J-1 Faculty, Visitors and Exchange Program

Once you receive a contract or admission offer, you must next apply for the DS-2019 required for your J-1 Visa interview.

All J-1 applicants need to provide valid proof of eligibility, as set forth by federal regulations. Valid forms of proof of eligibility include: 

• English proficiency
• finances
• adequate insurance

Specific requirements and forms of proof are listed in the DS-2019 form. Some J-1 categories have additional requirements. 

For our office to issue you a DS-2019, you must first receive a contract or admission offer from RISD.

When you arrive in the US, you must first complete the Arrival Confirmation form. ISSA will send new exchange visitors the link to the Arrival Confirmation form directly close to their program start date.  

Upon receipt of your arrival confirmation form, our office will validate your record with the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS). Please pay attention to emails regarding deadlines and instructions.

The J-1 program requires you and any J-2 dependents to maintain adequate health insurance for the duration of your program. Your insurance must include:

• $100,000 per accident/illness
• $50,000 medical evacuation
• $25,000 medical repatriation
• a maximum $500 deductible per accident/illness
   

You should only participate in activities related to your J-1 program.

Do not engage in any work without prior authorization.

For J-1 students, you must receive on-campus work authorization from ISSA. Once you receive employment authorization, we will update your authorization in SEVIS. You may begin working after your authorization is approved. 

If anything changes regarding your biographical information or program information, 
you must email us at issa@risd.edu within 10 days.

Please note that program extension requests must be received at least two weeks prior to your program end date. 

Do not at any point let your passport expire. (Your J-1 visa may expire while you are in the US, but it must be valid if you depart the US and need to reenter the country.)
 

Do not let your DS-2019 expire. To ensure this, make note of your DS-2019 expiration date and make sure to extend it well before that date, if necessary.

If you need to extend your J-1 program, you must submit a program extension request to ISSA at least two weeks before your program end date.

You can request a DS-2019 form by emailing issa@risd.edu.

J-1 Visa students must maintain full-time enrollment (12 credits in fall/spring). If you need to drop below the 12-credit minimum, consult with ISSA beforehand in order to explore options.

Prior to working in the US, you must have on-campus work authorization placed in SEVIS before starting employment.

A J-1 professor or research scholar may participate in occasional lectures and short-term consultations, when authorized in advance and in writing by the program’s responsible officer, under specific conditions.

Such lectures and consultations must be incidental to the exchange visitor’s primary program activities. If the exchange visitor receives wages or other remuneration for such activities, they must act as an independent contractor.

Engaging in work outside of your primary employment with RISD without prior authorization from ISSA may constitute a violation of J-1 status.

If you are participating in occasional lectures or short-term consultations, please let us know by completing the J-1 Professor/Research Scholar/Short-term Scholar Occasional Lectures or Consultations form. 

If a J-1 visa holder in the professor or research categories is to perform duties related to their work at RISD outside the US, they need to complete the J-1 Professor/Research Scholar Out of Country Activity form so that we may keep their J-1 status active.

Professor and research scholar exchange visitors can participate in work outside the US if they are in pursuit of current and relevant program activities with RISD. 

In order to complete the required out-of-country activity form, you must obtain a letter from your hiring department, printed on RISD letterhead.

Please note, an absence of more than 30 days from the US, without submitting documentation to ISSA stating that you are performing duties connected to your work at RISD, may be considered a break in program activity, which might result in the end of your J-1 status.

J-1 students may request authorization for employment in the following situations:

• Employment that occurs on the premises of the post-secondary accredited educational institution the exchange visitor is authorized to attend (on-campus employment)
• Employment pursuant to the terms of a scholarship, fellowship or assistantship
• Employment that occurs off-campus, which is necessary because of serious, urgent, and unforeseen economic circumstances that have arisen since acquiring exchange visitor status 
   

Please complete the J-1 Student Employment Authorization Request form to request authorization for one of the reasons mentioned above.

If authorized for employment, you must follow all terms of your J-1 status. This information will be reviewed in the "Acknowledgement" section.

Academic training

J-1 students may also be authorized for academic training, which has its own specific set of requirements. If you are interested in pursuing academic training as a J-1 student (either pre-completion or post-completion), please schedule a meeting with an ISSA advisor at least 30 days before your program end date. 

You will need to complete the J-1 Academic Training form to request academic training.

Due to the short-term duration of non-degree seeking J-1 programs at RISD, academic training may only be appropriate for degree-seeking students.

In the context of the J-1 Visa, academic training allows J-1 students to request authorization “to participate in an academic training program for wages or other remuneration: (i) During his or her studies; or (ii) Commencing not later than 30 days after completion of his or her studies, if the criteria, time limitations, procedures, and evaluations.”

Academic training may occur pre-completion (while you are a student) or post-completion (after graduation).  However, you must request academic training before the program end date on your DS-2019.

Please complete the J-1 Academic Training Request form no less than 14 business days before the end date on your DS-2019.

In order to engage in academic training, you must remain in good academic standing, engage only in employment that is directly related to your major, receive a recommendation letter from your advisor or academic dean, and receive authorization from ISSA in advance.  

Academic training may be authorized for a maximum of 18 months (total), or equal to the J-1’s length of study (whichever is the shorter amount of time).  

Upon completion of academic training, you must submit an evaluation of your training to ISSA.  Please contact issa@risd.edu at the end of your academic training to receive access to the form.

The DS-2019 form for J-1 professors, research scholars, and short-term scholars is available upon request by emailing our office. 

Request a DS-2019 Form

J-1 visa holders can email issa@risd.edu or bring their DS-2019 to advising hours to receive a travel signature.  Travel signatures are valid for one year or until the end of your program (whichever happens first).
 

J-1 visa holders requesting to transfer their SEVIS record to another J-1 sponsor can complete the above form.

Complete the SEVIS transfer request

J-1 visa holders who have had their contract extended (faculty) or need more time to complete their coursework (students) can submit the program extension request above, no later than two weeks before their current DS-2019 end date.  Please note we cannot extend the DS-2019 after the end date. We also cannot extend your DS-2019 beyond the maximum duration allowed by your J-1 category.

Complete a program extension request

212(e) refers to a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) that requires certain individuals to return home for a minimum of two years following the completion of their J-1 program (the “two-year home-country physical presence requirement”).

When you receive a J-1 visa, the US Consulate will make a preliminary determination about whether you are subject to 212(e). Please note that this is not a final ruling.

If subject to 212(e), you become ineligible for an H, L, or Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status until you have satisfied the two-year home-country physical presence requirement. 

The 12-month and 24-month bars refer to the specific amount of wait times after completing a J-1 program before you can apply for a new J-1 professor/research scholar visa.

If you have previously completed a J-1 professor/research scholar program, you must wait 24 months before you can apply for a J-1 professor/research scholar visa.

If you have previously completed any other J-1 visa category, you must wait 12 months before you can apply for a J-1 professor/research scholar visa.