J1 Visa - Step by Step Guide

228 downloads 745125 Views 8MB Size Report
May 17, 2013 ... The first J1 visa allows full-time tertiary students, aged between 18 – 30, .... employer in the US as well as to the US Consulate interview and US Customs when .... Common questions asked by the US Consulate office include:.
J1 VISA - STEP BY STEP GUIDE

It is now time to start organizing your J1 Work and Travel visa for your upcoming working holiday in the USA.

There are two types of J1 visas • The first J1 visa allows full-time tertiary students, aged between 18 – 30, to work in the US in seasonal employment positions for up to four months between November/ December until February/March, of the following year (during university summer holidays.) • The second J1 visa is a 12 month Work and Travel visa which allows participants to enter the US anytime throughout the year and work in almost any position.

Conditions of the 3-4 month J1 visa include • Applicants can only work in the US between the dates specified on their DS-2019 form. These dates are determined by the dates of the applicants tertiary institution summer holiday. • Under no circumstances can the visa be extended. • J1 visa holders are allowed to be in the USA for up to 30 days upon completion of their J1 visa, during which time they cannot work. • Applicants must be full time tertiary students, aged between 18 – 30 years of age.

Conditions of the 12 month J1 visa include • Applicants can only work in the US for up to 12 months between the dates specified on their DS-2019 form. • Under no circumstances can the J1 visa be extended. • J1 visa holders are allowed to be in the USA for up to 30 days upon completion of their J1 visa, during which time they cannot work. • Applicants must be full time tertiary students or have finished their studies in the last 12 months and aged between 18 – 30 years. • You can arrive up to 30 days prior to your DS start date, however your health insurance can begin a maximum of 5 days prior to your DS start date. Also you can arrive no later than 10 days after your DS start date. If you arrive outside these dates, your sponsorship could be cancelled. www.travelleronline.com.au

Last updated 05.17.2013

Work & Travel USA

• You can be unemployed in the US for a maximum of 90 days consecutively. This means that you have 90 days from your DS start date in which you must find employment. You are allowed to work for a period of time and then have another additional 90 days of unemployment etc. Below is a short list of steps that you must complete in order to obtain your J1 visa, which you need for entry into and permission to work in the US. Feel free to call or email us throughout any stage of the visa process as we understand it can be a little daunting at first.

Step 1: Ensure you fit the eligibility criteria Please read the eligibility criteria for a J1 visa thoroughly: • Be over 18 years old • Be enrolled in full-time university or a government recognized technical education provider such as TAFE/POLYTECH OR have graduated within the last 12 months (You have up to 12 months after you graduated to ENTER to the US, not to apply) • Have no previous criminal convictions. (Drink driving offences are sometimes precluded depending on the seriousness of the offence) • Have access to funds of at least $1000, either in a bank account, or a credit card. (This is to show that if you are unsuccessful in finding employment you can support yourself whilst in the US) • Be of good character and nature • Be an Australian or New Zealand citizen

Step 2: Receive and complete your visa sponsorship application (CIEE) forms Once you received your visa application forms: • You must complete the form in its entirety and return it with accompanied with a copy of the profile page of your passport. (DOB, Passport number, Date of issue, Picture etc) • If you do not know your exact departure date yet, please leave it blank. • Your DS start date is the date that you can legally start work in the US. You can arrive up to 30 days prior to this date, however you wonʼt be able to work during this time, and the health insurance can start a maximum of 5 days before your DS start date. • You cannot arrive later than 10 days after your DS start date • On the second page of the form you will be asked to provide proof of student status. This can come in one of three ways: 2. You can get your form stamped by a representative from student administration, or; www.travelleronline.com.au

Last updated 03.27.2013

Work & Travel USA

3. You can get your institution to write a letter on an official letterhead stating that you are currently an enrolled student, or 4. You can provide a copy of your degree/diploma or certificate. • Under the section for English ability, please tick “advanced”. You do not need to get it filled out by a teacher. (That is only for participants from non-native speaking countries.) • The HIPAA section simply gives us authority to notify your next of kin should any accident occur while you are in the US. (This section is not compulsory.)

Step 3: SCAN THE FORMS BACK AND Finalise your program fees Participants must scan back their completed visa sponsorship forms. Once these have been received you will be contacted by an agent who will issue out an invoice. Once your payments have been finalized, we can obtain your visa sponsorship form (DS-2019 form) from the US Department of State. Without this form you cannot book your US Consulate interview.

Once you have sent us back your visa sponsorship forms it will take between 2 - 4 weeks for your DS-2019 form to be posted to you. Step 4: Receive your visa sponsorship (DS-2019) form, SEVIS form and insurance coverage documents You will receive the hard copy of your DS-2019 form in the mail roughly 3 weeks after submitting your forms to us. You must sign and date this form and also ensure that all the information on the form is correct. Your DS-2019 serial number is written on this form, please take note of this as you will be required to submit this number when filling out your DS-160 form online. A SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) fee of US$35 has been paid to the US Government on your behalf. SEVIS is a database in which J1 visa holdersʼ records (such as place of employment and living address) are stored. You will receive your SEVIS receipt number with your DS -2019 original document. Proof of this payment, in the form of a print out, must be taken to the US Consulate interview. Both of these forms are extremely important, as you must supply a copy of them to every employer in the US as well as to the US Consulate interview and US Customs when entering the country. Because of this, we recommend that you photocopy the form and take several copies with you whilst in the US. www.travelleronline.com.au

Last updated 05.17.2013

Work & Travel USA

Below is an Example DS-2019 form. Please note where you will find your SEVIS ID (Otherwise known as your DS serial number)

www.travelleronline.com.au

Last updated 03.27.2013

Work & Travel USA

Step 5: Complete your DS-160 online application form Now that you have received your DS-2019 form you can complete the DS-160 online application form at https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/ Please allow yourself at least 45 minutes to complete the online application. Before you begin the online application you must have the following things on hand: • Your passport • Previous visa and travel documents • Your DS-2019 serial number • Your Australian Tax File Number • Your US employers name address and phone number, or • Your visa sponsors US partnerʼs address and phone number. (CIEE 300 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101 USA - Tel: 1.888.268.6245) During the application there can be some confusing sections: In the Personal information section: • When it asks for your national identification number, please enter your tax file number. In the Passport information section: • For passport/travel document type choose “regular” • Tick does not apply when it asks for book number • Most new passports are issued in Canberra unless stated otherwise In the Travel information section: • For the Purpose of your trip select “Exchange visitor (J)” • Specify “Exchange visitor (J1) • When the forms asks the address where you will stay in the US enter a hotel address in the US or the address of the employer you will be working for in the US. In the US Contact section: • You can either enter the address and contact information of a friend or family that you know in the US, enter your employerʼs contact information or enter your visa sponsorʼs US address. We have also completed a mock ds-160 form on youtube, which will help you through filling out the DS-160 form. It can be viewed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tYw2EaiMyU

www.travelleronline.com.au

Last updated 05.17.2013

Work & Travel USA

On this form you must upload and submit a digital photo of yourself. This photo can be taken on a white background with an iphone or digital camera. I suggest that you take this photo with a smart phone as the megapixels are much better suited. Once you have completed your application, be sure to print off the confirmation page and take it to your consulate interview.

Step 6 – Pay your visa application fee AND BOOK IN FOR A US CONSULATE INTERVIEW All J1 visa participants are required to jump on the US Consulate website, pay the US nonimmigrant visa application fee which is currently $160, and book in for a US Consulate interview. First participants must log onto to the online applicant system and create a profile. This will ensure the proper amount is paid and activated in timely manner. • For Australians: https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/?country=Australia



For New Zealanders: https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/?country=New%20Zealand

Step 1: Click on New User

www.travelleronline.com.au

Last updated 03.27.2013

Work & Travel USA

Step 2: Fill in personal information

Step 3: Once you have created a profile you will then be able to schedule and appointment and make payment. Click on Schedule My Appointment option on the lefthand side of your screen. Complete Steps for Visa Type, Post, Visa Category and Visa Class.

www.travelleronline.com.au

Last updated 05.17.2013

Work & Travel USA

Step 5: You will then be asked to enter personal information and information on what type of visa you would like to apply for. Choose non-immigrant visa as your visa type.

Step 6: Choose at which US Consulate you would like to apply.

www.travelleronline.com.au

Last updated 03.27.2013

Work & Travel USA

You will then have to choose what visa class you want to apply for. You must choose Exchange Visitor visa (J-1 – Exchange visitor)

You will then have to enter your personal information (passport number, birth date, address, SEVIS exchange number and Prorgam number) These numbers can be found on your DS-2019 form. Your SEVIS exchange number starts with N00…. And your program number begins with P…..

Step 7: Once you are on the Payment screen, click on Payment Options. For additional information on paying with a specific method, review the Electronic Funds Transfer, Online Payment with a Credit Card and Payment in Person at Australia Post on this page.

www.travelleronline.com.au

Last updated 05.17.2013

Work & Travel USA

Step 8: Pick your preferred method of payment and pay your visa fee. The Australian/New Zealand Dollar amounts are based on the consular currency exchange rate determined by the U.S. Department of State. Applicants who do not pay the correct fee for their visa type may be restricted from scheduling an interview.

You have paid your visa fee and can schedule your interview once your receipt number is active. If you pay with your credit card, activation is immediate! Your other payment options can take up to two business days for your receipt number to be active and ready to schedule your appointment.

www.travelleronline.com.au

Last updated 03.27.2013

Work & Travel USA

Step 6: Print off the booking confirmation page (you will need to take this with you to the US Consulate interview.

www.travelleronline.com.au

Last updated 05.17.2013

Work & Travel USA

Step 7 – Obtain a current bank or credit card statement with a balance over $1200 You may be required to provide proof of funds at your US Consulate interview. Unfortunately the US Consulate does not accept a computer printout of your statement, as you must provide a bank statement actually printed by your bank.

Step 8 – Get a TENTATIVE flight itinerary Even if you havenʼt booked your tickets, you can still receive a tentative flight itinerary from your travel agent. This may be required at the US Consulate interview. You must have both arrival and departure flights on this itinerary, even if they are only tentative.

Step 9 – Attend your US Consulate interview US Consulates are located in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth only. Please be sure to arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled Consulate interview. Attending a US Consulate interview is a mix between going through airport security and then waiting at your stat transport authority. You walk through a metal detector and then have to take a number and wait for your turn to be called to speak with a US Consulate office.  At the interview it is important that you say that you have strong ties to Australia and that upon the completion of your visa you intend to return to Australia (That you aren't looking at overstaying your visa). Common questions asked by the US Consulate office include: • When did you graduate from university? What is your current student status • Do you have a job already organised in the US? • What do you plan to do in the US? • Where will you go whilst in the US? All the necessary documents to take to the US Consulate are listed below: • Up to date passport with at least six months validity after your intended date of return to Australia. • DS-2019 form • DS-160 confirmation page • Receipt from Australia Post for US non-immigrant visa application fee (if you did it at Australia post). • Money order or credit card to pay for the US visa issuance fee www.travelleronline.com.au

Last updated 03.27.2013

Work & Travel USA

• Proof of student status in the form of a tertiary institute record/student card/degree/ letter from university • Proof of substantial funds in the form of a bank/credit card statement totaling at least $1500. • SEVIS payment print out • Appointment confirmation page

Step 10 – Receive your Passport back in the post (It takes around 3 – 5 business day for your passport to be returned to you) You should receive your passport back in the post about a week after your interview. Your new J1 visa should be printed on one of the pages inside the passport.

Step 11 – Like traveller online on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ travelleronline This is compulsory. The reason that you must like Traveller Online on Facebook, is that it is the best way to reach you whilst in the US. Quite often participants do not check their email, however everyone checks their Facebook account, so it is the best way to reach you in case of an emergency with your visa sponsor. (Last year we had 4 participants have their visa cancelled because of certain reasons. All of these could have been preventable had the participants been contacted in time)

Step 12 – ARRIVAL GUIDE Make sure you have read the Arrival Guide so that you are aware of what you need to do once in the US.

Step 13 – Catch your plane to the US Bon voyage!

www.travelleronline.com.au

Last updated 05.17.2013

Work & Travel USA