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BECHTEL INTERNATIONAL CENTER Beyond the Initial Request: Best Practices for J . Elsa Gontrum Spring, 2013. Keeping tabs on your J Scholar. Arrival Amend Cancel Shorten Extension Moving to another department Changes in funding/payment Transferring to another institution
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BECHTEL INTERNATIONAL CENTER Beyond the Initial Request: Best Practices for J Elsa Gontrum Spring, 2013
Keeping tabs on your J Scholar • Arrival • Amend • Cancel • Shorten • Extension • Moving to another department • Changes in funding/payment • Transferring to another institution • Transfer To Stanford • Replacing a DS-2019
Preparing for arrival of scholar • Make copy of Ds-2019 after picking up from Bechtel • You will need the SEVIS number on the Ds-2019 for any subsequent workflow requests. • Maintain a calendar/list of scholars’ start dates • E-mail scholar verifying actual arrival date to Stanford • Inform scholar that J visa health insurance is required to begin upon actual entry to the US for scholar and dependents
ARRIVAL • Program start date on Ds-2019 should correspond to actual start date of program at Stanford. • Immigration regulations allow scholar to arrive 30 days BEFORE the Ds-2019 start date. • If the scholar is not present on campus by the program start date, contact the scholar and find out why and when he/she will arrive and keep tabs until arrival has been confirmed. • If the arrival of the scholar will be delayed more than 25 days beyond the start date of the Ds-2019, submit a request in workflow to “amend” the Ds-2019 with a later start date. • Make copy of amended DS-2019 and send original to scholar. Keep copy of amended Ds-2019 along with originally-issued DS-2019.
If your scholar cancels… • Obtain an e-mail confirmation if your scholar wishes to cancel program. If cancellation is at the request of the department, notify scholar that the Ds-2019 has been cancelled and is not valid for entry. • Submit a “Cancel” request in workflow using the scholar’s current SEVIS number on the Ds-2019 • Request that scholar return the Ds-2019 to you and bring it back to Bechtel
Ending early Two scenarios: 1. Scholar has left without your knowledgeAs soon as you find out, submit a “shorten program” request to shorten to the day following submission of the request. When revised DS-2019 is issued, before sending it to scholar, make copy and retain copy in your file 2. Foreknowledge of Scholar’s early departure: Submit in a timely way, make copy for your file and give new revised original to scholar.
Extensions • Keep calendar of scholar’s end dates and three months ahead of the end date, initiate conversation about extending. • Make sure scholar is in appropriate J category to allow for extension (i.e. Short-Terms are limited to 6 months, Research Scholar to 5 years) • Submit request for extension well ahead of Ds-2019 end date.
Moving to another department • The department to which the scholar is moving is responsible for this update • However, sometimes the current department may need to send a reminder to the new department • New department should submit a “Change Site of Activity” request in workflow
Changes in funding/payment • All changes in the scholar’s funding should be submitted in workflow BEFORE the changes actually occur. • All changes must be calculated as total program for the period of the extension, not annual • All changes to funding without an extension must be calculated from the date of the submission of the request to the end date of the current Ds-2019. --Evidence of all sources of funding need to be kept as hard copies for 3 years --Stanford salary changes should also be submitted in total program costs
FEI a.k.a. “Frequently Encountered Issues” regarding payment • Visiting Scholar’s department wants to pay him/her --VS by definition is “unpaid” • Post-doc needs to work part-time in another department in addition to his/her own full-time position --activities should be consistent with program objective as stated on Ds-2019
TRANSFERS • What does this mean? • Transfer OUT: J sponsorship moving to a new institution • Transfer IN: Stanford assuming J sponsorship of scholar • TRANSFER OUT: • What do you do if the scholar tells you he/she is transferring? • Ask when and determine if that is convenient for your department. If not establish a “last day” that is good for all concerned. • Send Bechtel an e-mail stating that you are aware the scholar is transferring out and that the last day is agreeable to all. • Advise scholar to inform scholar advisor at the new institution to send an e-mail request to Bechtel for this transfer out.
TRANSFERS Transfer IN: • More complicated: Scholar already in J status coming to Stanford • Get scanned copies of prospective scholar’s Ds-2019(s), including those of any J2 dependents, and send set to Bechtel. • Work with scholar and department to arrange a reasonable start date and tell scholar firmly what this date will be. • Inform scholar that there can be no gap between current program and start of program at Stanford. • Submit a “Transfer to Stanford” request in workflow. When filling out the form, make sure biographic data matches data on current DS-2019s. • Inform scholar that he/she must be present in the US during the SEVIS transfer.
Replacing a DS-2019 • The request to reprint a current DS-2019 must come from you • Send us an e-mail with the scholar’s SEVIS ID number and name and the reason for the reprint must be: • Lost • Stolen • Damaged • Other (and explain)
Misc Best Practices • Keep all financial/funding records for scholars for 3 years • Never scan and send a DS-2019 by e-mail • Make sure your scholars attend our J-1 Scholar Orientation: 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month • Work only from passports (machine-readable strip) when entering biographical information in workflow • Stay in e-mail contact with your scholar, prior to arrival and during the entire duration of the J program • Whenever sending inquiries to internationalscholars@stanford.edu include the name and SEVIS number and/or Emplid.