As a J-1 exchange visitor you are responsible for maintaining
legal status while you are in the United States. OIE-IS reminds
you that this responsibility includes the following:
1. Register with OIE-IS soon after arrival in Richmond.
You are required to register within the first few days of
your arrival. Please bring your passport, your DS-2019 and
I-94 card (including those of your dependents) to our office
at 916 W. Franklin St. For specific directions to our office,
please refer to our campus
maps.
2. If you are to be employed by VCU or the VCU Medical
Center, please note you may not begin working until you
have completed the form I-9 with your department.
3. Keep your passport, as well as those of your dependents,
valid at all times while in the U.S.
4. Maintain mandatory health
insurance that meets the J visa requirements. Government
regulations stipulate that if you willfully fail to carry
the required health insurance for yourself and your J-2
status dependents, your J-1 sponsor must terminate your
program.
5. Maintain the necessary documents for travel abroad
and reentry into the U.S. in the proper visa classification.
When planning to travel abroad during your exchange visitor
program, check with OIE-IS if a calendar year has passed
since your DS-2019 was issued. If it has, an updated DS-2019
may be issued. Also check the J-1 visa stamp in your passport
— it must be valid in order for you to be permitted
to reenter the U.S., no matter what the end date on your
DS-2019 may state.
6. Engage in only those activities specified in item 5
on your DS-2019. The description of the Exchange Visitor
Program in which you are participating is very specific.
It does not permit you to enter into another program of
activity, or employment, or to change your visa status easily.
Activities that are not specifically noted in the program
description on the DS-2019, and for which you will receive
compensation from a source other that VCU, are prohibited.
If you wish to make any changes in your activities inside
the U.S., consult with OIE-IS staff before engaging in these
activities.
Note: Changes of category within the
J visa, such as a change from the Research Scholar category
to the Student category, require special permission from
the Department of State and this permission
is rarely granted. You should not enter the U.S. in one
J visa category with the intention of changing to another
one at a later date.
7. File the required forms and take any other actions to
ensure your compliance with U.S. tax laws. All J-1 visa
holders and their dependents are required to file U.S. income
tax returns — even if they do not receive any income
from a U.S. source. If you earn money from a U.S. source,
you may be liable to pay federal and state income taxes.
If you have further questions about your tax status in the
U.S., contact the VCU Payroll Office at (804) 828-0740.
