Arriving in the USA
Arrival Documents
When you travel to the U.S., keep your printed DS-2019 Form, DS-7002 training plan, and passport with your J-1 Visa in your carry-on luggage. You will need to present these documents to customs officials upon arrival. Please make sure you have signed your DS-2019 at the bottom of page 1.
During your flight, an attendant will give you a Customs Declaration Form (Form CF-6059B) to complete before the end of your flight. For information regarding how to fill out this form, visit the Customs and Border Patrol website.
Clearing Customs and Border Protection
Upon arriving in the U.S., you will immediately go to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to request admission to the U.S. To facilitate your entry, please tell the CBP official that you are a J-1 Exchange Visitor and present the following documents for inspection:
- Your valid passport, including your J-1 Visa
- Form DS-2019
- Customs Declaration Form CF-6059B
If requested, you may also need to provide InterExchange Career Training USA’s contact info. Please carry the following information with you:
InterExchange
100 Wall Street., Suite 301,
New York, NY 10005
212.924.0446 | 888.621.1202
training@interexchange.org
At the border, you will be entered into a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) database, and you may also be fingerprinted and photographed. To learn more about U.S. arrival procedures, visit the Customs and Border Patrol website.
Please note that a visa does not guarantee admission to the U.S.; all admission decisions are up to the discretion of CBP officials.
I-94 Arrival/Departure Record
If you are granted admission to the U.S., your entry will be recorded by CBP on an electronic record called the I-94. This record has replaced passport stamps at most ports of entry.
You will need a copy of this record when applying for important documents like your Social Security number or other forms of identification in the U.S. To access your electronic I-94 record, visit the CBP’s I-94 website and choose “Get Most Recent I-94.”
Please note the date indicated on your I-94. This is the date by which you must leave the U.S. If it is marked “D/S”, that means you may remain in the U.S. for the duration of your status (the end date of your program, plus your 30-day grace period).
If you are not able to access your I-94 record online, or if information on your I-94 is incorrect, please contact a local CBP Deferred Inspection Site or port of entry. Locate the closest CBP Deferred Inspection Site here.
Problems Crossing the Border
It is rare for J-1 Visa holders to encounter difficulties when crossing the U.S. border. However, if you are agitated, act suspiciously, or if you are missing any documents, CBP officials may subject you to further questioning. If you do not have your DS-2019 Form available, you may be detained; you could also be flagged in the computer system, thus causing delays on future trips to the U.S.
The best way to ensure a smooth entry is to have all necessary forms completed and ready to present to CBP, be friendly and patient in line and with the CBP official, and answer their questions honestly. If you do encounter any problems, please provide CBP with InterExchange Career Training USA’s contact information so that they can contact us.
Arrival Period
Although you are not permitted to intern or train before your program start date on your DS-2019, you are permitted to arrive in the U.S. up to 30 days prior to your start date to allow time for you to get settled-in before you begin interning.
NOTE: If you need to arrive more than 7 days before your start date, you are required to pay the early arrival insurance fee. You can make your payment on our website. Please also email InterExchange once you are in the U.S. to report your early arrival.
Inform InterExchange of your Arrival
Once you’ve arrived in the U.S., you must contact InterExchange within 10 days to register with SEVIS.
Let us know you’ve arrived by reporting your arrival through your Online Application on or after your program begin date. The form with ask you to list your exact arrival date along with your U.S. contact information.
About a day after you’ve registered your arrival, you’ll receive an email from InterExchange confirming your SEVIS activation, as well as information regarding your accident and sickness insurance.
