J-1 Scholars & Student Interns

The first thing you must do after arriving in the United States is contact your department in order to obtain your New School ID number if you do not already have it. Once you obtain your New School ID number, contact ISSS so that your record can be updated and you can complete the Check-In Form. 

It is crucial that you follow these steps so that we can activate your SEVIS record. To check in, you must complete and submit the online Check-In Form, found under J-1 Scholar Services at iGlobal. You must check in within 30 days of the DS-2019 start date. Check-in is mandatory, as the information is required to validate your SEVIS record. You can complete the check-in form only after entering the United States.

If your I-94 record contains incorrect information or has not been properly updated, you can correct the information by contacting the Deferred Inspection site. If you have questions or problems correcting your I-94 record, please contact an ISSS advisor.

If you are having difficulty retrieving your I-94 admission record:

• Try entering different variations of your name in the First and Last Name sections.
• Try inverting the day and month in your birth date (e.g., 9/7/2000 or September 7, 2000 would become 7/9/2000 or July 9, 2000).
• Try entering an old passport number

If you do not complete this online check-in form, you will be in violation of your immigration status, so please complete it as soon as you arrive. If you need assistance with the form, please come to our office or email [email protected].

If you wish to have your DS-2019 extended, please contact [email protected] to ensure that you are eligible for an extension. Your department will need to fill out a new Request for Form DS-2019 after ISSS confirms that you are eligible. The department will then send the Request for Form DS-2019, along with an updated invitation letter, to ISSS.

You will need to provide updated financial documentation showing that you have sufficient funds to cover the extension. You will also need to extend your health insurance coverage. If you are a student intern, you will also need to provide an updated T/IPP form and school certification form for the extension. You must complete these steps before the current end date of the DS-2019.

Please note: This process extends the DS-2019, not the J-1 entry visa in the passport. If a visiting scholar is traveling outside of the country after the DS-2019 has been extended and the J-1 visa in his or her passport expires, the visiting scholar will need to renew his or her J-1 visa at a U.S. consulate or embassy abroad before returning to the United States.

If you are planning to leave more than two weeks before the end date of your DS-2019, you should contact your department first to confirm that you can leave the program early. ISSS will need confirmation from you and your department in order to shorten the DS-2019. Once the DS-2019 has been shortened, ISSS will provide you with an updated DS-2019 for your records showing the new end date.

If you have been offered a position at another institution in the United States and would like to have your J-1 immigration record transferred to that institution, please email [email protected] or call 212.229.5592 to set up an appointment with an advisor to discuss transfer-out procedures. You must do this before the current end date of the DS-2019.

If you wish to change your teaching position or research assignment, you must inform ISSS before making the change. Depending on the change you are making, you may need a new DS-2019.

J-1 research scholars, professors, and short-term scholars may receive authorization from ISSS for occasional lectures and short-term consultations. There are limited options for outside employment for J-1 student interns.

These lectures and consultations must:

• Be directly related to the objectives and field of study of the J-1 program
• Be incidental to the primary program activities
• Not delay the completion of the J-1 program
• Be reported to ISSS and documented in SEVIS in advance

J-1 professors and scholars planning to offer a lecture or consultation must:

• Be in good standing
• Be engaged in the program objectives of J-1 status as stated on the DS-2019
• Receive authorization for the lecture or consultation from ISSS before the date of the lecture or consultation, to be renewed as needed

Before beginning employment, a visiting scholar should request authorization and submit the following items to [email protected].

Information from the Institution or Company at Which You Will Lecture or for Which You Will Consult

An invitation letter or email, preferably on letterhead, including the name of the supervisor; a description of the lecture or consultation; the duration, date, and number of hours of the lecture or consultation; the field or subject of the lecture or consultation; and the amount of compensation to be received

Information from Your New School Department or College

A letter from the department or college acknowledging the invitation and approving the activity, including the signature of the department chair or chair's designee

Please inform [email protected] of your date of departure. Visiting scholars do not need to do anything else before leaving. For student interns, at the end of the program, a J-1 Student Intern Evaluation must be completed by both the faculty or staff supervising the student and the student intern and submitted to ISSS.

The Center for English Language Studies conducts English language proficiency assessment for J-1 scholars.

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