J-1 Initial Requests

Your initial J-1 request will be initiated by your department.

Once your department initiates the request, you will receive an email invitation from ischolars@ucsd.edu to log into the system and provide your information and documents.

Please click on the provided Link to Update Information and provide the following information:

• Date of Birth
• iServices ID number (provided in email)
• Limited Access Pin Number (provided in email)

Please be sure to save your login information that is emailed to you so that you can continue to access your request.

Once logged in, your current requests will appear, and you can select the request to access your eforms.

Trouble logging in? Please email ischolars@ucsd.edu if you encounter errors or difficulties accessing your record.

When completing this form, please make sure to use standard roman characters: characters with accents cannot be read by the iServices system and may cause errors in the submitted information. 

Passport and Biographical Information

Passport Information

All name information should be entered as it is shown on the MRZ. Please use ALL CAPS for your family or last name.  Example: 

Last Name: LASTNAME

First name: Given Name

After providing your passport information, including the passport number, dates, and issuing country, you will also be asked to upload a copy of the biographical page of your passport. 

Helpful Passport Tips: 

• Multiple names will be divided by one "<" bracket. Make sure to include your full last name and first name! 
• You may see names referred to by different terms. The "last name" is also known as a "surname" or "family name," while the "first name" is your "given name." 
• Your middle name may be part of your "given name." These will also be separated by one ">" on the MRZ
• For further information regarding naming conventions visit the Department of Homeland Security naming standards page.
• Your passport should be valid for a minimum of 6 months into the future at all times
• Please make sure to enter your gender as it is indicated on your passport

Preferred Name

Do you have a name you prefer to be called, which differs from the name on your passport? Let us know! For immigration matters, such as the DS-2019, your name must match your passport. However, we will used your preferred name in communications where your legal name is not required. 

For more information please visit ISEO's Gender Recognition Act information section. 

Country of Birth, Permanent Residence, and Citizenship

Please enter your City of Birth, Country of Birth, Country of Citizenship, and Country of Permanent Residence.

When entering your Country of Permanent Residence, this is typically your Country of Citizenship, unless you have taken legal steps to remain in another country permanently. Typically this means you are allowed to remain in that country indefinitely, and are not only there temporarily for school or work. 

Permanent International Address

For the purposes of the J-1, the address provided should be a permanently maintained address in your home country. This can be a family home. 

We will not send you mail to this address - it is only used in your SEVIS record and to show the US Department of State that you are maintaining ties to your home country. 

Education 

Please upload the most recently updated copy of your curriculum vitae, resume, or biosketch. 

If you have a medical degree, such as MD, DO, MBBS, etc please select "yes" so that we are able to provide any necessary additional documentation for your visa appointment. 

Position

Please provide details about your most recent position in your country of citizenship or permanent residency. This may not always be the same as your most recent or current position, especially if you are currently residing in another country. 

If your last position in your country of citizenship or permanent residency was an academic program, such as completing your bachelors or masters degree, please list the type of program you were in and the school which you were attending. 

If you plan to bring your legal spouse or children under 21 with you as your J-2 dependents, please provide their information to us in iServices so we can provide J-2 DS-2019s for them. 

When requesting dependents, we will need:

• A valid passport biographical page for each dependent (this should have at least 6 months of validity at all times)
• Dependent email address (if you have a small child, you may re-enter your own email address)

Tips when requesting dependents: 

• Do you have multiple dependents? Once you submit the first dependent, on the main page there will be a Add New New J-1 Scholar Dependent Information form so that you can add additional dependents
• If your spouse or child is a US citizen and has a US passport, they will not require J-2 dependent status 
• Requesting dependents increases the minimum funding requirement for the J-1 program by $800 for a spouse, and $400 for each child 
• Are you unsure if your family will join you yet? You can always request to add a J-2 dependent later in your program if your family decides to come
• Will your spouse have their own status, such as their own J-1 program? Please do not include them as a dependent

Documents to prepare: 

• Previous J-1 or J-2 DS-2019s
  • If you no longer have DS-2019s from a previous program, please provide the J-1 or J-2 visa
• I-94 (if you are currently in the US)
• I-130, I-140, or I-148 receipt or approval notices (if applicable)

If you are not currently in the US: 

Select No and then let us know if any of the following apply to you: 

• If you have previously been in J-1 or J-2 status, we will ask you to provide your previous DS-2019s
  • Please also let us know if you were subject to 212e during any previous J-1 or J-2 program
• If you have filed an I-140, I-140, or I-485 petition with US Citizenship and Immigration services, please provide scans of your receipt or approval notices

If you are currently in the US:

Select Yes and provide your most recent I-94. We will ask you to include some information from this document. 

We will also ask you how you plan to change your status to the J-1 status - from inside the US or by traveling and re-entering the US in J-1 status. Because travel can affect change of status requests with USCIS, we will also ask you to provide any travel plans you may have for the next 6 months.

Once you have entered this information, let us know if any of the following apply to you: 

• If you have previously been in J-1 or J-2 status, we will ask you to provide your previous DS-2019s
  • Please also let us know if you were subject to 212e during any previous J-1 or J-2 program
• If you have filed an I-140, I-140, or I-485 petition with US Citizenship and Immigration services, please provide scans of your receipt or approval notices

Tips: 

• If you have previously had a J-1 program, your visa and your initial DS-2019 should show if you were subject to 212e
• If you have begun the Permanent Residency process, please be sure to let us know by providing any receipt or approval notices, so that we can accurately advise you; even if you have not begun the process, please let us know if you are considering filing an application soon

Minimum Funding Requirements

At minimum, scholars must be able to demonstrate: 

• $2,400 per month for the J-1 Scholar
• $800 additional per month if accompanied by a J-2 Spouse
• $400 additional per month for each child, if accompanied by a J-2 Child

Source of Funding

In iServices, you will be asked to indicate what type(s) of funding you will be receiving. 

Will you receive UC San Diego funding? 

• You can select "Yes" if funding is being distributed to you by UC San Diego, regardless of the grant source
• Typically this is associated with Postdoctoral Scholar-Employee (3252) and Postdoctoral Scholar-Fellow appointments (3253)
• Your department will provide your appointment letter, offer, or UC San Diego funding documentation to ISEO 
• Please note: If you are a in a 3254 appointment (Paid Direct) and being paid directly by an outside organization, this funding should not be listed as Program Sponsored funds. 

Will you receive U.S. Government funding? 

• Funding is only considered U.S. Government funding if it is paid directly to you and/or is intended specifically for international exchange. NIH or other federal agency grants paid to PIs to fund research projects would not be considered government funding for the purposes of the J-1. 

Will you receive International Organization funding? 

• International Organizations include organizations that cross international borders, such as the United Nations
• International Organization funding is rare. If you are not sure if an organization qualifies as an International Organization, please enter this funding as Other Organization funding. 

Will you receive funding from your home country government? 

• If your home country government is providing you with funding directly, select "Yes." 

Will you receive funding from another organization? 

• If you are receiving salary from your employer while here at UC San Diego, this counts as organizational funding. 
• You can use this option if you are receiving funding from a company, academic institution, or non-federal government agency. Scholarships or fellowships which are not from UC San Diego also can be listed in this space.
• A personal bank statement or tax statement cannot be submitted as proof of this type of funding. 

Will you be using personal funds (including funds from family members or friends)? 

• Personal funding should only be listed after all other sources of funding are provided, and are considered supplemental to other listed funding sources. 
• If only personal funds are included in the request, this is an indication to ISEO that there are NO additional funding sources. Excluding additional funding sources, such as salary or scholarships, could be seen as a misrepresentation of program funding source. 
• Documentation must show liquid funds: we cannot accept stocks, bonds, investments, or credit cards. 
• If you are being sponsored by an individual besides yourself, they should include a letter of sponsorship, indicating that they are willing to fund you during your time at UC San Diego. This documentation should include dates (or duration) of the program, and be accompanied by proof of liquid funds. 

Acceptable Funding Documentation

Funding documentation should clearly indicate the amount which you will be receiving, and the dates during which it will be received. 

Some examples of acceptable funding include: 

• UC San Diego Funding 
  • Offer letter 
• Government or Organizational Funding 
  
  • A letter from the organization or office showing the amount you will receive, and the dates during which you will receive it
  • A letter from your employer stating you will still receive your salary while abroad at UC San Diego, and including the amount you will receive, and the duration of funding
  • A scholarship document clearly outlining the amount of the scholarship, you as the recipient, and when it will be issued 
• Personal Funding 
  • A bank statement no older than 6 months showing liquid funds
  • A bank statement from an individual sponsor no older than 6 months showing liquid funds, including a statement of sponsorship 

Some examples of funding that we cannot accept include:

• Tax statements
• Credit card documentation 
• Investments, stocks, or other non-liquid funding
• Letters or documents that do not clearly indicate your name or the dates