Exchange Visitors (J visas)

Exchange visitor applicants are scheduled for appointments Monday through Thursday afternoons, except Polish and American holidays. Exchange visitor visa applicants must submit the electronic application form DS-156 with a bar-code, forms DS-157 and DS-158 and present all the documents described in Basic documents and photographs.

Applicants must present the documents described in Basic documents and photographs as well as form DS-2019 completed and certified by the American inviting institution and signed by the applicant.

The inviting American organization or institution which issued the DS-2019 form must provide electronic evidence of the alien's acceptance at that institution before a J visa can be issued. The data contained in the DS-2019 form must be entered into the SEVIS database. Applicants for J visas that are not continuing their course of study at the same institution with a DS-2019 issued on or after September 1, 2004 will have to pay an additional SEVIS registration and processing fee.

This fee is $100 for students and $35 for short-term exchange visitors (au pairs, summer work/travel and camp counselors) and must be paid prior to the interview with the consular officer. The fee is charged to help cover the costs of administering the SEVIS program and is non-refundable. It is a one-time fee for each nonimmigrant program in which the exchange visitor participates. It is valid until he/she changes his/her status or loses his/her status.

Information on how to pay the SEVIS fee can be found at the DHS SEVIS website: www.fmjfee.com.

More information about this new fee and the SEVIS program can be found at the DHS SEVP website.

Applicants sponsored by the U.S. Government (e.g. Fulbright scholarship holders) do not pay a visa processing or SEVIS fee.

Spouses and unmarried children under 21 of J-1 visa holders may apply for J-2 visas. To do so they should present the documents described in the Basic documents and photographs, a form DS-2019 completed and certified by the American inviting institution and signed by the applicant. Derivatives (J-2) do not have to pay a separate SEVIS fee even though they will have a unique SEVIS number.

Applicants should also bring documents detailing high school and university studies in Poland. Certain J visa applicants may also be required to demonstrate availability of funds and knowledge of English.

Passports with J visas are issued together with a sealed envelope containing the DS-2019 form. This envelope must remain sealed and has to be presented with the passport to the immigration agent at the first port of entry in the U.S.

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