How to Bring a J-1 Exchange Visitor to the U.S.
First, you need to understand what J-1 category you want your visitor to come as. Information about J-1 categories ISSS will sponsor are here.
Then, the host department will need to email an invitation packet to j1scholars@tamu.edu. This packet includes documents from the exchange visitor and the host department. For timely processing, please send all required documents in one email.
Required documents from the host department are:
- $350 Operational Fee if the J-1 will be a paid employee
- Invitation or Job Offer Letter
- Agreement to Report Incidents
- Department Questionnaire for J-1
- Form for Research Compliance and/or Export Controls offices (required if exchange visitor will be in the U.S. for 10 days or more)
- For Texas A&M & Health Science Center J-1 employees - Export Control Review & Certification
- For Texas A&M & Health Science Center J-1 non-employees - Form 5VS
- For Engineering - Form 5VS
- For AgriLife: AG-713
- Additional documents for J-1 Student Interns only:
- Form DS-7002 Training/Internship Placement Plan
- For help with filling out the DS-7002, click here
- If internship is in the field of agriculture, certification that internship meets all requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act. Acknowledgement is on the DS-7002.
- Form DS-7002 Training/Internship Placement Plan
The full list of required documents and an overview of the J-1 application process can be found here.
English Proficiency Requirements
J-1 status requires the visitor to show proof of English proficiency. This can be proven to ISSS in a number of ways:
- If the visitor is a native English speaker or lives in an English-speaking country, then this is not required.
- Refer to the list of countries under Proof of English Proficiency on Admissions site.
- Indian visitors are considered native even though they’re not on the Admissions list of countries.
- If the above does not apply, then they must submit one of the following:
- Test scores
- TOEFL Essentials score of at least 8.5
- TOEFL iBT score of at least 80
- IELTS score of at least 6.0
- GRE Verbal Reasoning score of at least 146
- GMAT Verbal score of at least 22
- Interview via English3
- English3 will forward the score to ISSS once it is available. The score must be at least 3.0. If it is below 3.0, we will ask the visitor to wait a few weeks and retake the interview free of charge.
- Official certification from an English academic institution, school, or language training center that the visitor successfully completed classes within the past two years
- If they’ve had J-1 status at another institution, that institution can provide a letter that verifies the visitor met the English requirement
- Test scores
J-1 Employees and the SSN
Full details about how to apply for an SSN here.
J-1 employees can start working while the SSN application is being processed.
- Employer Responsibilities When Hiring Foreign Workers (SSA)
- This fact sheet contains information on how to report wages for an employee who has not yet received an SSN.
- Delays in Issuing SSNs to Aliens by the Social Security Administration (IRS)
- Refer to the U.S. Dept of Labor, or your state Dept of Labor, for laws regarding timely payment for work performed. See https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/flsa
Travel during the J-1 program
General travel information can be found here.
The J-1 should inform ISSS and their host department about travel plans. If they will be outside the U.S. for more than 30 days, ISSS will need to add an Out of Country marker to their J-1 record. This is necessary to keep their J-1 active and maintain status during extended international travel.
More information about the Out of Country process is here.
Extending your Visitor’s J-1 Program
Extension requests should be made at least 30 days before the visitor’s current J-1 program expires. The extension requires the host department to email another packet to j1scholars@tamu.edu with documents from the department and the J-1 visitor.
Required documents from the host department are:
- Letter of Extension or Updated Job Offer Letter
- J-1 Non-employees: Must include position title and requested DS-2019 end date
- J-1 Employees: Must include position title, stipend or salary, position description, and the new position end date
- Export Control Form
- For Texas A&M & Health Science Center J-1 employees - Export Control Review & Certification
- For Texas A&M & Health Science Center J-1 non-employees - Form 5VS
- For Engineering - Form 5VS
- For AgriLife: AG-713
- Additional documents for J-1 Student Interns only:
- Updated Form DS-7002 Training/Internship Placement Plan
- For help with filling out the DS-7002, click here