Pre-Arrival
Once you have been invited by a UW–Madison department and IFSS has issued the Form DS-2019 for your J-1 program, you will need to complete the following steps:
- Review your Form DS-2019 for accuracy. If you find any errors, please email your J-1 Specialist immediately.
- Pay the SEVIS I-901 Fee to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at least 3 days before your visa appointment.
- Apply for your J-1 Visa.*
- Prepare for your visa interview.
To obtain the visa stamp, please complete the DS-160 and schedule an appointment at a U.S. Consulate. Advance travel planning and early visa application are important as not all visa applications can be completed on the day of the interview.
Please review the current wait time for an interview on the Department of State website.
- Scholars cannot enter the U.S until 30 days before their program start date and have until 30 days after their program start date to arrive.
*Citizens of Canada and Bermuda do not need to obtain a visa stamp in certain situations. For more information, please read here.
Arrival
Welcome to the University of Wisconsin–Madison! We are happy to hear you have arrived! We hope that you will find your time in Madison to be productive, rewarding and enjoyable.
At IFSS, we are always happy to provide assistance to you during your program. Your host department will also serve as a valuable resource during your stay.
Please review the information on our arrival page as there are a few items you will need to complete to be compliant with your J-1 status.
Post-Arrival
For helpful information to refer to throughout your time here at UW–Madison, please view our “During your Program” page. Before your program comes to an end, please review our “End of program” page to complete the necessary tasks before you depart the U.S.