First Week in the USA on J-1 Work and Travel: A Step-by-Step Checklist

The first week of a Work and Travel season is a short list of jobs with deadlines. Some are set by regulation, some by your sponsor, and a few by the office you visit. This page puts them in the order that works, with the page that covers each one. The arrival hub has the rest of the arrival topics.

The short version

1. Print your I-94 as soon as you enter the USA.
2. Tell your sponsor you have arrived within ten days.
3. Find housing right away if your employer did not arrange it.
4. Apply for your Social Security number after your sponsor validates you.
5. Open a bank account once you have your IDs.

1. Print your I-94

Keep the proof that CBP admitted you. CBP typically issues Form I-94 electronically. If you arrive by air or sea, a CBP officer issues your electronic I-94 at the point of entry during admission. Print the most recent record from the CBP I-94 site in case you need your record of legal admission.

The I-94 holds the date that matters most to you. The “Admit Until Date” on the electronic Form I-94 is shown there. You can get your I-94 number from the I-94 website or the CBP Link app. The I-94 page covers errors and fees.

2. Report your arrival to your sponsor

The program rule gives you ten days. Sponsors must tell participants of their obligation to notify the sponsor within ten days after arriving in the United States and within ten days after they initially secure or change residences. Sponsors must also give you their 24/7 immediate contact telephone number and the State Department’s toll-free help line number.

Your sponsor sets its own clock inside that rule, so read its instructions today:

• Inside the ten-day rule, Cultural Vistas, a designated sponsor, asks you to report within 5 days of arrival so it can validate your visa status and program participation in SEVIS.
• IENA, another designated sponsor, asks for your US address as soon as you can after arriving, and no later than 10 days from the start date of your DS-2019. The program rule itself counts ten days from arrival.

Validation matters because the visa is not fully active until it is done. Even after the J-1 is stamped into your passport and you are admitted, your visa and DS-2019 work authorization are not fully active until validated in SEVIS, as IENA explains to its participants. SEVIS is the electronic database that collects information on foreign nationals entering the United States on F, M or J visas. The SEVIS validation page lists each sponsor’s steps.

3. Sort out housing

Housing comes first if your employer did not arrange it. Per the State Department program page, sponsors must actively and immediately assist participants with arranging appropriate housing if employers do not provide or arrange it. If your employer does not arrange housing, you are responsible for finding housing that is inexpensive, comfortable, safe and close to your work site. Reread your job offer to see whether your host employer arranged housing.

Plan for a gap. The housing you secured may not be immediately available when you arrive.

Before you pay anyone

Rental scams target arrivals. Scammers copy the pictures and description from a real listing and replace the agent’s contact information with their own. Fake ads might offer surprisingly low rent or amazing amenities. The fake owner usually claims to be out of the country when you ask to see the rental. Wiring money, sending gift cards or paying by cryptocurrency is the same as sending cash.

Use this short list:

1. Look at the property before you sign or pay, if you can.
2. Walk away if anyone pressures you to decide quickly.
3. Do not give personal or financial information to anyone who claims to work with the owner. A landlord does not need your Social Security number or credit score until you agree to rent.
4. Get a signed lease with the landlord’s full name and contact information.

InterExchange advises against signing long-term lease agreements. Your landlord may ask for part of the rent plus a refundable security deposit, which may be due on arrival. At move-in, arrange a walkthrough and take pictures or videos of damage and the condition of the housing. Talk to the landlord before you leave about when and how the deposit will be returned. The housing page has costs and examples.

4. Apply for your Social Security number

Wait until you are validated. Cultural Vistas, a designated sponsor, puts validation first and advises waiting for it before the SSA visit. It also advises scheduling the appointment no less than 10 days after entry to the US. IENA asks you to validate at least 3 business days before applying, or it may delay your application.

Eligibility comes first. In general, only noncitizens who have DHS permission to work can apply for an SSN, as the SSA publication explains. For the first-time application, start online. Then visit your local Social Security office or Card Center with your documentation within 45 calendar days.

What to bring:

• Original documents or copies certified by the issuing agency. The SSA cannot accept photocopies, notarized copies or a receipt showing you applied for the document.
• A current admission stamp in your unexpired foreign passport and your I-94, if available.
• Your DS-2019, if you are a J-1 exchange visitor.
• A sponsor letter on letterhead with an original signature that authorizes your employment.

You do not need the number to start work. The SSA does not require an SSN before you start work, but the IRS requires employers to report wages using an SSN. While you wait, your employer can use a letter from the SSA stating that you applied for a number. Most cards arrive 14 days after the SSA approves your application. For the card’s mailing address, InterExchange, a designated sponsor, allows your host employer’s physical address, including the name of the business. Do not laminate the card. The Social Security number page goes deeper.

5. Open a bank account

Some banks and credit unions accept a foreign passport as ID. Before opening an account, a bank must obtain a name, date of birth, address and an identification number. For a non-US person, the number can be a taxpayer ID, a passport number and country of issuance, or an alien ID card number. Most banks and credit unions require two forms of identification. Know the money side before you go:

• You usually need an initial deposit between $25 and $100.
• To open an interest-bearing account, you need an SSN or ITIN. Without one, you may be able to open a no-interest account only.
• If your host organization pays you, it will likely require a US bank account for direct deposit.
• Only your employer needs your account number and routing number for direct deposit.
• The FDIC insures deposits to at least $250,000 per depositor, per ownership category, at each FDIC-insured bank.

A bank may accept a passport number as the ID number, and InterExchange suggests bringing your DS-2019 and any other documents related to your J-1 visa. The bank account page has more.

6. Confirm your insurance

Insurance is a program requirement, not an extra. Sponsors must require that all exchange visitors have insurance in effect that covers sickness or accidents during the period they participate in the program. As of May 15, 2015, minimum coverage must provide medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness, $25,000 for repatriation of remains and $50,000 for medical evacuation to the home country, and deductibles cannot exceed $500 per accident or illness.

Do not let it lapse. A sponsor shall terminate a participant who willfully fails to maintain the insurance required by 22 CFR 62.14. Orientation includes available health care, emergency assistance and insurance coverage. Ask your sponsor for the details of the plan you are on. The health insurance page explains deductibles and exclusions.

7. Fill in your W-4 and check your first pay stub

InterExchange tells participants that the host employer hands over a W-4 on arrival, and that you fill it out and return it to be paid. Nonresident aliens must follow special instructions when completing Form W-4. You cannot enter an ITIN in Step 1(b) of Form W-4. If you do not have an SSN yet, InterExchange advises telling human resources that you applied for a number and giving them a copy of your receipt.

Then read your first pay stub and update your contact details with your employer. A nonresident J-1 is exempt from Social Security and Medicare tax on wages, as long as the employment is authorized by USCIS and the services are performed to carry out the purposes of the visa. The taxes page explains what is withheld.

Keep up the paperwork all summer

Two habits carry past the first week. First, report any change of phone number, email address or US address to your sponsor within ten calendar days. Second, stay inside your program: a J-1 holder may only perform the activity listed on the DS-2019, or as provided for in the regulations for the category. The program lasts up to four months. At the end, you have a grace period of 30 days to depart.