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WDRS > International Services > Visa Office > J-1 Visa Status

Students, Trainees and Interns
Guest Scientists and Engineers, Visiting Scientists, and Research Scholars
Short-Term Scholars
Accompanying Family Members
Summary of J-1 and J-2 Status Holders' Obligations (.pdf)

Required Medical Insurance
Visa Applications

Extending a J-1 Program
Transferring a J-1 Program
Previous Participation in a J-1 program

J-1 Visa Status

J-1 visa status enables foreign nationals to enter the U.S. as “Exchange Visitors.” Exchange Visitor Programs are supervised by the U.S. Department of State (DOS), which has authorized Fermi Research Alliance (FRA) and Universities Research Association, Inc. (URA) to manage several J-1 Exchange Visitor programs at Fermilab.  Please see the Department of State for further information about J-1 Exchange Programs generally.

There are different types of J-1 Exchange Visitor programs at Fermilab:

• Summer Students and Interns program, for students and recent graduates in physics, computer science, engineering and related fields.  These programs enable students to participate in structured internship programs at Fermilab that relate to their course of studies.  The programs range from a few weeks to 12 months in duration.
• Research Scholars program which enable foreign research scholars (including our Guest Scientists and Engineers, and Visiting Scientists), the opportunity to engage in research, teaching and lecturing with their American colleagues, to participate actively in cross-cultural activities with Americans, and ultimately to share with their countrymen their experiences and increased knowledge of the United States and their substantive fields. 
• Short Term Scholars program, which enables scholars to come to the United States for a period of up to six months to lecture, observe, consult, and to participate in seminars, workshops, conferences, study tours, professional meetings, or similar types of educational and professional activities.
• Specialists program, for experts in a field of specialized knowledge or skill who are coming to the United States for observing, consulting, or demonstrating special skills. The maximum program duration is 1 year.

All J-1 and J-2 status holders are issued a Form DS-2019 Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status by the Visa Office.  You must present this original form to the U.S. Consulate when you apply for the visa, to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer at the airport when you apply for admission to the U.S., and retain it throughout your participation in the J-1 program. If you travel during your program, you must still have this same DS-2019 to present during re-admission to the U.S.  It is very important that you keep this document safe at all times.

Please note that this website still is under construction.  More immigration information and other visa statuses will be available soon.

Questions? Comments? Contact the Visa Office!

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