WHEN TO EXTEND
Your permission to stay in the United States ends on the expiration date of your I-94 Departure Record card—unless the card is marked "Duration of Status" or "D/S." In that case your permission to stay will expire 30 days after the date shown in item #3 of your Form DS-2019, "Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status." You must submit an extension application at least two months before the expiration date on your DS-2019 form. If your I-94 arrival/departure card has a specific expiration date instead of "D/S" please contact our office immediately. If your DS-2019 expires while you are in the United States, you will have to apply for a re-instatement to J-1 Student status.
YOUR J-1 RESPONSIBLE OFFICER
To extend your permission to stay in the United States, you must first obtain a new Form DS-2019 from your J-1 Responsible Officer, who will need proof of your eligibility before issuing the Form. If your J-1 sponsor is your school, then your Responsible Officer is probably your international student adviser. If your J-1 sponsor is an agency, and if you are uncertain how to reach your Responsible Officer, your international student adviser will help you find out.
ELIGIBILITY
You are eligible to apply for an extension of stay if you are either studying full-time at the school named on your Form DS-2019 and making satisfactory academic progress and possess adequate funding and health insurance; or have completed your program of study and want to participate in "Academic Training;" or are participating in an authorized "Academic Training" program and, within the established time limits, need an extension to finish the program.
Government regulations do not limit the time you may take to finish your program of study as long as you are making academic progress, but you may be subject to limitations imposed by your school on the time allowed to complete your degree, and by your J-1 sponsor (if your sponsor is not your school) on the number of years you may spend in the United States.
PROCEDURES
- At least two months before your permission to stay expires, contact your J-1 Responsible Officer about an extension.
- Document your full-time registration, academic progress, and adequate funding. If you were issued an DS-2019 from Temple University, please ask your academic advisor to complete and sign the attached form. Provide financial documentation and health insurance that meets all Department Of State (DOS) requirements for yourself as well as any dependents in J-2 status.
- Once you have received your new Form DS-2019 from your J-1 Responsible Officer, you may extend your permission to stay either by leaving the United States and reentering, or by following the notification procedure inside the country.
Extending your stay by leaving the United States and reentering: If you go abroad and come back into this country using the new Form DS-2019, then your reentry will extend your permission to stay. However, the "leaving and reentering" procedure may not work if you travel to Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean Islands for less than 30 days. This is because the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (INS) inspector at the port of entry may hand back your Form DS-2019 intact and unmarked, and refuse to record your reentry. If that happens to you, you will have to proceed as though you had not gone abroad, and either leave North America and reenter, or else carry out either the "Notification" or the "Application" procedure outlined below.
If you do leave North America you will need a valid J-1 visa stamp to reenter this country (unless you are Canadian). If your J-1 visa has expired, you will have to apply for a new one at a United States consulate abroad. In addition to the Form DS-2019 and your passport and those of your dependents if they will be accompanying you, the Visa Officer may want to see proof of funding that does not come directly from your J-1 sponsor or your school (for example a letter of award or support, a bank statement, documentation of income, etc.). Your dependents will need J-2 visas, and you should be prepared to show proof of marriage to your spouse and parenthood of each child.
Extending your stay without leaving the country: Complete and sign the back of the white page of your new Form DS-2019. Our office will mail the yellow copy to DOS and return the pink copy to you. That will complete your extension.
After you have extended your stay inside the country, avoid a common mistake if you travel abroad. Do not assume that with an approved extension of stay you can reenter this country from another continent without an unexpired J-1 visa stamp in your passport (unless you are Canadian). If your J-1 visa stamp has expired, you have to apply at a consulate for a new one in order to reenter the United States as a J-1 student. If this is the case, you must apply for a new complete DS-2019 Form.
CAUTION
Extension of your permission to stay is your responsibility. If you forget the deadline and apply late, you risk denial. If you are employed and overlook the date, you will be working illegally. Since such mistakes can have serious consequences, you should make certain that you apply well in advance (two months is recommended) if you need to extend your stay.
