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Department administrators may submit a DS-2019 Extension Request on behalf of their J-1 scholar if they would like to extend their USC appointment. The J-1 appointment is not a contract of employment. The sponsoring academic department may ask OIS to shorten the DS-2019 at any time if the exchange visitor is not making progress towards…

Updated 09/12/2024 Upon arrival to the United States (U.S.), all new and continuing (e.g. return from leave of absence, reinstatement, change of status, etc.) international F-1/J-1 students and J-1 scholars are required to complete Immigration Status Verification (ISV), formally referred to as Passport Verification (PPV), with the Office of International Services (OIS). ISV is a…

Updated 04/08/2024 OIS has teamed up with Sprintax to provide tax preparation software for non-residents at USC. Sprintax is a web-based tax return preparation system designed exclusively for foreign students, scholars, teachers, researchers, trainees, and their dependents to aid in preparing US federal and state income tax forms (returns). Recent USC graduates on OPT and OPT…

Updated 09/20/2024 Quick Navigation Part 1: General STEM OPT Extension InformationPart 2: Completing the Form I-983Part 3: Requesting a STEM OPT I-20 from OISPart 4: Filing the Form I-765Part 5: USCIS Application DecisionPart 6: Maintaining F-1 Status While on STEM OPT Extension Part 1: General STEM OPT Extension Information Overview of the STEM OPT Extension…

Updated 08/22/2023 A Social Security Number (SSN) is a 9-digit number issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents and temporary (working) non-residents (e.g., F-1/J-1 students and scholars) by the Social Security Administration (SSA). Its primary purpose is to track individuals for taxation purposes; it is not intended to be used for identification purposes. Per current legislation,…

Updated 11/16/2023 Most international students and scholars are liable for taxation on any income earned in the United States (U.S.) from the beginning of their arrival in the U.S. Income can include: salary, scholarships, fellowships, money earned from U.S. mutual funds or U.S. bank accounts. Federal and State Taxes Taxes for the 2023 calendar year…

Exchange Visitors are granted a 30-day grace period following the completion of a program, during which time Exchange Visitors are free to travel within the U.S. and take care of details before returning home. If the Exchange Visitor is leaving after the program end date on the DS-2019, there are no formal check-out procedures with…

OIS Processing Time: 10 business days Employment opportunities for J-1 Exchange Visitors are heavily restricted by the Department of State and they can only be employed (paid or unpaid) by their USC sponsoring academic department in the field indicated on their DS-2019. Additionally, Exchange Visitors must report to the Site of Activity (a USC based address)…

Adding a J-2 Dependent After Arrival in the U.S. OIS Processing Time: 10 business days An Exchange Visitor may be accompanied by his or her dependent(s) at any time. A J-2’s DS-2019 may be issued along with the J-1’s application or at a later time. OIS does not charge an additional fee to issue J-2 DS-2019s,…

As an Exchange Visitor, you’ll need a J-1 visa to enter the United States. To obtain a J-1 visa you must visit a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. It is not possible to obtain a visa from within the United States. It is important to note that U.S. Embassies have different visa application procedures for scheduling…