Exchange Visitor Pre-Arrival Guide for Transfers
What to know before you arrive
overview
steps
Cultural Goals and Components of the Program
There are specific objectives of an Exchange Visitor Program (EVP). In addition to facilitating an opportunity to visit the U.S. for a program of study, research, teaching, or collaboration in an academic setting, an equally important aspect of the program is to promote cultural exchange and foreign diplomacy, and through research, teaching, and collaboration that cultural exchange and foreign diplomacy are accomplished.
The Exchange Visitor program promotes the sharing of knowledge and skills among foreign and American scholars. It does so by providing foreign scholars the opportunity to exchange ideas with their American colleagues, participate in educational and professional programs, confer on common problems and projects, and promote professional relationships. This may be accomplished through lecturing, observing, consulting, and participating in seminars, workshops, conferences, study, professional meetings, or similar types of educational and professional activities.
For more information on the goals and objectives of the Exchange Visitor Program, review our Program Goals and Objectives page.
Maintaining Your Legal Status
As a Transfer, remember to continue to follow the guidance of your current J-1 Exchange Visitor Program, as they are responsible for your legal visa status until your SEVIS transfer is completed. Please read the information Traveling Outside of the U.S. While Your SEVIS Transfer is Pending section, as traveling during a pending transfer is very risky. A delay in travel to the U.S., or using the incorrect DS-2019 to enter the U.S., or even an application for a new visa while outside of the U.S., may cause delays and prevent you from successfully entering the U.S. to continue your Exchange Visitor Program. A new DS-2019 will be provided on or after the SEVIS transfer effective date.
Review the Online Pre-Arrival Orientation
The Homebase online pre-arrival guide provides additional information on the Exchange Visitor Program, visa regulations, and cultural aspects of the Salt Lake City and Utah community. To create a profile, please visit Homebase and follow these steps:
- Select your institution: University of Utah
- Input the program number: 154-11-75
- Type in your name, e-mail address, date of birth, gender, and country of residence.
- Create a password (Passwords must be at least 8 characters long and contain at least 1 lowercase letter, 1 uppercase letter, 1 numeric and 1 special character, such as the following: (!@#$%^&)T
Providing Proof of Health Insurance
Exchange Visitors and their dependents must maintain health insurance during their exchange visitor program. Please review the document included in your pre-arrival packet titled "Health Insurance Requirements" or visit our health insurance page for more information, as well as item (f), page 2 of your DS-2019. Please be aware that an EV and dependent spouse or minor child may be subject to the requirements of the Affordable Care Act.
University of Utah Employee Health Care Plan
Some EVs may be eligible for the University's health plan. Please check with the department hosting your visit to find out if you are eligible. If you are eligible for the University plan, details can be found on on Human Resource's webpage.
Even if this is offered to you, you still need to proactively take action and sign up for the University plan.
Private Insurance Plans
The University of Utah does not endorse private insurance plans, but if you are not eligible for the University's health plan and need to purchase private insurance, the following companies offer plans compliant with J-visa requirements. Please conduct your own research, and consider an option that is more comprehensive than the minimum requirements based on the health care needs of you and your family. We've provided a list of companies that write insurance that meets the Department of State's minimum requirements:
- ISO: www.isoa.org
- International Student Insurance: www.internationalstudentinsurance.com
Proof of insurance, such as a summary of benefits, declaration page, letter from your insurance or government provider identifying your coverage is necessary to validate your SEVIS record. For additional resources, review the overview of the healthcare system in the U.S. and how it relates to EVs.
If you are unable to provide proof of insurance to match the research begin date at the University of Utah, we will not be able to validate your SEVIS record. Failure to provide proof of health insurance that meets the minimum requirements of the U.S. Department of State will result in terminationof your visa status.
Housing Options (On and Off Campus)
While the University of Utah cannot guarantee on-campus housing for exchange visitors, we encourage you to review our Housing page for information on options on campus, and around the Salt Lake metro area. Your host department may also have additional resources for housing options.
For information on the estimated cost of living in Salt Lake City, please review the following webpages:
Reporting Your On-Campus Arrival Through UAtlas
Upon entry to the U.S. for a new EV program, you must report your arrival to International Student and Scholar Services, which should be done within a few days of arrival. Reporting is necessary to validate your SEVIS immigration record, giving you an ACTIVE immigration status. Please be aware that if you do not report your arrival within 30 days of the program begin date as listed on your DS-2019, your immigration status will change to NO SHOW, which is not a legal status for any type of employment based or education based in the U.S. Please refer to the included in the Pre-Arrival packet on how to report your arrival using UAtlas.
Please be prepared to submit the following as part of the reporting process through UAtlas:
- Passport.
- J-1 Visa (with "stamp" from Customs and Border Protection).
- DS-2019 with U.S. Consular Signature.
- I-94 document. To retrieve this document, which identifies that you entered the U.S. in J-visa status, please visit www.i94.cbp.dhs.gov.
- Proof of health insurance coverage. This should include your policy number and amount of coverage.
- Current physical residential address in the United States and current contact information (e-mail address and U.S. phone number).
Attending Orientation
Please participate in orientation, which occurs twice per month via Zoom. You will have an opportunity to sign up for the orientation after you report your arrival to campus and complete the check-in procedures. The following is a sample of the information covered during orientation:
- Life, customs, and cultural activities in the U.S.
- Community resource, such as transportation and libraries, and healthcare options.
- Description of the Exchange Visitor Program and appointment disclosure information.
- Information on visa regulations, sponsor (University of Utah) rules, and how to maintain your legal status in the U.S.
- Contact information: the name and address of the J-1 advisors (RO and ARO) at the university, as well as the Office of Designation (U.S. Department of State).
- Information about applying for a driver's license, social security card, and bank account.
- The Wilberforce Pamphlet regarding the rights and protections for temporary workers.
- The Exchange Visitor Program Welcome Brochure.
Travel Outside of the U.S. While Your SEVIS Transfer if Pending
If you plan to depart the United States with an intent to re-enter after your "transfer" effective date, please be prepared to provide the following documents to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at a U.S. port of entry (air, land, and sea), upon arrival:
- Passport.
- J-1 non-immigrant visa stamp (located in your passport).
- Original form DS-2019 from the University of Utah.
- The invitation or offer letter from the university.
The transfer effective date, which is the date your SEVIS record is available to the University of Utah, will be your new program begin date at the University. The University of Utah must validate your SEVIS immigration record within 30 days of this date, and we can only validate your record after the transfer effective date and only and after you have reported to ISSS through UAtlas.
If we are unable to validate your SEVIS record, your visa status will become "NO SHOW," which is not a legal status for employment based or educational based programs in the U.S. Understand that traveling abroad during a pending SEVIS transfer is very risky, as there is no guarantee that you will be allowed to re-enter the U.S. after a departure while a SEVIS transfer is pending.
Final Reminders
Please remember that it is your responsibility to be knowledgeable of the rules and regulations of your visa type. This is important in order to understand the benefits and protections you are given as visitors to the U.S. Much of this information is covered on the Homebase online pre-arrival guide, and will be covered at the Exchange Visitor orientation after arrival. We will also be available during your stay for one-on-one advising sessions for any visa related questions. Another helpful resource is the Department of State's Exchange Visitor page.
A summary of many of the policies and regulations can be found on our J-1 Visa Program homepage. The following are examples of available information for scholars, including but not limited to:
- The 212(e) home residency requirement.
- The 12 and 24-Month bar.
- Incidental Study and Incidental Employment.
- Change of a Site of Activity.
- DS-2019 extension of stay.
- Transfer "to or from" another College or University.
- Temporary Out of Country Leave.
- Health Insurance Requirements.
- Travel Abroad.
- J-2 Dependent Employment.