Maintaining J Visa Status
Reporting Delayed Arrival
Scholars must check in at the International Center no later than 30 days from their program start date in order to avoid their program being automatically inactivated by the immigration database.
If a scholar encounters problems obtaining their visa and/or entering the U.S. within 30 days after the start date on the DS-2019 form, they will need to contact their inviting department at FSU to gain approval for their new start date. In some cases, available funding and/or grant or project requirements will not allow for a later start date. In those cases, the start date will not be amended by the International Center, and the scholar should not attempt to enter the U.S. with the DS-2019 form from FSU.
In most cases, though, the department can delay the research collaboration. The inviting department will then need to contact the International Center with their approval of the new start date. The International Center will then update the immigration database to amend the start date, and the Port of Entry to the U.S. should be able to view this new date in the immigration database and allow entry. Please note that the start date can be amended multiple times in cases where the actual start date is delayed and unknown due to visa processing delays, but this amendment of the start date must be done within the 30 days after each new start date entered.
FSU departments, please use the following form to report your scholar’s delayed arrival: