J1 Request Process

Johns Hopkins departments that host J-1 Exchange Visitors must designate a department administrator to submit requests for immigration sponsorship through iHopkins, the database used by OIS to process J-1 applications and other types of immigration sponsorship requests. (The designated department administrator is typically a staff member within the department who is closely involved with the credentialing, hiring and onboarding processes within the department.)

As a requirement for gaining access and submitting requests through iHopkins, the designated department administrator must first participate in training provided by the OIS. For departments that will submit J-1 Scholar requests, information for registering in an upcoming J-1 Scholar training session is below:

• Virtual Training with the J-1 Advising Team is generally offered the second Thursday of every month from 10:30- 12:00. E-mail [email protected] to inquire about upcoming training dates and offerings.
• To register for an upcoming training, email the following information to [email protected]
  • Last Name
  • First Name
  • E-mail Address
  • School
  • Department/Division

In addition to completing mandatory training, Department Administrators who submit J-1 Scholar requests, should familiarize themselves with the responsibilities and obligations for hosting J-1 Scholars, by visiting the Departmental Responsibilities section of the website.

Department Administrators may request J-1 immigration sponsorship in one of the J-1 categories available for Scholars. Typically, the J-1 Scholar will be coming from abroad to begin a NEW academic appointment at Johns Hopkins (but in limited circumstances the individual may already be in the U.S. or at Johns Hopkins in a different immigration status).

For individuals that appear to meet the criteria for immigration sponsorship as a J-1 Scholar, the Department Administrator can initiate a J-1 sponsorship request by following the steps below:

1. Log into iHopkins.
2. Access the Departmental Services menu
3. Open the “J-1 Exchange Visitor- Initial” eForm group

For individuals coming from abroad:

• The J-1 Initial Request Process timeline describes the steps and parties involved. *Note that J-1 Initial requests should be fully submitted at least 2-3 months in advance of an individual’s intended appointment start date at Hopkins, and departments should be prepared to exercise flexibility around start dates due to potential visa processing or travel delays.*
• Resources and Training materials are available on the OIS Sharepoint site for assistance with this process.

For individuals already in the U.S.:

• If the individual already holds an active J-1 status under the sponsorship of another U.S. institution, please first review the process for transferring to JHU and contact OIS with any follow up
• If the individual is in the U.S. and holds an immigration status other than J-1, please first consult OIS to determine whether or not that immigration status will allow them to change status to J-1.

Considerations for submitting a J-1 request:

• J-1 status may be requested for a maximum of three years at a time so long as the department expects to continue extending the scholar’s appointment and there is funding available for the duration of J-1 status requested. (Limited exceptions may be made for extensions of J-1 status in cases where the approved appointment is greater than three years and is documented in the appointment letter issued by the Dean’s office or equivalent)
• Request a reasonable start date by submitting the J-1 request in iHopkins at least 2-3 months in advance of the EV’s intended appointment start date

There are many variables that can influence an EV’s ability to arrive to the U.S. in a timely manner and begin their appointment at JHU on a specific start date. The J-1 Initial Request Process timeline provides a helpful overview, Therefore, the DS-2019 start date may be modified to accommodate these variables in the following scenarios:

1. The department submits a J-1 Initial Request for an unrealistic start date that is too early, OIS will automatically select a later program start date when issuing the DS-2019. In cases where OIS has automatically changed the start date-if the date is not possible for either of the following reasons, the department may amend the start date (after the first DS-2019 has been issued) by submitting the Initial Program Date Change Request eForm through iHopkins (no less than 10 days in advance of the proposed new start date and prior to the J-1’s arrival to the U.S.)
   • The EV is able to arrive prior to the start date selected by OIS and the department would like them to begin their appointment earlier. (Note- the J-1 program grace period allows the J-1 to enter the U.S. up to 30 days before the DS-2019 form start date, but they may not begin their appointment at Hopkins until the start date on their DS-2019 form.)
   • The J-1 Scholar will not be able to arrive by the start date selected by OIS and the start date must be pushed back further. (If a delay in arrival is specifically related to visa issues or consular administrative processing of the J-1 Visa, please email [email protected] so that we can provide appropriate guidance.)
2. For any EV who is unable to arrive in time for the start date listed on their DS-2019 and would like to delay their program start date, the department may request a later start date by submitting the Initial Program Date Change Request eForm through iHopkins (no less than 10 days in advance of the proposed new start date and prior to the J-1’s arrival to the U.S.)

To submit Initial Program Date Change Request eForm

1. Log in to iHopkins
2. Access the Departmental Services menu
3. Click on “J-1 Initial Program Date Change Request” under tasks
   • You will need to have updated appointment letter/document and/or funding documentation to upload

Alternatively, click “My Current Cases” under Lists. Click J-1 Exchange Visitor’s name and then click to access the “J-1 Exchange Visitor- Initial Program Date Change Request” eForm.

Department Administrators must request extensions or changes/amendments on behalf of J-1 Scholars who are already under JHU’s J-1 sponsorship. To submit requests for J-1 Extensions/Amendments, follow the steps below:

1. Log into iHopkins
2. Access the Departmental Services menu
3. Open the “J-1 Extension/Amendment” eForm group

J-1 Extensions:

• J-1 Scholars may be eligible to extend their J-1 immigration status if:
  • Their hosting department has agreed to extend their appointment and can provide an updated appointment document from the Dean’s office (or equivalent)
  • They have sufficient funding for the period of extension
  • There is time remaining on their J-1 immigration status. Please review the J-1 categories for information on time limitations of each type of J-1 status; and
  • They have maintained J-1 status and are otherwise eligible for an extension
• Department Administrators completing the J-1 Extension/Amendment eForm should select the purpose of the form as “Extension” and follow the eForm prompts

J-1 Amendments:

• For changes to the conditions of a J-1 Scholar’s appointment, a request for J-1 Amendment must be submitted. This includes:
  • Change in appointment title, hosting supervisor, location of work, supplemental payment, or other working conditions
  • For change of department/division, please review the instructions for Interdepartmental Transfer on the OIS website
• Department Administrators completing the J-1 Extension/Amendment eForm should select the purpose of the form as “Amendment” and follow the eForm prompts

J-1 Extension & Amendment:

• Department Administrators are given the option to both extend and amend a J-1 record simultaneously. This allows for changes to the J-1 working conditions at the same time as reappointment/extension
• In this case, the Department Administrator should select the purpose of the form as “Extension and Amendment” and follow the eForm prompts

Requests for J-1 Extensions and Amendments must be submitted at least 1-2 months in advance. For extensions, a J-1 cannot be extended after their program end date as their J-1 immigration record will have already expired. For Amendments, OIS cannot process any retroactive changes to a J-1 record so the requested change must be submitted for a future date

Consideration for submitting a J-1 Extension:

J-1 extension may be requested for a maximum of three years at a time so long as the department expects to continue extending the scholar’s appointment and there is funding available for the duration of J-1 status requested. (Limited exceptions may be made for extensions of J-1 status in cases where the approved appointment is greater than three years and is documented in the appointment letter issued by the Dean’s office or equivalent)

When a J-1 program is nearing expiration, there are a number of responsibilities placed on the Department Administrator as well as the J-1 Exchange Visitor (EV). If the department does not intend to extend a EV’s appointment they should consider the following scenarios:

Appointment Ends On-Time:

If the EV will end their JHU appointment and/or depart the U.S. as planned on their original program end date, the EV should follow the instructions in the expiration notice emails to complete the End of Program Departure Information eForm in iHopkins. The EV will begin receiving expiration emails prior to their end date (on which the Department Administrator is copied).

Appointment Ends/Terminates Early:

If the EV will end their JHU appointment, depart the U.S., change to a different immigration status at least 15 days earlier than their original J-1 program end date,  or the department decides to terminate their appointment for any reason, the Department Administrator must inform OIS in writing, email notification will suffice, of the change in end date and ask the EV to complete the End of Program Departure Information eForm in iHopkins.

J-1 Transfer Out

If the EV has received an offer from another U.S. institution and is eligible to transfer their J-1 immigration status OR if they are transferring to another Johns Hopkins department/school, they should review the instructions for J-1 Transfer Out or Interdepartmental Transfer on the OIS website.

• For J-1 Transfer Out, the current hosting department at Johns Hopkins must complete their portion (section 2) of the Departmental Confirmation Form and return it to the EV
• For J-1 Interdepartmental Transfer, the current hosting department at Johns Hopkins must complete their portion (section 2) of the Interdepartmental Transfer Form and return it to the EV