It is your responsibility to understand and comply with the regulations affecting your J-1 visa status during your stay in the United States. A violation of these regulations could have serious consequences to your exchange program. If you have any questions about the requirements, contact a Responsible Officer at the Office of International Education (OIE). 

The US Department of State has prepared the Exchange Visitor Program welcome brochure for exchange visitors. The brochure highlights the program's goals and program participant roles, provides information on regulatory requirements such as maintaining insurance, and directs participants to useful resources. We hope this brochure helps to welcome and guide you, an exchange visitor, as you begin your exchange experiences in the United States.

Regulatory Information

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Regulatory Information for J-1 Scholars, Researchers, Faculty and Short-Term Scholars

  • Maintain Your Program Objective.
    Your Form DS-2019 and J-1 visa were issued based on a specific academic objective agreed upon between you and your host department at Marquette University. This program objective cannot change during your J-1 status.
  • Occasional lectures and consultations may be performed at other institutions if the topic or activity is within your program objective and with advance permission from OIE.
    Approved lectures and consultations may include paid honoraria or travel expenses.
  • Keep your documents valid and up to date. Do not let them expire.
    This includes your passport and Form DS-2019. If any of your documents will expire while you are in the U.S., or if you wish to extend your stay at Marquette, contact a Responsible Officer at OIE as early as possible. Extensions must be completed prior to the end date on your Form DS-2019.
  • Report Change of Address and Contact Information.
    You are required to report your local residence address, phone, and email to OIE so that the SEVIS database is updated and accurate. Any change of address or other contact information must be reported to OIE within 10 days.
  • Check Your Visa Documents Before Travel Outside the U.S.

    Before departing from the U.S. for a temporary absence of 30 days or less, make sure that you and your dependents have a valid Travel signature on your Forms DS-2019. This signature, along with a valid passport and J visa, will allow reentery to the U.S. during your program. (Dependents with these documents can reenter the U.S. with or without the J-1 visa holder.)                 

    To obtain a travel signature, J-1 visa holders should complete the J-1 Travel Form linked below and bring it to OIE with their current Form DS-2019 and passport at least two weeks before they plan to leave the U.S. Appointments are not needed.                         

    Travel for more than 30 days generally results in the ending of the visitor’s exchange program unless the the “J-1 Scholar/Researcher Out of Country Work Request” form is properly completed and approved in advance.  This permission/form requires that the following conditions are met:     

    •   The purpose of the trip abroad is to continue the activity of the exchange visitor’s program
    • The exchange visitor will continue to be supervised by their MU host during their absence
    • The exchange visitor will maintain their health insurance while away
    • Any J-2 dependents will depart the U.S. with the J-1 exchange visitor
    • J-1 Travel Form
  • Maintain Your Health Insurance.
    Students, Scholars and all accompanying family members with J-2 status are required to maintain health insurance during their entire stay in the U.S. Failure to maintain insurance can result in the termination of your exchange program.
  • Notify OIE of Early Departure or Transfer.
    If you will complete your program and return home before the end date on your Form DS-2019, you must notify a Responsible Officer at OIE and your host department of your intended departure date. If you are planning to transfer to another institution, please contact a Responsible Officer at OIE in advance to initiate the transfer process.
  • Notify OIE of J-2 Family Member Departures.
    Scholars must notify a Responsible Officer at OIE if a dependent with J-2 status will return home permanently before the end of the Scholars exchange program. Temporary travel does not need to be reported, but a travel signature should be requested.

Regulatory Information for J-1 Interns

  • Maintain Your Program Objective
    Your Form DS-2019 and J-1 visa were issued based on a specific academic objective agreed upon between you and your host department at Marquette University. This program objective cannot change during your J-1 status.
  • You must be engaged full-time (at least 32 hours per week) in the internship at Marquette University.
  • The internship activities must not duplicate your prior experience.
  • You must return to your academic program and obtain a degree from the home institution after completion of the student internship program.
  • Your internship cannot be authorized for more than 12 months for each degree/major.
  • Your Marquette faculty host must submit the required evaluation of your performance at the conclusion of the internship. Internships lasting more than six months require a mid-point evaluation.
  • Keep your documents valid and up to date.
    Do not let them expire. This includes your passport and Form DS-2019. If any of your documents will expire while you are in the U.S., or if you wish to extend your stay at Marquette, contact a Responsible Officer at OIE as early as possible. Extensions must be completed prior to the end date on your Form DS-2019.
  • Report Change of Address and Contact Information.
    You are required to report your local residence address, phone, and email to OIE so that the SEVIS database is updated and accurate. Any change of address or other contact information must be reported to OIE within 10 days.
  • Check Your Visa Documents Before Travel Outside the U.S.

    Before departing from the U.S. for a temporary absence of 30 days or less, make sure that you and your dependents have a valid Travel signature on your Forms DS-2019. This signature, along with a valid passport and J visa, will allow reentery to the U.S. during your program. (Dependents with these documents can reenter the U.S. with or without the J-1 visa holder.)                 

    To obtain a travel signature, J-1 visa holders should complete the J-1 Travel Form linked below and bring it to OIE with their current Form DS-2019 and passport at least two weeks before they plan to leave the U.S. Appointments are not needed.     

    Travel for more than 30 days generally results in the end of the visitor’s exchange program unless the the “J-1 Scholar/Researcher Out of Country Work Request” form is properly completed and approved in advance. This permission/form, which should be requested from OIE at least one month before departure, requires that the following conditions are met:   

    • The purpose of the trip abroad is to continue the activity of the exchange visitor’s program
    • The exchange visitor will continue to be supervised by their MU host during their absence
    •  
      The exchange visitor will maintain their health insurance while away
    • Any J-2 dependents will depart the U.S. with the J-1 exchange visitor
  • Maintain Your Health Insurance.
    Students, Scholars and all accompanying family members with J-2 status are required to maintain health insurance during their entire stay in the U.S. Failure to maintain insurance can result in the termination of your exchange program.
  • Notify OIE of Early Departure or Transfer.
    If you will complete your program and return home before the end date on your Form DS-2019, you must notify a Responsible Officer at OIE and your host department of your intended departure date. If you are planning to transfer to another institution, please contact a Responsible Officer at OIE in advance to initiate the transfer process
  • Notify OIE of J-2 Family Member Departures.
    Scholars must notify a Responsible Officer at OIE if a dependent with J-2 status will return home permanently before the end of the Scholars exchange program. Temporary travel does not need to be reported, but a travel signature should be requested.

Regulatory Information for J-1 Students

Regulatory Information for J-1 Students whose DS-2019 was issued by Marquette University. (J-1 Students enrolled at Marquette with a Form DS-2019 issued by another institution should contact the Responsible Officer who issued their Form DS-2019 for guidance and assistance with their status.)

  • Maintain Your Program Objective
    Your Form DS-2019 and J-1 visa were issued based on a specific academic objective: full time studies for a specific period of time at Marquette University. This program objective cannot change during your J-1 status.
  • Keep your documents valid and up to date.
    Do not let them expire. This includes your passport and Form DS-2019. If any of your documents will expire while you are in the U.S., or if you wish to extend your stay at Marquette, contact a Responsible Officer at OIE as early as possible. Extensions must be completed prior to the end date on your Form DS-2019.
  • Report Change of Address and Contact Information.
    You are required to report your local residence address, phone, and email to OIE so that the SEVIS database is updated and accurate. Any change of address or other contact information must be reported to OIE within 10 days.
  • Check Your Visa Documents Before Travel Outside the U.S.
    Before departing from the U.S. for a temporary absence, make sure that you and your dependents have a valid Travel Endorsement signature on your Form DS-2019.

    To obtain a travel signature, J-1 visa holders should complete the form linked below and bring it to OIE with their current Form DS-2019 and passport one to two weeks before they plan to leave the U.S. An appointment is not needed.

    Dependents of J-1 visa holders can travel with the J-1 visa holder or separately and should obtain an endorsement (signature) from a Marquette Responsible Office (RO) on the DS-2019 prior to departing the U.S. The RO signature indicates that the principal J-1 visa holder continues to be in legal J-1 status. An appointment is not needed. The form has been attached to the email message with these edits.

    J-1 Students, Scholars, and dependents needing a visa to visit or transit through another country should research the requirements of that country in advance of their travel and make all necessary arrangements to meet the requirements of that country’s government.
  • Maintain Your Health Insurance.
    Students, Scholars and all accompanying family members with J-2 status are required to maintain health insurance during their entire stay in the U.S. Failure to maintain insurance can result in the termination of your exchange program.
  • Notify OIE of Early Departure or Transfer.
    If you will complete your program and return home before the end date on your Form DS-2019, you must notify a Responsible Officer at OIE and your host department of your intended departure date. If you are planning to transfer to another institution, please contact a Responsible Officer at OIE in advance to initiate the transfer process.
  • Notify OIE of J-2 Family Member Departures.
    Scholars must notify a Responsible Officer at OIE if a dependent with J-2 status will return home permanently before the end of the Scholars exchange program. Temporary travel does not need to be reported, but a travel signature should be requested.

Employment for J-1 Students

J-1 regulations allow students to work part-time (up to 20 hours) during the academic term at approved on-campus jobs, and more than 20 hours during holidays, vacations, and university breaks. J-1 regulations also allow students to work at off-campus locations under specific conditions. Prior, written approval is required before a J-1 Student can begin employment.

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Learn how to obtain on campus employment

Marquette J-1 students must be authorized to work on the Marquette campus before employment can begin. In general, jobs which are considered to be "on-campus employment" are paid from Marquette University funds and performed on Marquette University property. Employment is limited to 20 hours per week when school is in session and may be full-time during school vacations.

How to Obtain On-Campus Employment

  1. Begin by logging in to the student employment database called JobX using your CheckMarq username and password.
  2. After you have received an offer of employment from a campus employer, visit the Office of International Education (OIE) to request authorization for On-Campus Employment for J-1 Student. Bring your:
    The OIE assistant will return your passport and Form DS-2019 to you immediately but will keep the JobX Placement form. You will be given a time to return to OIE to pick up your confirmation letter and JobX Placement form. (This will likely be 4 to 5 business days later.) Students are not emailed or called to return and collect the documents.
  3. Apply for a Social Security number from the Social Security Administration office in downtown Milwaukee, if you do not already have a number.
  4. On your first day of work, complete the Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Form.
    • Visit MU Central (Zilber Hall) to complete the I-9 form and hiring process. Bring the confirmation letter you received from OIE as well as the JobX Placement form.
  5. If this is your first on-campus job, you must contact the MU Payroll Dept. within three (3) days of your first day of work. Send an email with your first and last name and your MUID to robert.krenzke@marquette.edu. Send this email from your MU email address.
    • Upon receiving your email, the Payroll Dept. will set up an account for you in the Glacier Online Tax Compliance System. Once this is done, you will receive an email from support@online-tax.net containing your assigned username and password with a link to the system (when you access the system for the first time, you may change your password if desired). Glacier will analyze your status, length of stay and home country to pinpoint any income tax treaty benefits available for you. You must complete the information requested in Glacier as part of your hiring process regardless of whether you believe treaty benefits are available.
    • This tax compliance process will ask you for your Social Security number. If you do not have a Social Security number when you begin this process, you will need to go back to the portal and add your number as soon as you have received it.
    • Once you have completed the process (including your Social Security number), Glacier generates a final summary page explaining which documents you must print from the system and which of your personal documents you should copy.
    • Present the summary page, the documents you have printed and the copies of your personal documents (in-person) to the MU Payroll Office. Please bring your original passport, Form DS-2019, I-94 Verification and Social Security card as well as the copies you have made when you visit the Payroll Dept., which is located in Straz Tower, Suite 175, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
    Please direct questions about Glacier access to one of the following in the MU Payroll Dept.: Bob Krenzke, 414-288-5136 or Michelle Evert Cook, (414) 288-7484.

Learn how to obtain Academic Training

Academic training is the name the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program uses for employment, training or practical experience related to a J-1 visa holder’s field of study. It is flexible and offers a variety of paid and unpaid, full-time or part-time, training or employment situations, with one or more employers, to supplement a J-1 Student’s academic program in the U.S.

Academic training is available at any stage of the J-1 Student’s academic program, either while they are enrolled in school or after the J-1 Student completes their academic program, as long as they maintain valid J-1 status, follow the appropriate application and approval procedures, and stay within the stated time limits.

If you are considering academic training, your authorization must be processed before your official academic program completion date on your DS-2019. In addition, the academic training/employment must begin within the first 30 days after the official academic program completion date.

The J-1 Regulations state: “A student may participate in academic training programs during his or her studies, without wages or other remuneration, with the approval of the academic dean or advisor and the Exchange Visitor Program Responsible Officer (RO or ARO). A student may be authorized to participate in academic training for wages or other remuneration during his or her studies or commencing not later than thirty (30) days after completion of his or her studies.” (Source: 22CFR. § 62.23(f)(2)). The ARO referred to in this regulation is one of the Responsible Officers at OIE.


Eligibility Criteria

You are eligible for academic training if all of the following criteria are met:

  • You are in the U.S. primarily for study in a full-time academic program.
  • You are in good academic standing at your educational institution.
  • You apply and are approved for Academic Training before the completion of your academic program.
  • You are participating in academic training that is directly related to your major field of study.
  • Your employment/training must take place with the specific employer or employers who are noted on the academic training authorization letter.
  • You receive an authorization letter, in advance, for the duration and type of academic training, from a responsible officer or alternate responsible officer at Marquette’s Office of International Education. This authorization must be processed before the end date on the Form DS-2019.
  • You have a valid Form DS-2019 that enables you to remain in the U.S. in J-1 student status. You must apply for extensions as needed and in a timely manner.

How to Apply for Academic Training

  1. Formal offer of employment, written on official stationery (letterhead) from your potential academic training employer. The job offer letter from your employer must include:
    • Your job title
    • A brief description of the goals and objectives of your training or employment
    • Dates and location of training or employment
    • Number of hours per week, salary and benefits
    • Name and title of your training supervisor
  2. Letter of recommendation from your Marquette academic advisor or College Dean recommending this academic training. You will need to provide him/her with a copy of your employment offer letter. The recommendation letter from your academic advisor or dean must include:
    • The goals and objectives of the specific training program
    • A description of the training program, including all the information listed above
    • How the training relates to your major field of study
    • Why this employment is an integral or critical part of your academic program
    • The length of time necessary to complete the goals and objectives of the academic training
    Exchange Students must also submit a letter or email messaging confirming that your home university supports the academic training/has no objection to your undertaking academic training.
  3. Complete the Academic Training Request Form for J-1 Students and request an appointment with a Responsible Officer at OIE. at least 2 weeks before you plan to begin the academic training experience. Be sure to bring all documentation to OIE for your appointment.
  4. Once you have schedule your appointment, bring the following documents to OIE:
    • Completed Academic Training Request Form for J-1 Students
    • Employment offer letter
    • Letter of recommendation from your academic advisor or College dean
    • Letter/email from your home university supporting participation (Exchange students only)
    • Copies of your current and all previous Forms DS-2019
    • A copy of your passport biographical data page and visa page
    • A copy of paper or print-out of electronic Form I-94
    • Proof of funding to show how you will support yourself during your academic training
  5. To maintain your J-1 status, you must have J-1 insurance coverage during your Academic Training (AT) period. During your AT appointment you will be told the cost for your continued health insurance as well as how to pay the cost. Your AT cannot be authorized until OIE receives confirmation of your payment.
  6. If your proposed AT meets the regulations and OIE receives proof of your health insurance extension payment in a timely manner, an OIE Responsible Officer will approve your AT. The ARO will issue a new Form DS-2019 authorizing the academic training for the duration you requested. Your employer will be listed on the academic training authorization letter accompanying the new Form DS-2019.
  7. You must maintain your J-1 status during all periods of Academic Training.

Social Security Numbers

Social Security numbers are necessary for students who will be employed in the United States. It is a registration number issued by a government agency (called the Social Security Administration) and it is used for tax purposes.


← Resources for J-1 Exchange Visitors