J-1 Student Visa

The J-1 student visa is a nonimmigrant status primarily for students who are coming as exchange visitors.

If you receive a DS-2019 from the University of Cincinnati, you should apply for a J-1 visa.

  • Apply for a visa
  • Maintain my visa status (enroll in full-time coursework, apply for travel authorization, work legally, change degree level or program, meet health insurance requirements, report address changes, report transfers and departures)
  • Leave the United States on time (grace period, program extensions, graduation and options after graduation, J-1 home residency requirement)

Apply for a Visa

After you apply to the University of Cincinnati, you will go through a multi-step process in order to get your student visa.

Learn how to apply for a visa

Maintain your visa status

As an international student, you need to pay attention to all the US laws and regulations that apply to you. If you do not, you could be deported and barred from returning for some time. We want you to successfully complete your program at UC.

International students are required by federal regulations to be enrolled full-time each semester.

  • For undergraduate students, this means 12 credit hours
  • For graduate students, it means 10 credit hours

You are allowed to enroll for online distance education courses. However, there is limit to how many credit hours you can use of online courses to fulfill your full-time enrollment requirement.

  • International students may count only the equivalent of one class or three credits per semester toward the full course of study requirement. 
  • You are not limited in the number of online distance education courses you can take. You are only limited in the number of credit hours you can count toward fulfilling the full-time enrollment requirement. 

For example, if you are an undergraduate student, you would need to be enrolled for at least 9 credit hours of traditional courses. You could then use one class (or three credit hours) of online distance education courses to reach the full-time enrollment threshold and, if desired, enroll for more online classes to increase your overall credit hours.

If you want to travel outside the U.S., you need a travel signature from UC International Services on your Form I-20 (F-1 students) or DS-2019 (J-1 exchange visitors). Complete and submit a Travel Signature Request eForm on iBearcatsGlobal at least 5 days prior to the anticipated travel date. We encourage you to submit the eForm as soon as you know your travel plans.

Travelling domestically inside the United States does not require a travel signature. However, make sure you are using your passport OR a photo ID issued by the state in which you reside to board a plane.

  • You will need to make sure that the ID is what is termed as a REAL ID. REAL ID-compliant licenses and IDs are marked with a star on the upper portion of the card. 
  • If you have questions about whether your state license or ID is acceptable, check with the state where your ID was issued. 
  • Even if you have a REAL ID, you should still carry your actual passport, valid F or J visa, I-20 or DS-2019 and I-94 with you when traveling inside the U.S.

After every trip outside the United States, you must check your Form I-94 to make sure that CBP has correctly recorded your admission and Admit Until Date. Under visa regulations, your period of admission will be based on your authorized program period (end date on I-20 or DS-2019 form) and will include the applicable 30-day departure period. Do not assume that your I-94 will automatically match the expiration date on your I-20 or DS-2019.

After you return to the United States, go to the CBP I-94 website and download your most recent Form I-94. Carefully review the “Admit Until Date” and contact UC International Services immediately if you believe the information is incorrect. You must also upload a copy of your most recent Form I-94 to UC International Services by submitting the Update Immigration/Visa Documents eform in iBearcatsGlobal.

Students may work on campus no more than 20 hours per week while school is in session.

  • These 20 hours include the work you do for your assistantship if you have one. 
  • You are not permitted to work off-campus without receiving prior authorization from the US Federal Government and/or UC International Services.

If you are interested in working in the United States, refer to our webpage outlining employment options for students.

Under F-1 visa regulations, you may continue authorized on-campus employment for up to 240 days while USCIS is processing your Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, provided you timely file the application.

  • To qualify for the automatic extension of employment authorization, USCIS must receive your Form I-539 before the program end date listed on your Form I-20. 
  • If you file your I-539 during the 30-day or 60-day grace period after your program end date, you may remain in the United States while the application is pending, but you may not continue working until USCIS approves the application.

All international students are required to carry the University of Cincinnati Student Health Insurance policy unless they can prove coverage equal to or greater than the University policy. If you are not registered for at least 6 credit hours or more, you will not be eligible for the University Student Health Insurance policy.

However, you must have insurance while in the United States.

Learn more about health insurance

If you are an F-1 student, you must file your change of address with the University within 10 days of moving. This includes address changes of any of your dependents as well.

You can notify the university of this change by completing the Change of Local U.S. Address eForm on iBearcatsGlobal and by updating your personal information in Catalyst.

If you leave the University before the program completion date on your I-20 or DS-2019, you are required to inform UC International Services that you are leaving and why you are doing so. Use the Departure Certification eForm on iBearcatsGlobal to notify us.

Some common reasons include early graduation, leave of absence, suspension, expulsion, or family emergencies. 

You are currently authorized to study or conduct research at the University of Cincinnati. Under F-1 visa regulations, you face restrictions on transferring to another SEVP-certified school. These restrictions must be carefully considered before deciding to transfer:

  • Undergraduate students generally may not transfer to another SEVP-certified school during their first academic year unless SEVP authorizes an exception based on extenuating circumstances.
  • Graduate-level students generally may not transfer to another SEVP-certified school before completing the educational objective for which they were admitted.

After completing a degree: Beginning September 15, 2026, students who complete a degree program may not pursue another degree at the same or a lower educational level in F-1 status. A student may pursue a program at a higher educational level, subject to the applicable F-1 requirements.

If you decide to study or work at another school in the US, you must notify UC International of your intent to transfer and what school you plan on transferring to.

Complete a SEVIS Transfer Out eForm Request in iBearcatsGlobal. UC International will then enter a "Release" date in SEVIS. After this date is reached, the new school can issue you a SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019. You will then have to report to the Designated School Official/Responsible Officer at the new school within 15 days of the program start date.

Length of Stay

The expiration date on your visa is not the date that you need to leave by; it is the last date in which you can enter the US in general.

  • Non-degree J-1 students have a maximum stay of (2) two years.
  • Degree-seeking J-1 Students do not have a maximum stay limitation. You may extend for as long as necessary to complete the program of study provided you are studying full time and making good academic progress.

Your authorized period of stay is determined by your Form I-94 and, for J-1 students, your Form DS-2019 and applicable immigration rules. Beginning September 15, 2026, federal regulations will change how J-1 students are admitted and how they extend their period of stay.

J-1 Students Who Are Already in the United States on September 15, 2026

J-1 students who are maintaining status and are present in the United States on September 15, 2026, will generally remain under the existing Duration of Status (D/S) system during the transition, provided they do not travel and reenter the U.S.

These students:

  • Will continue to see D/S on their Form I-94.
  • Will retain the existing 30-day grace period following completion of their program or authorized academic training.
  • Will not immediately need to obtain a date-specific Form I-94 simply because the new regulations take effect.
  • May, however, become subject to the new Extension of Stay requirements if they need to remain in the United States beyond the period permitted under the transition provisions.

Fixed Period of Admission

DHS is replacing Duration of Status (D/S) with a fixed period of admission called the Admit Until Date (AUD). The AUD will appear on the student's Form I-94 and will generally be based on the earlier of:

  • the program end date listed on the Form DS-2019; or
  • four years from the student's admission to the United States.

Students should therefore make a habit of checking their Form I-94 after every entry to the United States. The Form I-94 is the document that establishes the student's authorized period of admission.

Under previous rules, a J-1 student could generally request additional time to complete their academic program from UC International Services. UC International Services could extend the student's SEVIS record and issue an updated Form DS-2019 without the student filing an Extension of Stay with USCIS.

Now, an updated Form DS-2019 alone may no longer be sufficient to extend the student's authorized period of stay in the United States. If your academic program or authorized practical training will continue beyond the expiration of your Form I-94, you must either:

  1. File an Extension of Stay (Form I-539) with USCIS, or
  2. Depart the United States and seek readmission with an appropriately extended Form I-20.

Before pursuing either option, you must obtain an updated Form DS-2019 from UC International Services.

An extension of the program end date on the Form DS-2019 and an extension of your authorized period of stay in the United States are not necessarily the same thing.

  • UC International Services is responsible for determining whether your academic program may be extended and, when appropriate, issuing an updated Form DS-2019. 
  • USCIS determines whether your period of authorized stay may be extended when an Extension of Stay application is required.

Do not wait until your current authorized period of stay is about to expire. The process should begin well in advance so you have sufficient time to:

  • Determine whether an Extension of Stay is required.
  • Meet with an academic advisor.
  • Document the academic reason for needing additional time.
  • Obtain financial documentation.
  • Request an updated Form DS-2019 from UC International Services.
  • Prepare and file Form I-539 with USCIS, when required.

You may begin the extension process up to six months before your current authorized period of admission expires.

Before UC International Services can issue an updated Form DS-2019, you must demonstrate why additional time is needed to complete the academic program.

Academic Advisor Documentation

Your academic advisor or academic department should provide documentation addressing:

  • Your current academic program and major.
  • The expected new program completion date.
  • The academic requirements that remain outstanding.
  • The specific reason additional time is needed.
  • Your academic progress.
  • A proposed timeline for completing the remaining requirements.
  • Confirmation that you are expected to complete the program by the requested new end date.

The explanation should be specific and factual. Simply stating that the student "needs more time" is generally not sufficient.

Acceptable Reasons for Additional Time

The new regulations recognize circumstances that may justify additional time, including certain:

  • Compelling academic circumstances.
  • Documented medical circumstances.
  • Circumstances beyond the student's control.

Examples of academic circumstances may include:

  • A change in major
  • Unexpected research problems
  • A change in faculty advisor
  • The need to refine a research topic
  • Delays in research funding
  • Other unexpected academic circumstances

An extension should not be based simply on your inability or unwillingness to complete the program within the expected period. The regulations specifically identify academic probation or suspension and repeated inability or unwillingness to complete the program as circumstances that do not support an extension.

Financial Documentation

Students requesting additional time should also be prepared to demonstrate that they have sufficient financial resources to support themselves during the additional period requested. Examples of financial documentation may include:

  • Recent personal bank statements.
  • Scholarship or assistantship documentation.
  • An affidavit of financial support from a sponsor, together with supporting bank statements.
  • Official government scholarship or sponsorship documentation.

If you want to extend your stay in the US, you must do so prior to the expiration of your DS-2019. If you stay longer than authorized, you may be barred from returning or deported from the United States.

You may apply to extend your stay if: 

  • You were lawfully admitted into the United States with a nonimmigrant visa 
  • Your nonimmigrant visa status remains valid 
  • You have not committed any crimes that make you ineligible for a visa
  • You have not violated the conditions of your admission
  • Your passport is valid and will remain valid for the duration of your stay

Once you have gathered the necessary academic and financial documentation, submit an Extension of Program eForm through iBearcatsGlobal. UC International Services will review the request and, if you qualify for an academic program extension, update your SEVIS record and issue a new Form DS-2019 reflecting the revised program end date.

Additional instructions regarding the USCIS Extension of Stay process will be provided with the approval of the DS-2019 Extension of Program request.

When an Extension of Stay is required, you must submit Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, to USCIS.

Understand that:

  • The Form DS-2019 does not itself extend your authorized period of stay.
  • USCIS must receive the Extension of Stay application within the applicable filing period.
  • You should retain the USCIS receipt and approval notices.
  • An approved Extension of Stay should be documented permanently.
  • You should provide UC International Services with a copy of your USCIS approval notice (Form I-797).

Maintaining J-1 status and maintaining an unexpired period of admission are related but distinct requirements. You must continue to comply with J-1 requirements while also ensuring that you do not remain in the United States beyond your authorized period of admission.

Your Form I-94 is critical to determining how long you are authorized to remain in the United States. Check your I-94 every time you enter the United States.

You can obtain your I-94 from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection I-94 website. Students should provide UC International Services with a copy of their I-94 after each international trip and upload the document through the Update Immigration/Visa Documents eForm in iBearcatsGlobal. Students should also retain copies of all Extension of Stay approvals and related immigration documentation.

Options after completing your program

As you approach the end of your program of study, you can:

  • Apply for Academic Training work authorization. You must apply before your program completion date. 
  • Apply for a change of status if you are not subject to the two-year home residency requirement. The application must be received before the end of your grace period.
  • Transfer to a new program. You will need to have your transfer approved by UC International before the end of your grace period.
  • Start a new program of study at UC. You must be fully admitted, and apply for and receive a new I-20 before the end of the grace period. Updated financial documentation will be required.
  • Leave the United States before the end of the grace period.

There are deadlines to apply for graduation as well as the commencement ceremony.

The application and deadlines to graduate are available through the Registrar office.

You will select to participate in the commencement ceremony as part of completing and submitting your online graduation application. Students are expected to participate in the commencement ceremony that takes place in the same term in which you academically graduate. Details about this ceremony, including where to buy a cap and gown, ordering a diploma, to finding hotels for guests, are available on the Commencement website.

As an exchange visitor, you may not be eligible to apply for or change to other visa statuses in the US until you have resided and been physically present in your country of nationality or last legal permanent residence for a minimum of two years following your departure from the United States.

These restrictions apply in any of the following cases:

  • When your participation was financed in whole or part, directly or indirectly, by an agency of the US government or by the government of your home country.
  • You had skills necessary to your country under the Exchange Visitor Skills List when you applied for your J visa.
  • You acquired exchange visitor status in order to receive graduate medical education or training.

Waive the Home Residency Requirement

Exchange visitors who are subject to the home residency requirement may apply for a waiver under any one of the five applicable grounds:

  1. "No Objection" statement from the home government
  2. Request by an interested (US) Government Agency
  3. Persecution
  4. Exceptional hardship to a United States citizen (or permanent resident) spouse or child of an exchange visitor
  5. Request by a designated State Department of Health or its equivalent
Request a waiver