Office of International Programs

Federal regulations allow you to enter the U.S. 30 days before the start date listed on your DS-2019 and forbid you from arriving any later than 30 days after the start date.  Additionally, you are required to depart the U.S. within 30 days after the program end date listed on your DS-2019. Please keep these dates in mind as you make your travel arrangements to and from the U.S. 

Preparing for your trip:

Once you have been issued a Form DS-2019 from Appalachian State University, you should begin the process of acquiring your J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa as quickly as possible. The following steps should be taken.

F-1 students and J-1 Exchange Visitors who wish to obtain a North Carolina driver’s license may be able to do so.

The documents you will need to present to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) are:

All J-1 Exchange Visitors who are on Appalachian payroll will require a Social Security number. The closest Social Security Administration office is in Wilkesboro, NC. Our office will provide transportation to the Social Security Administration office for eligible students and scholars three times each semester. If you are unable to go at the times organized, your faculty host will provide arrangements for you to go. For information about future trips, please contact us at issso@appstate.edu.

All J-1 Exchange Visitors and J-2 dependents are required by federal regulations to maintain health insurance for the entire duration of their J-1 Exchange Visitor Program that meets the following requirements:

If you plan to travel outside of the U.S. during your time as a J-1 Exchange Visitor at Appalachian, it is very important that you have the necessary documents to both enter another country and reenter the U.S. in valid J-1 status. For information about what is required to enter a country other than the U.S., please refer to the embassy or consulate of that country for specific requirements.

To reenter the U.S. in J-1 status you will need the following documents:

The J-1 Exchange Visitor visa was created to provide opportunities for cultural exchange between the United States and other nations, thereby “building mutual understanding between Americans and people of other countries.” These activities are an essential component of the J-1 Exchange Visitor’s experience at Appalachian and required for Appalachian to continue to host J-1 Exchange Visitors.

All J-1 Exchange Visitors are required by federal immigration regulations to physically check in with an approved staff member upon arrival. Please work with your faculty host to schedule a time as soon as possible, and bring the following documents and information to the appointment:

During your time in the U.S. as a J-1 Exchange Visitor, it extremely important that you maintain valid J-1 status at all times. Failure to maintain your status or violation of your status may result in the cancellation of your program and impact your ability to secure future U.S. visas in the future. To avoid these circumstances, you must do the following: