J-1 Students: DS-2019 Application

A DS-2019 is required by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) as a part of the J-1 visa application.

It is issued by each U.S. university or college that admits you as a prospective J-1 student. You may receive DS-2019s from more than one school. At the visa interview, you will present to the visa officer the DS-2019 from the school you wish to attend.

Eligibility

Step 1

Apply for DS-2019

New Students

You will apply for your Form DS-2019 through iComet. Once your DS-2019 is approved, you will receive an email confirmation from the ISSO with an electronic copy of your DS-2019.

Documents to submit

How to submit documents

  1. Login to iComet using your UT Dallas NetID and password.
  2. On the left-hand menu, choose ‘Prospective Students’, then click ‘New Admit: J-1 Student’.

Transfer Students*

J-1 Exchange Visitors may transfer from one program sponsor to another if the purpose of the transfer is to complete the academic objective for which they were admitted to the United States. The exchange visitor must also remain in the same participant category and not exceed the maximum duration of program participation for their category.

The transfer requires coordination between the following parties:

  • The J-1 student
  • The current institution’s host department
  • UTD’s host department
  • An International Student Advisor at the ISSO

The following needs to take place:

  • The student must request that the International Student Advisor at the Transfer-out school transfer their electronic Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record to UTD.
  • Submit your UT Dallas DS-2019 request documents to the ISSO through iComet, including Transfer Clearance form.
  • The International Student Advisor at the Transfer-out school must electronically transfer the J-1 students SEVIS record to UTD on the agreed upon effective date.

Step 2

Apply for J-1 Visa

To apply for your J-1 visa, you will schedule an appointment with your local U.S. Embassy or Consulate. The procedure is different at each embassy or consulate, so it is important to communicate with the specific consulate where you will apply. For detailed instructions on the visa application process, see the ISSO webpage on Visa Applications.

Below is important information that you will need when applying for a J-1 visa

Step 3

Report to Campus

To meet the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) arrival document reporting requirement, all new J-1 students must:

  • Submit copies of their immigration documents (signed DS-2019, J-1 visa and I-94 records) to the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO).
  • Update the UT Dallas Galaxy with your new local address and US phone number. You must report within 10 days of obtaining your new address. Your new address will then be reported to DHS by the ISSO.

You will log into iComet, click on Prospective Students, and select New Student Check-In. Then, complete the Immigration Document Verification eForm.

In the “Immigration Document Verification” eForm, you will submit the following documents.

DS-2019

Your UT Dallas DS-2019 is not valid until you sign page one. Submit a signed copy to the ISSO. You will maintain a valid, up-to-date DS-2019 throughout your stay in the U.S.

J-1 Visa

A valid, unexpired visa is required to travel to the U.S. Submit a copy of the visa page in your passport

Form I-94

The I-94 is issued through the port of entry in the U.S. Depending on where you enter the U.S. you will be given a white card or told to obtain your I-94 information online. Either version is valid.

  • Card – If you receive a white card, submit a copy of the front and back to the ISSO.
  • Electronic – If you receive a stamp in your passport but no card, obtain your I-94 information at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94.* Submit a copy of the information you access online to the ISSO. (See How to Submit Documents.).

*To request your I-94 online, you will be asked to complete a short form online. It will request passport information and arrival date. If you get an error message, try again using a different format of your name. For example, enter it as it appears in your passport, then as it appears on the U.S. visa. Print a copy of the I-94 for your records. You will need this for many uses, such as driver’s license and Social Security card applications. Be sure all the information is in English.

If the online information is incorrect or cannot be found, a visitor can obtain a new I-94 at the local Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Deferred Inspection office.