Form & Document Definitions
DS-2019: Certificate of Eligibility for J-1 Visa
Your DS-2019 is a Department of State form that has the following purposes:
- Facilitates the entry of a new participant of the exchange visitor program.
- Extends the stay of an exchange visitor.
- Facilitates program transfers.
- Replaces a lost or stolen DS-2019 form.
- Facilitates entry of an exchange visitor’s alien spouse or minor unmarried children into the United States separately.
- Facilitates re-entry of an exchange visitor who is traveling outside the United States during the program.
- Facilitates a change of category when permitted by the Department of State.
- Updates information when there are significant changes take place in regard to the exchange visitor’s program, such as a substantial change in funding, or in the location where the program will take place.
I-94: Arrival-Departure Record
The I-94 is the small white card in your passport on which the visa classification and the expiration date of your authorized stay is written when you enter the U.S. All Exchange Visitors should have J-1 written as the visa classification. D/S means the period during which you pursue your stated program plus 30 days in which to depart the country. If you lose your I-94 card you must complete an application form I-102 which can be obtained from UC International Services or the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). A fee of $330.00 must be submitted with the application. After details of your entry are verified, a new I-94 will be mailed to you.
Passport
A passport is your country’s identification of you as a citizen. Your passport must remain valid at all times. It is not allowed to expire. You may renew it by contacting your Embassy/Consulate within the U.S.
Visa: Stamped Page in Passport
A visa normally is a stamp placed in your passport by an official of the United States (or the country you are entering). A way to differentiate between a passport and a visa is to remember that the passport is your proof of citizenship, while the visa is the other country granting you admission.The date of the visa on the stamped page is only to be renewed if you are going to leave the United States and return after it has been expired. Keep in mind, a visa only admits you to the United States. Having a valid visa does not mean you are in proper immigration status.