In order for the Office of International Affairs to be able to issue a DS-2019, you must provide the Office of International Affairs with financial documentation that:

• Is in English or accompanied by a certified translation.
• Is original (or certified copies).
• Shows liquid assets available to you for the duration of your program. The following items are NOT appropriate as sources of funding: value of jewelry, livestock, property or other non-liquid, non-renewable assets..

For funds provided by a private individual other than yourself, such as a parent or other family member, your financial documentation must be accompanied by a signed letter of support.

You may need to show these documents to the U.S. Consular official when applying for your visa. You may either obtain two sets of originals of these documents, or send certified copies of these documents to your Jefferson department, keeping the primary originals for your visa application with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Self-funded J-1 scholars will additionally require proof of institutional commitment from the sponsoring department.

Once our office receives a completed DS-2019 request packet from your department, normally we can have the DS-2019 and pre-arrival materials ready for your department to send to you within two weeks. Failure to provide your department with all of the information and documentation that is required will result in significant processing delays.

Review all the materials to make sure there are no misspellings or other mistakes on your documents. If everything is correct and accurate, you then may use these documents to apply for a visa at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate nearest you.