Immigration : J1 : Change of Visa Type

Change of Visa Type

”Change of Visa Type” refers to switching to another type of visa within the U.S. If a student plans to apply for a visa outside the U.S., he or she should follow the procedure specified by the respective U.S. Embassy or Consulate in his or her home country.

Given the possibility of the applicability of 212(e) (2-year home residency rule), please consult with ISPS advisor to discuss whether or not this rule applies to you. If there is reason to believe that the rule applies, ISPS staff may request an “Advisory Opinion” from Department of State to determine the ruling. If the 212(e) two-year rule does indeed apply to you, then you may not apply for change of status within the U.S. but rather will have to leave the U.S. with appropriate documentation to apply for a new visa.

No one is eligible to apply for change of status TO J1 within the US but would need to leave and reenter with J1 visa.

You may apply for change of status within the US ONLY if there is clear proof that the 2-year does NOT apply.

[J-1 to F-1]
Follow the steps to obtain “Initial-Change of Status” Form I-20 (see below), and then apply for change of visa type at the USCIS Service Center. F-2 person must not enroll until he or she receives a change of visa type approval notice from the USCIS. 

[J-1 to F-2]
Follow the steps to obtain F-2 Form I-20 (see the section of Dependents), and then apply for change of visa type at the USCIS Service Center. Do not follow the requirements/steps below.

[J-1 to H1-B or H-4]
Consult with your prospective employer. If the University of Arizona is your employer, contact the Office of International Faculty and Scholars at 520-626-6289 for assistance. Do not follow the requirements/steps below.

[J-1 to Permanent Residency]
Consult with your immigration attorney. List of Tucson-based immigration attorneys (not affiliated with the University of Arizona) is available at ISPS or by searching the American Bar Association website at www.abanet.org. Do not follow the requirements/steps below.

[All Other Changes]
Consult with your immigration attorney. List of Tucson-based immigration attorneys (not affiliated with the University of Arizona) is available at ISPS or by searching the American Bar Association website at www.abanet.org. Do not follow the requirements/steps below.

Important:

A person must maintain his or her current visa status until he or she receives an approval notice from the USCIS regarding his or her change of visa type application.

Required Documents (all must be valid and original copy) at ISPS:

• Document Request Form
• Funding letter for the amount indicated on Document Request Form. Funding letter must not be more than 6 months old
• Letter from department with projected degree completion date or official admissions letter
• Home country address (space provided on the Document Request Form)

What You Need To Do: Step 1: Call 520-621-4627 and make an appointment to speak with an ISPS advisor Step 2: Discuss available options with the ISPS advisor and obtain a change of visa type check-list (available at ISPS) Step 3: Submit all required documents to the ISPS front desk Step 4: Wait for email from ISPS (if you don’t hear from ISPS after 10 business days of submission, call at 621-4627 to check your application status) Step 7: Pick up your new Form I-20 at the ISPS front desk Step 9: Mail all required documents (on the change of visa type check-list) to the USCIS Service Center (see address below, if living in Arizona) Step 10: You will receive a receipt notice from USCIS within a few weeks Step 11: Once you receive your change of visa type approval notice, bring it to ISPS for photocopy

USCIS California Service Center Address

USCIS/ Western Service Center
PO Box 10765, Laguna Niguel, CA 92607-1076

Express Mail may be sent to:
California Service Center, 24000 Avila Road, 2nd Floor, Room 2312, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677