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OISSS >
For International Students > J-1
> Immigration Documents
J-1
Immigration Documents
Passport
| Certificate of Eligibility (DS-2019) | Visa
| I-94 Admission Departure Card
All non-immigrants (except Canadian citizens) are required
to possess and keep current a valid passport issued by their country of
citizenship. Failure to keep it valid renders a non-immigrant out of status
(and consequently ineligible for employment, extension of stay or change
of status as well as subject to deportation). Questions regarding passport
renewals, extensions, or replacements should be addressed to the non-immigrant's
embassy or consulate here in the U.S. While it is not necessary to carry
a passport at all times while in the States, it must be taken with you
when leaving and re-entering the U.S. The passport expiration date should
not be confused with a visa expiration date (always indicated on the visa
stamp inside the passport) or the expiration of a particular period of
stay as indicated on one's DS-2019 form or I-94 card.
The Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange
Visitor (J-1) Status, or DS-2019 form, is the visa document which the Office of International Student and Scholar Services issued to you upon your admission to UNC-Chapel Hill and after provision
of financial documentation. The DS-2019 form is used for visa application
at a U.S. Embassy or consular post outside the U.S. and for entry when
crossing a border into the United States. The U.S. Immigration officer
should return page 3 (the pink copy) of the DS-2019 form to you when you
enter the United States.
The DS-2019
form is extremely important since it legitimizes your presence in the
United States and you should keep it in a safe place. This is the document
that states the period of time that you may legally remain within the
United States. Please note the completion of studies date at #3 on your
DS-2019 form. Do not allow this date to expire, or you will be out of status
and unable to work or apply for any other benefits. Please contact the
Office of International Student and Scholar Services if you need additional time to complete your studies
(program extension) or if you are changing the level of your studies (for
example, master's degree to Ph.D.). The DS-2019 form is only valid while
you continue to be enrolled as a full-time student at the institution
which issued the DS-2019 or if you have extended your J-1 status via an
application for Academic Training after completion of studies.
A visa is a stamp in the passport issued by
a consular officer at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad which will facilitate
entry into the U.S. for a specific purpose if presented at the port of
entry along with any other necessary visa documents (such as an DS-2019
form and financial support documents). One cannot obtain a J-1 visa stamp
within the U.S. The visa is generally good for 1, 2, or multiple entries
and usually has an expiration date (which may or may not correspond to
your authorized period of stay on your DS-2019 form).
Your
non-immigrant visa stamp may expire while you are in the U.S. with no
consequences as long as the date on your visa certificate (DS-2019) and
the date (if any) on your I-94 card are still valid. Should you leave
the U.S. and wish to re-enter the U.S., care should be taken to ascertain
whether the visa stamp in the passport is still valid and if an application
to a U.S. Consulate abroad for a new visa will be necessary (especially
in cases of those wishing to re-enter in a status different from a previous
stay in the U.S.). Non-immigrants already in the U.S. may apply to USCIS
for a change to another non-immigrant status if they desire and are eligible
(consult with Office of International Student and Scholar Services staff for details). A spouse and/or
unmarried children under 21 years may enter in (or change to) dependent
status with appropriate visa and financial documentation.
All non-immigrants complete an I-94 Admission-Departure
card when they arrive at the U.S. port of entry. This I-94 (Admission-Departure)
card contains a unique eleven digit number which the U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration Services (USCIS) uses in their database to record your
stay in the U.S. You will complete your name, date of birth, and country
of citizenship. An DHS Inspector will then stamp or write out on your
I-94 card your visa type, date of entry to the U.S., and port of entry.
Also stamped or written should be the symbol D/S which stands for Duration
of Stay. This means that you may stay until the expiration date on your
Visa Certificate (DS-2019) and also as long as you comply with the requirements
of your status (full-time study, no unauthorized employment, etc). You
will surrender this card to an DHS officer or airline official when you
leave the country and will receive a new card if you re-enter. This card
should be kept together with your passport and visa certificate. If you
lose your I-94 card (at any time other than an imminent departure from
the U.S.) you may need to apply to USCIS for a replacement.
If you have been admitted to the U.S. in J-1 or J-2 status and there is
an expiration date written or typed on your I-94 card instead of "D/S",
see the Office of International Student and Scholar Services staff immediately.
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