Your Responsibilities as a Trainee – EXTREMELY IMPORTANT

 

Upon Arrival in the United States

After you’ve arrived in the United States you must send the following documents to ACIP within 10 business days of the program start date listed on your DS-2019 form*:

 

 

If you will be arriving in the United States after the program start date indicated on your DS-2019 form, form you must notify ACIP immediately.*

 

*FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN CANCELLATION OF YOUR J-1 VISA

 

Documentation – DS-2019 form

Your original DS-2019 form is integral to maintaining your J-1 visa status. Without this document, you will not be able to demonstrate your valid J-1 status (the visa in your passport alone is not sufficient). To this end, you must be extremely careful not to misplace it. You are not required to carry your DS-2019 form with you at all times, so we suggest that you keep the original in a safe place at your residence. If you lose your DS-2019 form, you must contact ACIP immediately to request a replacement, for which there is a fee. We cannot stress enough the importance of this document.

 

International Travel

If you plan to travel outside of the United States during the course of your training program, you must submit your original DS-2019 form to ACIP for travel validation before departing the United States. It is preferable that you submit the DS-2019 form to ACIP at least a month prior to departure. If you’d like, you may submit the DS-2019 to ACIP for travel verification as soon as you enter the United States and begin your training program. In this way you will be prepared should the need for last-minute international travel present itself.

 

When submitting the DS-2019 form for travel validation, you must also include a self-addressed prepaid shipping label (FedEx, UPS, etc.) for the document’s return to you.

 

DS-2019 forms needing to be validated for travel should be sent to:

 

ACIP

1101 15th Street, NW

Suite 750

Washington, DC 20005

ATTN: Exchange Visitor Programs

 

The travel validation signature is valid for 12 months from the date of issuance, or through your program end date, whichever comes first.

 

Change of Address

If you move or change address during the course of your training program you must send notification to ACIP, along with your new address, immediately. This can be done by sending an e-mail to ACIP (see ACIP contact information below).

 

You must also submit an AR-11 Change of Address form to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services within 10 days of moving. This form can be found at: http://www.uscis.gov/ar-11

 

Program Evaluation Reports

Along with the Company Official within your U.S. host employer’s organization, you must complete and submit to ACIP a program evaluation form at the midpoint and end of your training/internship program. The blank evaluation form has been sent to the Company Official from your U.S. host employer’s organization. This form may also be downloaded here.

 

Applying for a Social Security Number

If you intend to apply for a Social Security number, you will not be able to do so until after you have submitted your arrival documents to ACIP, as outlined in the section, “Upon Arrival in the United States” above.  Additional information about applying for a Social Security Card can be found at http://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/factsheet/SSA_J_fact_sheet_final___May_9%20revised.pdf.

 

After Your Program Has Ended
J-1 Trainees and Interns may remain in the United States for travel or personal business for no more than 30 days after the program end date indicated on the DS-2019 form. No training or employment activities are permitted during this time. Travel beyond the borders of the United States during this period is strongly discouraged as re-entry may not be permitted. Upon leaving the U.S. at the conclusion of your program, the validity of your J-1 visa will end and you will not be permitted back into the United States on the J-1 visa.

Applying for Subsequent Visa in Another Classification
J-1 Exchange Visitor Program participants must intend to return home upon completion of the program. Therefore, it is ACIP’s policy to require participants to return to their home country before applying for another visa in any category.

 

Know Your Rights

As a temporary visitor to the U.S., it is important that you are aware of your rights, as well as protections and resources available when you come to work or study in the United States. To this end, please be sure to review the Nonimmigrant Rights, Protections and Resources pamphlet, which can be found at http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/pamphlet/pamphlet_4578.html.

 

ACIP Contact Information

If you have any questions regarding your J-1 visa training program you may contact Mike Jackson, J-1 Exchange Visitor Program Manager, via telephone at 202-683-2160 or via e-mail at mike_jackson@acip.com.

 

In the event of an emergency, any J-1 trainee or intern participant currently sponsored by ACIP can also utilize our 24-hour J-1 participant emergency line at 1-888-330-4686.

 

Department of State Exchange Visitor Program Contact Information

If you would like information on, or have questions regarding the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program, you may contact the United States Department of State via e-mail at JVISAS@STATE.GOV, or via postal mail at the address below:

 

U.S. Department of State
Office of Designation
Private Sector Programs Division
ECA/EC/PS - SA-5, Floor 5
2200 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20522-0505

FAX number: (202) 632-2701