The immigration documents detailed below provide the documentation necessary to establish your lawful status and employment eligibility while you are in the U.S. as an F-2 dependent of an J-1.
It is vital that keep them current, secure and accessible.
Form I-20
Form I-94
Passport
What Is J-2 Status
Visa
Your Form DS-2019, issued by BYU, is a certificate of eligibility
provided initially for you to apply for an J-2 dependent visa or to change your status,
but it functions as your record of J-2 lawful status throughout your stay in the U.S. and must be valid at all times.
It is dependent upon and in effect for the duration of your J-1 principal visa holder’s DS-2019.
Contents
Page 1:
Current information on your
J-1’s school and program
program expiration date
required financial information
financial resources
Signature signifying that you have read and certify the information
any endorsement signatures of a Designated School Official (DSO) affirming that the information on the front of your I-20 is correct and you are currently in status for the purpose of re-entering the U.S.
Any notations by a DHS official
Page 2: Instructions which should be followed to maintain your status.
You should keep all of your original DS-2019s even after a new one has been issued to reflect updated information or transfer of schools. If you lose your current DS-2019, request a replacement from International Services.
Your Form I-94, Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Record
is what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) uses to keep track of your arrival and departure from the U.S.
is a small white card usually stapled onto a U.S. visa page of your passport
contains an eleven-digit identifying number
indicates your lawful status
lists how long you may remain in the U.S.
Usually you will be admitted for “D/S”, meaning the duration of status for the length of your J-1’s program as indicated on your Form DS-2019
including any period of post-completion academic training
plus 30 days
If your J-1 finishes their program before the completion date indicated on your DS-2019, they are considered to have competed their program and your DS-2019 is no longer valid
is to be surrendered upon your permanent departure from the U.S.
You should keep your immigration documents current, secure and accessible.
Your passport is a formal permit to travel from and return to your issuing country.
All individuals in F and J status, except Canadian citizens entering from the Western Hemisphere, are required to present at their U.S. port of entry a passport valid for a minimum of six months.
list of countries that the U.S. allows entry up until the date of expiration
Your passport should contain a valid F or J visa for you to enter the U.S.
It is your responsibility to extend your passport before it expires or to replace it if lost.
Information on renewing your passport is available from your country's consulate or embassy.
As part of your application materials, you may request a certification letter of your status at BYU from International Services.
Your J-2 lawful status is the official U.S. government designation and authorization of your stay in the U.S. as a non-immigrant dependent of a J-1 Principal status holder. Your status is dependent upon and in effect for the duration of your J-1 principal.
Your status is designated by the Customs and Border Patrol officer who reviews your visa and other documents at your port of entry, and upon your admittance, writes your lawful immigration status and the length of time you may remain in the U.S. on your Form I-94 and Form DS-2019 (shown below).
{mostip showimage=1,image=info,background=ivory,size=24x24}Before leaving the port of entry, check to make sure this information has been entered in your documents. more {/mostip}
You will probably have “D/S” as the length of stay; it means “duration of status” until the program completion date noted on your Form DS-2019—providing you continue to maintain the requirements of your status.
In most instances, your visa category and immigration status will be the same, J-2, unless you change your lawful status after entering the U.S. For example, you may change from J-2 status as a student to J-1 status as a dependent of an J-1.
It is your permit allowing you to travel to a U.S. port of entry and to request entry in F-1 student status.
You might think of your visa as an entry key to the door of the U.S.
Once you have opened the door and entered, you do not need to worry about whether your visa is valid or expired unless you leave and plan to re-enter the U.S. In that case, you must have your key—a valid U.S. visa—to be able to reenter.
Even though your visa allows you to travel to a U.S. port of entry, it is a Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) immigration inspector who determines your admission into, length of stay and conditions of stay in, the U.S.
Your visa is valid for a specified number of entries to the United States: one, two, or "multiple," i.e., any number, until the expiration date.
If you are a Canadian citizen entering the U.S. from within the Western Hemisphere, you are not required to have a passport or visa, but you must show your Form I-20 and proof of Canadian citizenship. more
If you renew your passport and still have a valid visa in your old one, you may continue to use the visa in your old passport to enter the U.S.
If you change your status in the U.S. and then travel, you must have a visa corresponding to your new status when you re-enter the U.S.
In order to obtain a new F-1 visa, you generally should apply at a U.S. embassy or consulate within your country of citizenship or nationality; it can not be renewed in the U.S.
Contact the embassy or consulate where you plan to apply in advance to ask about the specific procedures and requirements at that location.
It is possible to apply for a visa as a “third country national” in a country other than your home country, but you may experience problems not experienced in your home country.
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