PLEASE NOTE: This information is primarily for J-1 students for whom the sponsoring agency is the University of Maryland, Baltimore. If your DS-2019 was produced by another agency, you should be contacting that agency for immigration advice. To stay in lawful J-1 student status in the United States, you must remember these important requirements:
- Report to the OIS within 30 Days of the DS-2019 Start Date
It is REQUIRED BY LAW that you come to the Office of International Services within 30 days of the start date on your DS-2019, whether it is your first time in the United States or if you are transferring from another institution. The start date is listed in Item 3 of your DS-2019.
- Always Enroll Full Time
J-1 students must maintain full-time student status each semester until they receive their degrees. For undergraduate students, full time is 12 or more credits each semester. For graduate students, full time is 9 or more credits each semester. There are rare exceptions to this regulation, however, so please talk to the OIS staff before you drop below full-time enrollment or take a leave of absence. The OIS may authorize part-time enrollment. Please see our for eligibility criteria. You must have authorization from the OIS before dropping below full time.
- Update Your Local Address
Immigration regulations require you to update your local residential address within 10 days of moving within the United States. You may do this by updating your local address in your SURFS Account. You are required to use a physical residential address and not a P.O. box or university department address.
- Maintain the Required Health Insurance
U.S. immigration regulations require that all J-1 exchange visitors and their J-2 dependents maintain a specified level of health and accident insurance. The minimum levels are:- Medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness
- A deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness
- Repatriation of remains expenses in the amount of $25,000
- Medical evacuation expenses in the amount of $50,000
- Co-insurance paid by the individual may be no higher than 25 percent
All of the above are covered by the UMB student health insurance plan (you do have to add any J-2 dependents to the plan or cover them by an equivalent health insurance plan).
- Keep Your Immigration Documents VALID and CURRENT
You should make photocopies of your immigration documents and keep the copies and originals in a safe place.
Keep photocopies of:
- Your passport pages with your personal information and picture
- The passport page containing your U.S. visa stamp
- Both sides of your I-94 Form
- Your DS-2019
Keep Your Passport Valid
You should keep your passport valid for at least six months into the future while you are studying in the United States. Consult your country's consulate or embassy in the United States to renew your passport. You can find the contact information for your country's embassy at http://www.embassy.org/.
J-1 Extension
The end date of your immigration status is written on your DS-2019 as the end date in Item #3 (not the end date of your visa stamp). If you are unable to complete your course of study by that time, you must apply for an extension BEFORE the DS-2019 end date. You must file your program extension with the OIS or your own sponsor at least two months before it expires. For more information on how to extend your DS-2019, click here.
Discuss Transfer Plans with an OIS Advisor
If you plan to transfer to or from another school or sponsoring agency, the OIS and your prospective sponsoring agency will need to complete the immigration transfer procedure. Permission to transfer is granted only if the transfer contributes to the realization of the exchange visitor's original purpose in coming to the United States. See our Transferring Schools page for more information.
- Never Work Off-Campus Without Prior Authorization
Employment opportunities for international students in the United States are restricted by law. In general, there are two types of employment: on-campus and off-campus employment.
Enrolled J-1 students holding a DS-2019 from UMB are permitted to work on campus for 20 hours a week during academic year and 40 hours a week during summer and winter breaks. If your DS-2019 was produced by another agency, that agency must give you permission to work on the UM campus. The OIS must first approve of your on-campus employment before you begin these activities.
Off-campus Employment: Off-campus employment is any type of work or service performed in exchange for money, tuition, fees, books, supplies, room, food, or any other benefit that is not on the UMB campus. An authorization letter is required before any off-campus work is allowed. The authorization letter must be written by the institution or agency that produced your DS-2019.
Off-Campus Employment Options for J-1 Students:
- Academic Training: J-1 students in degree program are permitted an overall limit of 18 months academic training within their field of study. For postdoctoral training, the overall limit is 36 months. See Academic Training for more information.
- Economic Hardship: If a J-1 student needs employment during the academic year because of financial hardship arising from unforeseen circumstances, the program sponsor may authorize it. Such employment cannot interfere with full-time pursuit of the exchange visitor's program objectives. Written permission from the program sponsor is required for on-campus and off-campus work.
- Notify the OIS When You Leave the United States or Change Visa Status
When you finish your program and leave the United States permanently or change to another visa status (for instance, if an employer plans to do an H-1B visa application for you after you graduate), please notify the OIS.
- Traveling Outside the United States
Please visit our Travel Information page for more information.