Maintaining J-1 Status
- Orientation and Document Review: After arriving on campus, please attend Global Spartan Welcome (GSW), complete the New Student Document Check-in. You will receive an email from ISSS with detailed instructions to upload your immigration documents into the iSpartan system for review.
- Enrollment: Enroll full-time, with a minimum of 12 units. These courss can be in-person or hybrid, with the allowance of one online course, for each term of your bilateral exchange program at SJSU. Full-time enrollment is strictly enforced. A student who wants to pursue less than a full course of study will need to receive approval from his/her home university in addition to the ISSS office before reducing their course load. Failure to complete a full course load will result in you falling out of status and end your exchange program.
- Health Insurance: Maintain sufficient health insurance coverage while studying at SJSU.
- Change of Address: Report any change of address within 10 days of the change via the MySJSU portal
(update the Home or Mailing Address type in MySJSU).
- Travel: You may return to your home country or travel outside the U.S. during official school
breaks. Before leaving the U.S., make sure your DS-2019 is signed by a RO/ARO in
the ISSS office. See the travel page for additional information to prepare for your
re-entry into the U.S. The travel endorsement on your DS-2019 is valid for one year
or till your program end date for those participating in a short-term program.
- Grace Period: You have 30 days after you complete your program or after the program end date
listed on the DS-2019 to depart the U.S. You may not exit and re-enter the U.S. in
J-1 status during the grace period.
- If you plan to withdraw before the end of your program, please contact ISSS. You will need approval from your home university before we can take action to complete your SEVIS record.
- Program Extension: If you would like to extend your exchange program for one additional semester, then you may be eligible for a program extension. You would need to get the approval of your home university and extend your DS-2019 before it expires, showing additional funds for the extended term. If you would like to extend your exchange prorgam at SJSU for another semester, please contact the ISSS office at j1-visa@sjsu.edu or meet with an advisor for more information.
Contact Us
San José State University
One Washington Square
Student Union - CPGE
San Jose, CA 95192-0135
Office Hours
Monday-Friday 9am – 4:30pm