Visitor Responsibilities

As an individual in the United States (U.S.) in a J-1 visa class, you are expected to:

• Review the visa stamp issued to you in your passport by the U.S. Embassy/Consulate that processed your visa application. If the expiration date of your visa stamp does not match the expiration date of your DS-2019, there may be complications if you travel outside of the U.S. 
• Before you leave the entry area at the airport, please make sure you have the appropriate date stamps and make sure that your I-94 Departure Record has a “J-1” and “D/S” written on it. The I-94 Departure Record is a very important document and it is imperative to keep it in your passport at all times.
• Maintain medical insurance for the duration of your stay for you and your dependents as described in the Health Insurance section. 
• Comply with the immigration law that any foreign national in the U.S. must report his/her address change to the Department of Homeland Security within ten days of the change of address. You may meet this obligation by reporting your address change to Linda Zarzecki or Margie Hoving, who will change your address in SEVIS.
• Maintain the required documentation, which includes an unexpired DS-2019 and an I-94 indicating “J-1” and “D/S.”
• Inform Linda Zarzecki or Margie Hoving if there are changes in your medical insurance, financial support, or duration of program stay, or if you will be traveling outside of the U.S. 
• Maintain status by engaging only in those activities required by your J-1 visa category as described in Section 4 of the DS-2019. Engaging in any employment which is not authorized as described in Section 4 would place you out of legal status.
• Obtain authorization before short-term activities such as lecturing, consulting, or conducting a seminar in your field at another institution. It may be possible to receive payment or reimbursement of expenses for these activities with the approval of the Human Resources Department. 
• Leave the U.S. at the end of the authorized stay or contact Linda Zarzecki or Margie Hoving to request an extension of stay.
• Maintain a valid passport and notify Linda Zarzecki or Margie Hoving if your passport has been renewed, so that they may update records accordingly. Most countries require that you must have at least six months left on your passport to return to the U.S.