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Congratulations – you have been awarded a scholarship or a residency at a research institute in the United States! Once the bottle of champagne is finished, you will have to take care of obtaining a visa.
Some host institutes will help you in this process, others leave the procedure – and the related costs – at the expense of the visiting researcher. That’s why we’ve summarized here everything you need to know to find your way through the jungle of Visiting Researcher visas – also known as J-1 visas.
What is a J-1 visa?
The J visa program is intended for all non-Americans wishing to participate in an exchange or visit program (an internship, an au-pair stay, a research stay or other) in the United States.
Applicants for these visas must meet very specific conditions, including:
- be funded by a designated sponsor organization ; see below
- intend to stay in the United States for a specific, temporary, limited period;
- have health insurance that covers medical expenses while in the United States;
- have sufficient funds to subsist during their stay in the United States;
- have strong social and economic ties to their country of origin in order to guarantee return at the end of their stay;
- have very good knowledge of English.
Most American institutions that award scholarships, residencies or fellowships have the status of J-1 sponsor organization (see herethe complete list of American sponsoring organizations). This is normally mentioned in the call for projects or in the FAQs. If your host institute is not an accredited sponsor organization, you will have to go through a J-1 sponsor organization in France (see the list here).
Step 1: Keep calm and wait for your DS-2019!
Your sponsoring organization will send you a DS-2019 ( Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status ) form. This form includes a brief description of the program in which you are participating, the dates of your stay, the estimated cost of your program and the category of exchange (in your case: visiting researcher).
Step 2: Make an appointment for an interview
It is recommended to make an appointment at the American consular representation of your place of residence via this site. Make this appointment in advance, waiting times are sometimes long (keeping in mind that you are not allowed to enter the United States with your J-1 visa more than 30 days before the start of your official research trip).
Step 3: Pay!
Before your interview, you will have to pay your application fee (non-refundable in case your application is refused) to the Department of State , the US Department of Foreign Affairs. The consulate you will meet with will tell you how to make the payment. Currently (Oct. 2015) this fee is US $ 160 per J visa. Print a copy of the payment receipt for presentation at your interview.
Beyond these application fees, there is still the SEVIS I-901 tax, to be paid for the registration of your data in the SEVIS system ( Student and Exchange Visitor Information System ), an online database with all the information on non-immigrant visitors and accompanying families. This tax, currently (Oct. 2015) of US $ 180, is payable to the Department of Homeland Security . Fortunately, some sponsoring organizations pay the SEVIS fee for their visiting researchers – check with your host institute if this fee is covered, or at your expense!
If you have to pay for it yourself, the Study in the States website has prepared a video tutorial.to guide you through the payment process. If your sponsoring organization pays it for you, ask them for proof of payment.
Step 4: Gather Documentation and Prepare for the Interview
During the interview you will be asked to present the following documents (and possibly others – check the complete list with the consulate or embassy in charge):
- The DS-2019 form (issued by your sponsoring organization);
- The receipt of payment of the application fee ;
- The receipt of payment of the SEVIS tax ;
- Your valid passport and valid at least 6 months after the end of your stay J;
- The DS-160 electronic form confirmation page with barcode: this form is to be completed online by any individual traveling to the United States for a temporary stay.
- A passport photo in 2 × 2 format;
- The original of your invitation for the interview;
- Your university degrees (you never know…);
- Solid proof of social and economic ties (family, job, etc.) in your country of origin: you must be able to convincingly explain that you intend to return there once your research stay is over and that you especially do not have the you intend to settle in the United States.
- Proof of sufficient funds : You may be asked to prove that you have the means to cover all of your expenses in the United States. The grant award letter, pay slips, bank account statements can be used for this purpose.
The interview
On the day of your interview, make sure you have all the required documentation with you and be prepared for the agent’s questions about your stay, your intentions after your stay, your financial situation, etc. Remember to point out that you plan to return to your home country at the end of your stay (you will have a “grace period” of 30 days from the last day of your program, according to your DS-2019 form) !
In addition, your fingerprint will normally be taken (electronically, without ink).
To sum up: the fees that await you
- Application Fee: US $ 160 (Oct. 2015);
- SEVIS tax (except covered by your sponsoring organization): US $ 180 (Oct. 2015);
- Fee for making an appointment for the interview: approximately US $ 14;
- Chronopost envelope to receive your visa from the embassy: approximately € 20.
- In addition, a reciprocity fee ( visa reciprocity fee ) will be charged to residents of countries which, for their part, charge American citizens for their visas corresponding to D-1. This is currently (Oct. 2015) not the case for residents of France. You can consult this page to find out if reciprocity fees are applied for your country of residence.
Your family
If your host institute allows you to bring your family (spouse and children under 21), they too will have to follow the procedure described below. On presentation of a marriage certificate or birth certificates, they can then apply (each with their own DS-2019 form) for a J-2 visa (accompanying J-1).
For all official information go to
http://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/ (in English)