Information for Scholars/Employees (J-1)

As of August 1, 2003, all Saint Louis University international scholars on SLU's J-1 visa program must be issued a SEVIS DS-2019 (the new name for the IAP-66). You must request this new form from the Office of International Services for yourself and each of your dependent family members, if they are inside the U.S. Your current IAP-66 form(s) will be invalid if you do not replace it with the new SEVIS DS-2019. If you are attending Saint Louis University as an exchange visitor, you MUST have this new visa document in order to maintain legal visa status.

In order to process your request for the new DS-2019 and obtain new J-1 visa information extremely important to your continued stay in the U.S., you are required to attend one of the information sessions listed above. At the session you will be given a SEVIS DS-2019 request form. Upon receipt of your request form, the Office of International Services will request the new form for you. Please note that the Office of International Services no longer produces the DS-2019 (IAP-66) forms. The office must request them from the new Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The forms can no longer be produced on the spot and requests cannot be expedited. Please allow plenty of time for processing since the office will be requesting forms for ALL continuing SLU students and scholars.

The J-1 Exchange Visitor Program allows Saint Louis University to bring international scholars to the United States. The university has been approved by the U.S. State Department to serve as the visa sponsor for these individuals. Other organizations such as Fulbright, the Institute for International Education (IIE), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) may also serve as the J-1 visa sponsor for scholars at SLU. These organizations may provide the individual with his or her visa document, but the IC still needs to be aware of their presence, and the scholar should still check in with the Office of International Services.

Federal regulations govern the Exchange Visitor and the sponsor. The intent of the program is exchange of knowledge; the assumption is that the international scholar is coming temporarily to the U.S and expects to return home. The J-1 exchange visitor classification is appropriate for most research scholars. To apply for the J-1 visa, scholars are issued a Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status, commonly referred to as Form DS-2019. The IC issues Form DS-2019 when SLU serves as the visa sponsor. If the scholar is sponsored by another J-1 program, such as Fulbright, WHO, or NIH, that organization is responsible for issuing the visa certificate.

To request the form DS-2019, the hiring department should complete the J-1 Department Request Form. The prospective J-1 scholar should complete the New J-1 Scholar Information Sheet. Please return both forms to the Office of International Services.

Saint Louis University's J-1 visa program can be revoked by the Department of State if the Office of International Services does not provide the information required by SEVIS.

If you have additional questions regarding the J-1 exchange visitor program, please contact Cathy Donahue at the Office of International Services.