You should present the following documents to a U.S. consular officer at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate in your country to apply for a J-1 exchange visitor visa stamp. This should be done as early as possible before your exchange and in person, as you probably will be asked questions about your purposes for coming to the United States.

• Passport. You must have a valid passport to obtain a visa and enter the United States. Your passport should be valid for a minimum of six months beyond the end of the ISEP placement period.
• DS-2019 Certificate of Eligibility. The official document you will need to apply for your J-1 visa stamp is the Department of State's "Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status," more commonly known as a "DS-2019" or "visa document." Once your placement is confirmed by your host institution, ISEP sends the completed DS-2019 form to your home ISEP coordinator. Your coordinator will provide you with your DS-2019 after you accept your placement by signing the Participant Placement Acceptance Form.
• An application, Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-156.
• A Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-157. Submission of this completed form is required for all male applicants between 16-45 years of age. It is also required for all applicants from state sponsors of terrorism age 16 and over, irrespective of gender, without exception. Six countries are now designated as state sponsors of terrorism, including North Korea, Cuba, Syria, Sudan, Iran, and Libya. You should know that a consular officer may require any nonimmigrant visa applicant to complete this form.
• A Contact Information and Work History, Form DS-158.
• One (1) 2x2 photograph
• Proof of Enrollment in the ISEP Health Insurance. ISEP has designed a health insurance program to meet your needs for short-term, comprehensive health insurance. The information that ISEP has provided to you about this program should be kept with your important papers for reference. Enrollment in the policy is mandatory and is a requirement of your exchange under the J-1 visa. It is your responsibility to submit proper documentation and payment for enrollment. If you fail to enroll, ISEP reserves the right to enroll and bill you for the full period of your exchange plus a penalty fee.
• SEVIS Fee Receipt of Payment. All ISEP students applying for a J-1 visa whose DS-2019 is issued on or after September 1, 2004, are required to pay the SEVIS fee before going to the U.S. embassy or consulate for their visa interview. Applicants who are citizens of Canada or Bermuda, or residents of certain other islands wishing to apply for J-1 status at a Port of Entry into the United States must pay the SEVIS fee before entering the United States and show proof of payment. The SEVIS fee is US$100 for all J-I visa applicants; fees will not be payable at the consulate. Please note that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will not refund the SEVIS fee if J-1 applicants are not granted a visa or choose not to come to the United States after their visas are granted. There are three ways to pay the fee.
  
  • The fastest way to pay the fee is on the Internet (www.FMJfee.com) by using a credit card and completing the online Form I-901. This allows the student (or the person paying the student's SEVIS fee) to print the SEVIS fee payment receipt from the Internet once the transaction is completed.
  
  • An alternative involves submitting a completed Form I-901 through the mail with a check or money order drawn on a U.S. Bank and payable in U.S. currency to the Department of Homeland Security address on the form. Students using this method must wait until they receive a receipt through the mail before they can go to the interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate (Express delivery service for the I-797 receipt may be requested at additional cost). Further information is online at www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/index.htm.
  
  • On November 1, Western Union's "Quick Pay" service became a third option for paying the SEVIS I-901 fee for F and M students and J exchange visitors. This option is available in any country where Western Union offers Quick Pay service. The Western Union office collects the SEVIS I-901 fee in local currency, along with the needed Form I-901 data, and electronically transmits the payment and data to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Western Union office then issues a receipt that serves as immediate proof of payment for a visa interview at a U.S. consulate or for admission at a U.S. port of entry. Western Union's Quick Pay form must be completed in exact detail, following instructions developed by DHS and Western Union. These detailed payment instructions, including samples of properly completed Quick Pay forms, are posted at www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/index.htm.

Fees must be paid at least three business days prior to the visa interview date for both electronic and mail-in submissions. Adequate processing time must be allowed for payments to be recorded in the SEVIS system prior to the scheduled visa interview. The interviewing officer will confirm that the fee has been paid by accessing SEVIS. Please remember that all students must bring the official paper receipt (I-797) or the Internet-generated receipt to the visa interview as proof of payment, as well as have it with them upon arrival in the United States.

Additional documents may be required to ensure that you have sufficient financial resources and will not become a "public charge" while in the United States. The welcome admission letter from your host institution and an original letter from your bank stating your current balance should be sufficient. As of Fall 2004, students on a semester exchange must provide proof of US$850 of personal funds and full year students must provide proof of US$1,700.

You may be required to show that you do not intend to remain in the United States beyond the end of the period of ISEP study. This can be done by presenting a return plane ticket, however further proof may be requested. The consular officer will issue the visa by stamping your passport. He or she will also return the two-page DS-2019 form to you for entry into the United States.

Please note that possession of a J-1 visa document does not necessarily constitute permission to obtain a J-1 visa permit or to enter the United States. It is up to the consular office and the immigration officer at your port of entry to determine eligibility for J-1 status.