1. Home ›
  2. Scholars & Employees ›
  3. J-1 Exchange Visitor Scholar ›
  4. Arrival

Arrival

Arrival Information

STEP 1 - Arrive at the U.S. Port of Entry. 

At the U.S. port of entry, you will need to present the following documents to the inspections officer, so do not pack these items in your checked luggage:

  • Valid Passport with a valid F-1 or J-1 Visa stamp (except for Canadian citizens who are not required to have a visa stamp)

  • Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 issued by Notre Dame;

  • Notre Dame appointment letter; and

  • Evidence of financial resources.

If you have a dependent, they will also need to present a passport, Form DS-2019 and J-2 visa. 

I-94 Record and Admissions Stamp. Upon arrival in the U.S., a Custom and Border Protection official will review the documents listed above. Once they have determined you are eligible for entry, they will enter your status into the I-94 system and put an admission stamp in your passport.  

You should review and print your I-94 record each time you enter the U.S. so you have evidence of your immigration status, which includes the length of time you may remain inside the U.S. F-1 and J-1 visa holders will see the notation "D/S" on their I-94 record and their admission stamp. D/S means "duration of status," which refers to the program end date on your Form I-20 or DS-2019. When your status is marked D/S, you may remain in the U.S. as long as your Form I-20 or DS-2019 is accurate and unexpired.

STEP 2 - Check and print Your I-94 Record. 

Find your I-94 record here. Keep this record with your immigration documents. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) advises that it may take up to three days from the date of an individual’s entry into the United States for I-94 information to become available online. After three days, if you have trouble accessing your I-94 record, contact ISSA.

STEP 3 - Submit J-1 Check-in form.

Once the scholar arrives in the Notre Dame area, it is extremely important that they submit the J-1 Check-in form in ISSAlink so that ISSA can validate their J-1 program. If this form is not completed upon arrival, it may impact the scholar's ability to set up their Notre Dame ID and complete the required HR employment processes (if applicable). 

STEP 4 - Attend a J-1 Scholar Welcome Session 

Once the scholar arrives in the Notre Dame area, they will need to attend a virtual Scholar Welcome session with ISSA. These 90 minute sessions are scheduled every Monday at 9:00am and cover the essentials of the J-1 Exchange Visitor responsibilities.

ISSA will send an email one week prior to the start date with the Welcome Session Zoom link; scholars should contact Cynthia Reeves at issa@nd.edu if they do not receive the Welcome Session Zoom link prior to their arrival. J-1 Scholars will need to have their passport, DS-2019, and proof of health insurance available during the virtual session.

If the scholar does not check in within 30 days of their start date, the DS-2019 record may be canceled and they may lose your authorization to work in the U.S.