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Please make sure to review the following important steps as your Fulbright exchange comes to an end and you prepare to return home.
- Confirm Your Return Travel Plans
As part of your grant benefits, the Fulbright organization in your home country will either arrange your international travel or tell you how to do so. Be certain to confirm your travel arrangements well in advance of your departure. Once your travel plans are confirmed, send your itinerary to your IIE program advisor. If you extend your stay, you may need to change your departure itinerary. You will be responsible for making these changes to your return travel and for any associated costs. Contact the airline that issued your original ticket to make the necessary changes. IIE cannot assist with any travel arrangements. You are responsible for obtaining any transit visas needed for your return travel.
- Remember to Report your SSN to IIE
During your program, you should have applied for and received a U.S. Social Security Number (SSN). Please make sure you report it to IIE before you leave if you haven't done so already through the self service portal. This will help us be of better assistance when tax season comes around. As a reminder, all Fulbrighters will have to file some level of tax paperwork for any tax years they were present in the U.S., even if they did not have U.S. sourced income. Fulbright enrichment, anchor cities, and the outreach lecturing fund, in addition to any stipend payments issued by IIE all incur tax liability as program benefits.
- Report Your Departure Details to IIE
About 30 days prior to your grant end date, your IIE advisor will email you instructions to complete your Departure Survey. Please share your departure plans with us via the Departure Survey found in IIE's self-service portal. This Departure Survey is required to receive your Fulbright Certificate of Completion.
- Complete your IIE Final Report
Closer to your grant end date (2-4 weeks prior), IIE will email you an IIE Final Report to complete. This email will come from fulbrightsurveys@iie.org and may go to your spam folder. Please keep your eye out for this report/survey and complete it when you receive it. The IIE Final Report is required to receive your Fulbright Certificate of Completion.
- Your Fulbright Certificate of Completion
In order to obtain your Fulbright Certificate, it is required that you complete both the IIE Final Report and the Fulbright Departure Form mentioned above. Fulbright Certificates are uploaded in digital format through the self service portal on a quarterly basis. Please check the “Documents” section of the self-service portal when you receive an email that your Certificate is ready for download. Please ensure to maintain your email access to the self service portal and remember to check your spam/junk folder. Once you log into the portal, navigate to the documents tab to find your documents available for download.
- 30-day Grace Period
When you have completed your J Exchange Visitor Program, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) allows you and your dependents to remain legally in the United States for a maximum of 30 days past the end date that appears on your DS- 2019. This 30-day period is commonly referred to as the grace period.
During this grace period, participants are no longer in J visa status. This period allows you to settle your affairs and prepare to return to your home country. You may not pursue grant activities, participate in the Outreach Lecturing Fund, or engage in employment activities.
Grant benefits, including ASPE benefits coverage and university privileges, do not remain in effect into your grace period. You are strongly encouraged to purchase health coverage for you and any accompanying dependents for any time that you will be in the U.S. during your grace period. Please see this list of sample insurance companies that may be able to provide healthcare coverage that suits your needs.
Although you may travel in the United States during the grace period, if you travel beyond the borders of the United States, you will not be permitted to re-enter using your DS-2019.
If you stay in the United States beyond the 30-day grace period, you will be subject to serious consequences.
The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 lists penalties for visitors (including J-1 and J-2 visa holders) who stay in the United States longer than they are allowed. The visa in your passport will become invalid if you overstay the authorized period stated on your DS-2019 by even one day, regardless of the expiration date on your visa. Visitors who violate this provision must return to their home countries to apply for new visas every time they wish to re-enter the United States. In addition, visitors who overstay by 180 days to one year will not be allowed to return to the United States for three years.
Visitors who overstay by one year or more will not be allowed to return for 10 years.
- The Two-Year Home Residency Requirement
You and your dependents are subject to Code of Federal Regulations rule 212(e), the two-year, home-country residence requirement associated with the J-visa. As noted throughout this guide, the spirit of the Fulbright Program is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange. When you have completed your grant, you are expected to return home to share the knowledge you have gained. This means that until you have resided and been physically present in your home country for a combined total of two years following your departure from the United States, you and your dependents are ineligible to apply for status in the United States as:
- Permanent residents,
- Temporary workers or trainees (visa status H)
- Fiancé(e)s (visa status K)
- Intracompany transferees (visa status L)
Grounds for applying for a waiver of the two-year, home country residence requirement are extremely limited, and approval of waiver requests is rare. IIE cannot assist in this process. Waivers should not be requested as a means of continuing your grant activities.
- Repeat J-Visa Limitations
The Twenty-Four Month Bar: If you have participated in an Exchange Visitor Program in the Professor or Research Scholar category, you are not eligible for repeat participation as a Professor or Research Scholar for a period of 24 months. This bar is in place regardless of the length of time spent in the United States in this category and is NOT the same as the 212(e) two-year home residence requirement. The 24-month bar does not prohibit individuals from returning to the United States in any other J visa category or in any other non-immigrant status (F-1, B-2, etc.) during the 24-month period.
The 24-month bar and the 212(e) two-year, home residence requirement can be completed concurrently if you remain in your home country during the 24-month period.
- Fulbright Policy on Extensions and Transfers of Visa Sponsorship
Please keep in mind that the spirit of the Fulbright Program is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange. When you have completed your grant, you are expected to return home to share the knowledge you have gained.
In special cases, extensions of grant length or transfers from Fulbright sponsorship may be considered, as long as it does not exceed the standard program maximum length of 12 months (including extensions). In all cases, IIE is governed by the policies of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright organization in your home country, and the policies of your home government. You must follow these policies and procedures in order to extend your grant period and continue the benefits associated with your Fulbright grant or to transfer your sponsorship to your host institution. It is recommended that before taking steps to apply for an extension or transfer that you confirm any country-specific policies on extensions and transfers with your IIE advisor and your home country Fulbright Office.
Extension of your Fulbright Program: A one-time grant extension may be possible when a scholar when an exceptional opportunity arises. These extensions are not automatic and require approval by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright organization in your home country and your home and host institutions. Funds for extensions of Fulbright stipends are not usually available and program length including extensions cannot exceed 12 months according to FFSB policy. Prior to submitting an extension request, consult your IIE contact person for funding availability and any specific rules that may apply to your country program.
Transfer of Visa Sponsorship: Transfer of your J-1 visa sponsorship from the Fulbright Program to another J-1 program is only possible if you have been offered an extraordinary opportunity for follow-up research or teaching that promotes the general goals of the Fulbright Program. Transfers must be fully funded by non-Fulbright sources and require approval by your home country Fulbright Office as well as the U.S. Department of State. Before applying for a transfer, please check in with your IIE Advisor and your home country’s Fulbright Office to confirm any country-specific transfer policies you should be aware of.
If a transfer from the Fulbright Program is approved, ASPE health benefits will cease on the date of transfer and participation in Fulbright professional enrichment programs will no longer be available. In the event the transfer is made before you have used your return ticket that was purchased for your Fulbright grant, the transfer may result in the loss of your return travel benefit. It is your responsibility to make sure your international return ticket will still be valid on your new departure date associated with your transfer end date. Consult the Fulbright organization in your home country for more information.
- Procedure for Requesting an Extension
To apply for an extension, through the self-service portal, submit the following documents to IIE combined as a single .pdf document at least six weeks prior to the end date of your current program. (In the portal, navigate to Documents, click "add", and select document type Continuation/Extension Request to submit):
- A letter from you formally requesting an extension and specifying the exact length of the extension, with start and end dates. You will need to explain specifically why the extension is being requested and how it would enhance your Fulbright project. This letter should not be longer than two pages.
- A letter from your faculty associate supporting your request and specifying the exact start and end dates of the extension period.
- Confirmation from your home institution that you have been given leave for the period requested.
- Complete the form Certification of Medical Insurance, which serves as written agreement to obtain accident and sickness insurance compliant with J-visa regulations for any accompanying dependents.
- Confirm that passport for you (and any dependents) is valid 6 months past your new proposed end date. You likely will have to renew your passport if it does not meet this condition.
- J-1 visa validity: Your visa likely expires on the date of your original DS-2019. If you obtain an extension, international travel would be strongly discouraged during the period of your extension, as re-entering the U.S. on an expired visa is not permitted. If international travel during is absolutely necessary during an extension period, you will need to apply for a visa renewal (ideally in your home country) before returning to the US.
- Confirmation of funding:
- For U.S. Department of State-funded extensions: If your grant was paid by IIE and you intend to request an extension funded by the U.S. Department of State, please specify in your request letter that you are applying for funding based on your current stipend rate.
- For unfunded extensions: Please provide either a bank statement or a letter from a funding source specifying the amount of support. The U.S. Department of State may require a certain minimum, typically at least $2,500 per month for the period requested, and in some cases more, depending on your circumstances or number of dependents you have with you. You can refer to your Fulbright Grant Document or contact your IIE contact to determine the exact amount needed. Review this document for sources of acceptable funding.
- If your request meets the requirements and your documentation is complete, IIE will submit your request to the U.S. Department of State for review. This review process can take up to four to six weeks. Beginning activities of your proposed extension is strictly prohibited until approval of the extension has been granted by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright organization in your home country. Please note that if you are from a tax-treaty country and you remain in the United States beyond two years, your tax-exempt status may be affected.
- Procedure for Requesting a Transfer of Visa Sponsorship
To apply for a transfer, through the self-service portal, submit the following documents to IIE combined as a single .pdf document at least six weeks prior to the end date of your current program. (In the portal, navigate to Documents, click "add", and select document type Transfer of Visa Sponsorship to submit):
- A letter from you formally requesting a transfer and specifying the exact length of the extension or transfer, with start and end dates. You will need to explain specifically why the transfer is being requested and how it would enhance your Fulbright project. This letter should not be longer than two pages.
- A letter from your faculty associate supporting your request and specifying the exact start and end dates of the transfer period.
- Confirmation from your home institution that you have been given leave for the period requested.
- Confirm that passport for you (and any dependents) is valid 6 months past your new proposed end date.
- J-1 visa validity: If you transfer your visa sponsorship to a new host, you will need to apply for and receive a new visa to re-enter if you depart the United States after the transfer. It is recommended this be taken care of in your home country.
- Confirmation of funding: Please provide either a bank statement or a letter from a funding source specifying the amount of support. The U.S. Department of State may require a certain minimum, typically at least $2,500 per month for the period requested, and in some cases more, depending on your circumstances or number of dependents you have with you. You can refer to your Fulbright Grant Document or contact your IIE contact to determine the exact amount needed. Review this document for sources of acceptable funding.
- Complete the form Certification of Medical Insurance, which serves as written agreement to obtain accident and sickness insurance compliant with J-visa regulations for any accompanying dependents and yourself.
- Supply a letter from the host institution stating its willingness to accept sponsorship of your J-1 program. The letter should indicate the date they recommend the transfer to take effect, the start and end dates of the transfer period, and their SEVIS program number.
If your request meets the requirements and your documentation is complete, IIE will submit your request to the U.S. Department of State for review. This review process can take up to four to six weeks. Beginning activities of your proposed transfer is strictly prohibited until approval of the transfer request has been granted by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright organization in your home country. Please note that if you are from a tax-treaty country and you remain in the United States beyond two years, your tax-exempt status may be affected.