Applying for a J-1 Visa

Your UMass Amherst host department must submit a New J-1 Scholar Request to ISSS no later than 2 months before your intended start date. You and your host department will complete different parts of the request. Once complete, ISSS will review within 10 business days and contact you if more information is required. After approval, ISSS will provide instructions to access the DS-2019.

You or your department will be required to pay the J-1 Scholar fee. If you are an employee of UMass Amherst, your department is required to pay. If you are not paid by UMass Amherst, you will need to work with your department to determine who pays the fee—you or them.

All J-1 Scholars are required to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee. 

The SEVIS fee is separate from the J-1 Scholar fee and the Visa Application Fee. You are required to pay both the SEVIS and Visa Application Fees by the U.S. government.

Apply for your J-1 visa from a  U.S. Embassy or Consulate—this should ideally be either in your home country or country of permanent residence. If applying outside your home country, confirm with the embassy directly to ensure they can accept your visa application.  

Follow your local U.S. Embassy or Consulate’s specific instructions for scheduling an appointment and applying for a J-1 visa. 

Important Tips: 

• The DS-160 visa application has a required fee that is separate from the ISSS fee and SEVIS fee.
• J-1 Scholars do NOT need the DS-7002 Training/Internship Placement Plan for their visa application.
• Waiting times for an appointment can long, especially during the busy summer months. Schedule your appointment as soon as possible after receiving your DS-2019.
  • Choose whatever date is available (even if it is after your DS-2019 start date). Once you have an appointment scheduled, you can ask the consulate to expedite your appointment.  

All visa applicants must provide the following documents to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate at the time of the interview: 

• Valid passport
• DS-2019 (you must print, sign, and date the document you receive via email)
• Documented proof of financial support
• Receipt of SEVIS I-901 fee payment
• Employment Offer Letter or Invitation Letter (unpaid scholars)
• Visa application forms (available from the U.S. Embassy or Consulate)
• Any other documents requested by your embassy/consulate 

Once you receive your J-1 visa stamp in your passport, update the J-1 Scholar Arrival and Check In E-Formsyour visa and arrival information. Remember to check your visa stamp for accuracy. If anything is incorrect, contact the U.S. Consulate or Embassy immediately.

**If you are placed in administrative processing (221g), the clearance may take two weeks or longer. If your arrival is delayed and your arrival is 25 days after your start date, contact ISSS—we may need to amend your DS-2019 to adjust your start date.

This step can be completed at any time during the visa application process—our orientation has a plethora of information regarding the visa process that may be helpful. 

We will send you access to our online orientation platform (Homebase) soon after DS-2019 creation. Please check your emails and go through all of the modules. 

Starting October 1, this online orientation is mandatory and you will not receive access to university systems until it is done and we have approved your J-1 Scholar Check-In.

You can enter the U.S. no earlier than 30 days before and no later than 25 days after the DS-2019 start date. Your record will be invalidated on day 30 from the DS-2019 start date so we need time to make the needed updates. If you cannot arrive within that time frame, contact ISSS to determine if any DS-2019 amendments need to be made. You will need:

• your valid passport
• valid J-1 visa (except for Canadians)
• DS-2019
• Invitation/offer letter from your UMass Amherst host department at the port of entry.
• Helpful to have: your funding documents and your SEVIS I-901 fee receipt. 

Review Getting to UMass for information on getting from local airports to campus. 

ISSS will send you reminder emails about the J-1 Scholar Check-In prior to your arrival to the U.S. Once you have landed, complete the J-1 Scholar Check-In as soon as possible and ensure your online orientation is finished. After approval of the J-1 Scholar Check-In, ISSS will register your arrival with the U.S. government (SEVIS Validation), provide an SSN letter, and start the NENS Process to get UMass credentials/email.  

You should also check in with your host department and PI to ensure your needs are met and you can begin your research. You should not begin to work or research until your DS-2019 start date.