PI Advice

• Your passport
• Two (2) passport photos – check US Embassy website for dimensions
• Your DS-2019 Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status, obtained from the program sponsor in the United States
• Your printed SEVIS fee receipt, which is created at the time you pay your SEVIS fee

Recommended Supplemental Documents

Evidence of Financial Resources

All J-1 visa applicants must demonstrate that they have financial resources sufficient for their expenses in the United States or are earning a wage from the program that will cover their expenses. This evidence may include:

• Exchange Program Stipends: Evidence from the program sponsor that they will pay you a stipend sufficient to cover your expenses in the United States.
• Personal savings: Bank books or monthly statements showing your current assets and recent transactions.
• Sponsorship: Sponsors should provide evidence of their assets and income, including current bank statements, and documents showing possession of real property. A detailed written description of the objectives and content of the exchange program.

Foreign Residency Requirement

J exchange visitors who participate in programs that are financed in any degree by an agency of the U.S. Government or by the exchange visitor’s government, or who are nationals or residents of a country that has been designated by the Exchange Visitor Program and Designation Staff as requiring the skills of the exchange visitor, must return to their country of nationality or last residence after completing their program in the United States and reside there physically for 2 years before they may become eligible to apply for an immigrant or temporary worker visa.