Completing or Ending Your J-1 Program/Departure from MUSC

You are required to notify the Center for Global Health prior to the end of your J-1 program and your departure from MUSC. To do this, you must submit the J-1 End of Program Notification form (PDF) through the requests tab on the Terra Dotta portal (login required). You must complete the top portion and request that your department complete the bottom portion. The J-1 End of Program Notification must be submitted no later than 30 days prior to your actual program end date.

If you want to transfer your J-1 program to another institution, do not complete the J-1 End of Program Notification. You must follow the procedures for requesting a J-1 transfer out. 

Grace Period

Upon completion of your J-1 program, you and any accompanying J-2 dependents have a 30-day grace period to remain in the United States. The intention of this grace period is to allow you time to wrap up your affairs in the US, travel within the US (if desired), and prepare for your departure.

During this grace period, you cannot:

• Participate in J-1 program activities or be paid
• Travel outside of the US and re-enter the US in J-1 status

DS-2019 Forms

You are responsible for keeping the originals of all current and previous DS-2019 forms. These documents should be kept indefinitely as part of your US immigration records. You may be asked to provide these documents at a later date, if you ever apply for another visa or other immigration-related benefits from the US.

Repeat Participation Bars

According to the 12-month repeat participation bar, you are not eligible to begin a new J program in the Research Scholar or Professor categories if you were physically present in the US in any J status (including J-2 status) for all or part of the 12-month period preceding the new program start date. Exceptions to this rule: presence in J-1 status in the Short-Term Scholar category; presence in J-1 status of less than 6 months; transferring to a new J-1 program sponsor.

The 24-month repeat participation bar applies to current Research Scholars and Professors. Once you complete your current J-1 program in the Research Scholar or Professor categories, you will not be eligible for participation in a new J-1 program in the Research Scholar or Professor category for 24 months. The 24-month bar is not a home country residence requirement.

Refer to the Repeat Participation Bars page for more details.

212(e) Two-Year Home Country Requirement

Section 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act establishes the two-year home country physical presence requirement (also known as the “two-year rule” or “two-year residence requirement”). The 212(e) two-year requirement is different than the 24-month bar for repeat participation in a J Research Scholar or Professor program. If you are subject to 212(e), you must return to your home country for a total period of two years before you would be eligible for certain visa status categories (such as H-1B) or adjustment to permanent resident status. Visit the US Department of State website for more information on the 212(e) requirement and applying for a waiver of this requirement.

Refer to the Two-Year Home Country Requirement page for more details.