The J-1 Exchange Visitor Program allows Washington University to bring international scholars to the United States. The university has been approved by the U.S. State Department to serve as the visa sponsor for these individuals. The information provided in this section is intended for J-1 exchange visitors sponsored by Washington University.

Federal regulations govern the J Exchange Visitor and the J visa sponsor. The intent of the program is exchange of knowledge and culture; the assumption is that the international scholar is coming temporarily to the U.S. and expects to return home. The J-1 exchange visitor classification is appropriate for many educational and research activities.

Note about J-1 Sponsors

To apply for the J-1 visa stamp overseas, scholars are issued a Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) status, commonly referred to as form DS-2019. The OISS requests and processes the DS-2019 form via the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). When the OISS processes the DS-2019 for an exchange visitor, WashU is acting as the J-1 visa sponsor.

If the scholar comes to WashU with a DS-2019 issued by another organization, that organization is responsible for processing the scholar’s J-1 program. A scholar may be sponsored by an organization such as Fullbright Commission, Institute for International Education (IIE), National Institute of Health (NIH), World Health Organization (WHO), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and Educational Commission for Foreign Medical graduates (ECFMG). If you are sponsored by an organization other than Washington University, please refer to J-1s Not Sponsored by WashU.

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