng plans for travel. OIE advisors will review the travel details within 5 business days and email the scholar with any recommendations prior to the scheduled travel. Upon receipt of the approval email, a scholar can make an advising appointment. Travel for a Research Scholar or Professor that will exceed 30 days will require an "out of country" request e-form as additional information and review by the Responsible Officer is required.

Note: J-2 dependents are not eligible to remain in the U.S. during a period of J-1 travel that exceeds 30 days. An approved travel e-form will allow an OIE international advisor to sign both J-1 and J-2 dependent DS-2019 forms.