Passport
Your passport must be valid at all times. Report a lost or stolen passport to the police, as your government may require a police report before issuing a new passport. To renew or replace your passport, please contact your country’s consulate in the U.S.
J-1 Visa Stamp
The J-1 visa stamp that the U.S. consular officer placed on a page in your passport permits you to apply to enter or reenter the U.S. It does not determine your length of stay in the U.S. [That is the purpose of the DS-2019 and the I-94 forms (see below)]. If the visa expires while a student is in the U.S., it is not necessary to apply for a new visa. A visa can only be secured abroad at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate outside of the territory of the USA.
I-94 Admissions Record
Customs and Border Patrol officer will stamp a student’s passport and write “J-1 D/S.” D/S stands for “duration of status” and refers to the length of time a J-1 student is permitted to remain temporarily in the U.S. to pursue a full course of study. Except for brief visits (30 days or less) to Canada, Mexico and Adjacent, a new admission number will be issued each time you enter the U.S.
Students may need to provide their admission number to various offices and agencies of state and federal governments. In order to access your I-94 admission number, please go to this Customs and Border Patrol website and provide the required data.
DS-2019
The DS-2019 is the document issued by the sponsor of the Exchange Visitor Program (i.e. TCNJ) which the student uses to apply for a J-1 visa at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy. At the port of entry the CBP officer will inspect the DS-2019 and return it to the student. The DS-2019 should be valid at all times; do not let the DS-2019 expire. A J-1 student should keep all issued forms DS-2019 permanently; do not discard old ones.