BECHTEL INTERNATIONAL CENTER
Beyond the Initial Request:
Best Practices for J
Elsa Gontrum Spring, 2013
Keeping tabs on
your J Scholar
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Arrival
Amend
Cancel
Shorten
Extension
Moving to another department
Changes in funding/payment
Transferring to another institution
Transfer To Stanford
Replacing a DS-2019
Preparing for
arrival of scholar
 Make copy of Ds-2019 after picking up from Bechtel
 You will need the SEVIS number on the Ds-2019 for any
subsequent workflow requests.
 Maintain a calendar/list of scholars’ start dates
 E-mail scholar verifying actual arrival date to Stanford
 Inform scholar that J visa health insurance is required to
begin upon actual entry to the US for scholar and
dependents
ARRIVAL
 Program start date on Ds-2019 should correspond to actual
start date of program at Stanford.
 Immigration regulations allow scholar to arrive 30 days
BEFORE the Ds-2019 start date.
 If the scholar is not present on campus by the program start
date, contact the scholar and find out why and when he/she
will arrive and keep tabs until arrival has been confirmed.
 If the arrival of the scholar will be delayed more than 25
days beyond the start date of the Ds-2019, submit a request
in workflow to “amend” the Ds-2019 with a later start date.
 Make copy of amended DS-2019 and send original to
scholar. Keep copy of amended Ds-2019 along with
originally-issued DS-2019.
If your scholar cancels…
 Obtain an e-mail confirmation if your scholar wishes to
cancel program. If cancellation is at the request of the
department, notify scholar that the Ds-2019 has been
cancelled and is not valid for entry.
 Submit a “Cancel” request in workflow using the scholar’s
current SEVIS number on the Ds-2019
 Request that scholar return the Ds-2019 to you and bring it
back to Bechtel
Ending early
Two scenarios:
1. Scholar has left without your knowledge
As
soon as you find out, submit a “shorten program” request to
shorten to the day following submission of the request. When
revised DS-2019 is issued, before sending it to scholar, make
copy and retain copy in your file
2. Foreknowledge of Scholar’s early departure:
Submit in a timely way, make copy for your file and give new
revised original to scholar.
Extensions
 Keep calendar of scholar’s end dates and three months
ahead of the end date, initiate conversation about
extending.
 Make sure scholar is in appropriate J category to allow for
extension (i.e. Short-Terms are limited to 6 months,
Research Scholar to 5 years)
 Submit request for extension well ahead of Ds-2019 end
date.
Moving to
another department
 The department to which the scholar is moving is
responsible for this update
 However, sometimes the current department may need to
send a reminder to the new department
 New department should submit a “Change Site of Activity”
request in workflow
Changes in funding/payment
 All changes in the scholar’s funding should be submitted in
workflow BEFORE the changes actually occur.
 All changes must be calculated as total program for the period of
the extension, not annual
 All changes to funding without an extension must be calculated
from the date of the submission of the request to the end date
of the current Ds-2019.
--Evidence of all sources of funding need to be kept as
hard copies for 3 years
--Stanford salary changes should also be submitted in
total program costs
FEI a.k.a. “Frequently Encountered Issues”
regarding payment
 Visiting Scholar’s department wants to pay him/her
--VS by definition is “unpaid”
 Post-doc needs to work part-time in another department in
addition to his/her own full-time position
--activities should be consistent with program
objective as stated on Ds-2019
TRANSFERS
 What does this mean?
 Transfer OUT: J sponsorship moving to a new institution
 Transfer IN: Stanford assuming J sponsorship of scholar
 TRANSFER OUT:
 What do you do if the scholar tells you he/she is transferring?
① Ask when and determine if that is convenient for your department. If
not establish a “last day” that is good for all concerned.
② Send Bechtel an e-mail stating that you are aware the scholar is
transferring out and that the last day is agreeable to all.
③ Advise scholar to inform scholar advisor at the new institution to send
an e-mail request to Bechtel for this transfer out.
TRANSFERS
Transfer IN:
More complicated: Scholar already in J status coming to Stanford
Get scanned copies of prospective scholar’s Ds-2019(s), including
those of any J2 dependents, and send set to Bechtel.
Work with scholar and department to arrange a reasonable start
date and tell scholar firmly what this date will be.
Inform scholar that there can be no gap between current program
and start of program at Stanford.
Submit a “Transfer to Stanford” request in workflow. When filling
out the form, make sure biographic data matches data on current
DS-2019s.
Inform scholar that he/she must be present in the US during the
SEVIS transfer.
Replacing a DS-2019
 The request to reprint a current DS-2019 must come from you
 Send us an e-mail with the scholar’s SEVIS ID number and name
and the reason for the reprint must be:
 Lost
 Stolen
 Damaged
 Other (and explain)
Misc Best Practices
 Keep all financial/funding records for scholars for 3 years
 Never scan and send a DS-2019 by e-mail
 Make sure your scholars attend our J-1 Scholar Orientation: 1st
and 3rd Thursday of each month
 Work only from passports (machine-readable strip) when
entering biographical information in workflow
 Stay in e-mail contact with your scholar, prior to arrival and during
the entire duration of the J program
 Whenever sending inquiries to
internationalscholars@stanford.edu include the name and SEVIS
number and/or Emplid.
Q&A