• Depending on your J-1 program category, Form DS-2019 is issued for a period of up to one year. If you are eligible for an extension of your program and if your sponsoring department at the University of Miami wants you to continue your J-1 program scholar beyond the current expiration date listed in item #3 on your Form DS-2019, then your sponsoring department must request an extension of your J-1 program. This request for extension may be made up to four months before the expiration date on the current Form DS-2019.

• You are eligible for an extension of your J-1 program if:

• You are working toward the same objective for which you were granted J-1 status;
• You are maintaining status as a J‑1 exchange visitor;
• You can demonstrate adequate funding for the period of the proposed extension; and
• The extension will not carry you beyond the time limitations for each category: six months in J-1 status as a short-tem scholar, one year in J-1 status as a specialist, or five years in J-1 status as a professor or research scholar.

• According to the J-1 regulations, scholars who fail to apply for an extension before the expiration date of the DS-2019 are no longer considered to be "out of status," and no longer have apply to the U.S. State Department to be reinstated to J-1 status in order to continue their participation in the exchange visitor program. Please note that while extensions of stay may be filed with the U.S. State Department up to 120 days after the expiration of the DS-2019, you may not continue your J-1 activity during this time and may not receive any payment from the University while the extension is pending. To avoid any such interruption in your activity at the University, it is imperative that your sponsoring department begin the process to apply for an extension of program in a timely manner.

• At least three months before the expiration date of Form DS-2019, you should meet with your departmental mentor to determine whether an extension of program is needed to continue your J-1 activity. If you are being funded by an out-of-country sponsoring agency, you will need to obtain a letter specifying the dates and funding for completion of the program. The academic department's facilitator should start the renewal process, which entails the Request for Form DS-2019, Interdepartmental Requisition form, and additional sponsor letters if applicable. Extensions that involve a request for employment authorization of the J-2 spouse should commence at least four to five months before the expiration date of the Form DS-2019.

• In order to apply for an extension of your J-1 program, your sponsoring department must send the completed Request for Form DS-2019, Interdepartmental Requisition form, and updated sponsor and/or personal funding letters, if applicable, to International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) with all required signatures. Keep in mind that ISSS must receive all required forms and letters at least two months before the expiration date of the Form DS-2019. Please allow five business days for processing of an application for extension of a J-1 scholar program.

• ISSS will contact you via e-mail to schedule an appointment for you to collect your extension Form DS-2019 (and those of your J-2 dependents, if you have any). After meeting with your ISSS advisor, you will need to take your original passport, extension Form DS-2019 and Form I-94 to Coral Gables Faculty Affairs (all Coral Gables exchange visitors), the RSMAS Dean’s Office (all RSMAS exchange visitors), Medical Faculty Affairs (Medical School scholars in the AO-2 category), or Medical Human Resources (Medical School scholars in the AO-6 category) to complete a new Form I-9.

• Please contact Claudia Zitzmann, Associate Director, ISSS, at czitzmann@miami.edu or at (305) 284-2928 if you have any questions regarding extension of program for a J-1 scholar.