J-1 Non-Degree Students – Office of International Services

J-1 Non-Degree Students (NDS) at USC must be engaged in a full-time course of study in a non-degree academic program with a specific educational objective. J-1 Exchange Visitors are issued a DS-2019 by the Office of International Services at the sponsoring academic department’s request.

Educational Requirement: All degree levels
Program Duration: 3 weeks to 2 years
Funding Requirement: Over 51% of funding must come from source other than personal funding (51% rule waived for direct exchange students with an MOU from foreign university)
Academic Training: Non-Degree Students may apply for post-completion Academic Training for employment related to their field of study.
J-1 Bars: Not subject to 24-Month Bar
No Interns: USC does not offer the J-1 Intern Category

Our website is divided into four sections to help guide Exchange Visitors and their sponsoring departments through the process of bringing a J-1 Exchange Visitor to USC.

If you are a J-1 Degree Student at USC, we would like to redirect you to the webpages listed below:

If you are a J-1 Scholar conducting full-time research or teaching at USC, we would like to redirect you to the webpages below:

The J-1 Exchange Visitor program aims to increase intercultural understanding between the local and international communities through education and cross-cultural exchange.

The University of Southern California has a long and proud tradition of facilitating such exchanges. We welcome J-1 degree students in the Bachelor, Master, and Ph.D. J-1 student visa categories. Regardless of their individual pursuits, J-1 Exchange Visitors greatly contribute to the rich and diverse Trojan Family. Their experience at USC allows them to achieve their goals, as well as enrich the university’s global initiatives.