Scholars are responsible for following the expectations established by the U.S. government
for eligibility to remain in good standing. Below are a quick-reference list of some
of the responsibilities.
Report change of address, U.S. phone number, and email address to jscholar@CalLutheran.edu within 10 days of any change. Write in the email subject title “J-1 visiting scholar:
Report change of _________.”
Your legal J-1 visa/immigration status is only valid as long as you are maintaining
your appointment with Cal Lutheran and are engaging in your specific activities as
noted on your invitation letter and your Form DS-2019.
J-1 Exchange Visitors are only allowed to receive payment as specifically noted on
the Form DS-2019 unless given prior written authorization from the J Exchange Visitor
program sponsor. Employment authorization from OISS is required for any activity taking
place outside of the hosting CLU sponsoring department. Please contact OISS at jscholar@CalLutheran.edu if you plan to be employed by/receive payment from another CLU department and/or
organization outside of CLU.
Maintain a valid passport at all times with expiration no shorter than six months.
Contact your home country's embassy or consulate should your passport require renewal.
If you need to extend your DS-2019, please contact your sponsoring department and
follow the instructions from the DS-2019 page. Please note that you must receive your
extended Form DS-2019 prior to the end date of your current DS-2019 to ensure a continuation
of your legal J-1 visa/immigration status and to avoid accruing unlawful presence.
Connect with OISS if you have any questions: jscholar@CalLutheran.edu.
The travel signature is valid for one (1) year from the date of signature on your
DS-2019 for all Visiting Scholars except Short-term Scholars. It is noted on the bottom
right corner of Page 1 of the DS-2019. The travel signature should accommodate multiple
trips within the 1 year. For J-1 Short-term Scholars, travel signatures are valid for six (6) months or until the end of program, whichever is sooner.
The Department of Homeland Security allows Exchange Visitors an additional period
of 30 days following the end date of theirorm DS-2019 to prepare for departure. Visit
the J-1 Program Completion page for additional instructions.
J-1 Visiting Scholars must inform both the sponsoring department and the OISS at jscholar@CalLutheran.edu if they will be ending their program more than 15 days before the end date of the
Form DS-2019.
You, and your J-2 dependents, must maintain health insurance coverage that meets J-1
federal guidelines for the entire length of your program. For resources and requirements,
please see the Visiting Scholar's Pre-Arrival page.
J-1 Visiting Scholars are required to file a U.S. income tax return each year if they
have U.S. income. Even if you had no US-sourced income, you still need to file a Form
8843. This is also known as ‘Statement for Exempt Individuals with a Medical Condition’.
For more information, please visit the OISS Finances page.
If you travel outside the United States during your J-1 Program (after your initial
entry), you will need the following for your re-entry to the U.S.A:
Valid Passport
Valid J-1 Visa *
Valid DS-2019 Form with a Travel Signature (endorsed within the last 12 months or
6 months for short-term scholars) **
Proof of Financial Support
(*)If you need to renew your J-1 visa and plan to renew it at the U.S. embassy other
than in your home country, we recommend that you contact the U.S. embassy first and get confirmation
that your visa renewal application will be accepted. We advise you not to attempt any travel outside
the United States to renew a visa (except to renew the visa in your home country) without checking with
the OISS to ensure that all necessary arrangements have been made.
(**)J-2 dependent(s) must carry their own DS-2019 Form(s) with valid Travel Signature(s).
Please note that processing time varies but OISS staff typically require5-7 business daysfor request turn-around. Be sure to email OISS atjscholar@CalLutheran.edu regarding your reason and date of travel ahead of time to have your signed CLU DS-2019
prepared for a worry-free reentry!
See the OISS J-1 Exchange Visitor categories page for information about the length
of time that applies to your J-1 Visiting Scholar category. A J-1 program must be
continuous. Therefore, a request to extend your current J-1 program must be madebefore your current program expires.
If you require an extension of your current program, follow these steps at leasttwo (2) monthsbefore the expiration:
Discuss the possibility of extending with your CLU sponsoring department.
If in agreement, your sponsoring department will submit a new intent to petition a
visiting scholar request form and seek final approval from the Provost’s office.
You and your sponsoring department will follow the instructions from the Obtaining
a DS-2029 for J-1 visiting scholar page.
J-1 Exchange Visitors are allowed an additional30-day grace periodto prepare for their departure from the U.S.During this 30-day grace period, employment or study is not allowed.Upon your departure from the U.S. within these 30 days, the J Visa status automatically expires. You will
not be able to re- enter the country to reclaim the rest of your grace period time even if you leave
prior to the 30-days. This includes departure via land borders (e.g., Mexico or Canada).
If you plan to leaveearlier than 15 days prior to the expiration date on your DS-2019, please send an email tojscholar@CalLutheran.eduand your sponsoring department to report your last day at CLU. OISS will shorten your
DS-2019 to reflect your early departure.The 30-day grace period will start from the revised end date.
If you are leaving after the program end date on the DS-2019 orfewer than 30 days prior to the expiration, there are no formal check-out procedures with OISS. However, we welcome feedback
about your J-1 experience at Cal Lutheran. Additionally, if you have any questions or concerns regarding your program or future
plans with CLU, feel free to make an exit appointment or send an email message to
jscholar@CalLutheran.edu.
