Employment Verification & Important Legal Documents
Work Authorization
Your international seasonal staff are authorized to work legally under their J-1 Visa status.
This visa allows each student to work only for the dates listed in Section 3 of their DS-2019 Forms. The maximum work authorization period for the Summer Work Travel program is four months.
DS-2019 Form
Important:
- The dates between which a student can legally work are listed in section 3 of the DS-2019 Form.
- Students have 30 days to travel after the last date in section 3 of their DS-2019 Form.
- Students are not legally allowed to work past the final date on the DS-2019 Form.
The J-1 Visa
A J-1 Visa is a sticker in the student’s passport issued by a Consular Officer at a U.S. Consulate abroad. The purpose of the J-1 Visa is to indicate a window of dates during which the student may enter the U.S.
This J-1 Visa in combination with the DS-2019 Form allows students to:
- Work up to four months (from the date of entry until the last date in section 3 on the DS-2019 Form)
- Obtain a Social Security number
This J-1 Visa does not allow students to:
- Work as a domestic, au pair, camp counselor, or in the medical field
- Extend work eligibility or program participation
- Work in a prohibited position
Understanding the J-1 Visa
- M = Multiple entries up to expiration date. If “1” is indicated, the participant may enter the U.S. only once.
- Expiration Date = Last date of eligibility to enter the U.S., as long as accompanied by a valid DS-2019 Form.
Entries
The number of times a student may enter the U.S. on the J-1 Visa is indicated under the heading “Entries.” You will find either a number or the letter “M” under this heading. If you find a number, this means the student is only allowed to enter the U.S. that many times between the Issue Date and the Expiry Date on the visa. Because he or she is already in the U.S., one allotted entry has been used. If the student has an “M” under Entries this indicates a multiple entry. This means the student can leave and reenter the U.S. as many times as he or she wants, but the last re-entry must be before the visa Expiry Date or before the end date of their DS-2019 Form, whichever is earlier.Important:
- The dates on the J-1 Visa do not tell you how long the student is eligible to work. The dates of work eligibility are found on the DS-2019 Form.
- The Expiry Date on the J-1 Visa does not mean that the student must go home by that date. Work & Travel students are allowed to stay in the U.S. for four months of work as indicated on the DS-2019 and a 30-day grace period for travel.
- The Expiry Date on the J-1 Visa does not mean that the student is allowed to stay in the U.S. until that date, only that they can enter the U.S. until that date, with a valid DS-2019 Form.
- The J-1 Visa and the DS-2019 Form are the documents needed to enter the U.S. as an InterExchange-sponsored exchange visitor.
- The Work and Travel J-1 Visa is non-extendable.
The Electronic I-94 Admission Record
How to Read the Electronic I-94 Arrival Record
The admission number is located on the top row of the electronic I-94 arrival record. Below the admission number is the admit until date, which generally has “D/S”, or Duration of Status, written next to it. This means that the student is legally allowed to remain in the country for the length of our program, which is four months plus 30 days to travel. The student is permitted to work between the dates indicated on the DS-2019 Form and is allowed an extra 30 days to travel.Form I-9
I-9 Section 1
All students are legal aliens authorized to work. Admission numbers are located on their I-94 cards.I-9 Section 2
Use a passport and electronic I-94 arrival record as a List A document. For List C documents, you should use the DS-2019 number and the program end date (DS-2019 form expiration date located in Box 3).For complete information about filling out the I-9, please refer to the Handbook for Employers — Instructions for Completing Form I-9, published by the USCIS. You can download a PDF of the handbook from their website.Documentation for Your Records
- Passport photo page
- Electronic I-94 arrival record, which the student should print this document
- J-1 Visa (sticker on passport page)
- DS-2019 Form
- Completed I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Form
- Receipt of Social Security application, or Social Security card (if they have already received it), or application (if they have not applied yet)
Please notify InterExchange promptly by calling 800.621.1202
- If students will be working at any other locations or businesses owned or operated by your company.
- If there are changes to students’ job titles.
- If students are not meeting the requirements of their position.
- If a student leaves his or her position ahead of the planned departure date.
- If students do not arrive to work.
- In the event of an emergency involving a student or any situation that impacts their health, safety or welfare.
Understanding Student Documents - Frequently Asked Questions
My InterExchange student’s visa is good for a year; can he or she stay and work for me until his visa expires?
No. The dates that students can work are in section #3 of their DS-2019 Forms. All students must return home within 30 days of the end of their work period.
I hired a student to work until October 15th and his DS-2019 Form says he can work that long, but his J-1 Visa expires on October 1st. What should I do?
The student is allowed to work for the four month period covered on his DS-2019 Form. If his or her visa expires October 1st, it does not affect his or her ability to work legally. He or she can work until October 15th, per the DS-2019 Form. The visa expiration date indicates the last day he can enter the U.S., not the last day he can work. He or she should not, for example, travel to Canada after October 1st, as he or she would not be allowed re-entry into the U.S., unless he or she applied in advance for a tourist visa.