Passport validity requirement for J1 visa in the USA
I am applying for a J1 visa in the USA. One of the requirements listed here
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/exchange.html
says that I need a passport with a validity date six months beyond the intended period of stay in the US, but I am from Australia which has an exemption to that rule, and it says I only need a passport valid for my intended period of stay.
If my intended period of stay is 3 years, but my passport expires about 4 months before the end of that three year period, do I actually need to renew it before applying for the visa? It's possible for me to renew my passport from within the USA, so I wasn't sure if this was necessary. I may also visit home during that 3 year period, in case that matters.
Best Answer
In practice, what the rule means is that the CBP officer at entry will put a date on your I-94 that is no later than 6 months before your passport expires (for passports not on the 6-month club) or no later than when your passport expires (for passports on the 6-month club). In case your I-94 has a date that is limited by passport expiration, you can still renew your passport while in the US, but then you will need to either apply for Extension of Status to extend the I-94 without leaving the US, or leave and re-enter the US with the new passport to get a longer period of admission that is no longer limited by passport expiration.
However, almost all J1 are admitted for "D/S" (duration of status) instead of a date on their I-94. In this case, the rule has no effect, as long as at the time of entry the passport has at least 6 months of validity left (for passports not on the 6-month club) or any length of validity left (for passports on the 6-month club). People with "D/S" do no need to apply for Extension of Status -- their status already lasts indefinitely, as long as the person otherwise complies with the conditions of that status (e.g. for J1, be in good standing with the program and have a valid DS-2019; and you remain in status for 30 days after the successful completion of the program).
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What are the requirements for J-1 visa?
In order to be eligible, participants must be between the ages of 15 and 18.5 by the first day of school. They must not have completed more than 11 years of primary and secondary school (excluding kindergarten), and they must not have previously participated in a secondary school exchange program in the US.Can I apply for US visa if my passport expires in 6 months?
No, you do not need to apply for new visa. The visa will remain valid even if it is in your old, cancelled passport.Can I enter the US with less than 6 months on my visa?
You can legally stay in the United States until the expiration of your authorized period of stay. However, you will not be able to travel to the United States Port of Entry to seek a new admission unless your visa has been renewed by the American Embassy in your country of Nationality.Can I travel to USA with 2 months left on visa?
A visa must be valid at the time a traveler seeks admission to the United States, but the expiration date of the visa (validity period/length of time the visa can be used) has no relation to the length of time a temporary visitor may be authorized by the Department of Homeland Security to remain in the United States.Passport Validity and Non Immigrant Visas
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