1. Your inviting department must complete the necessary paperwork in DestinyOne before ISSS can issue you a Form DS-2019.
  2. ISSS will contact you when the DS-2019 is ready. You can either pick up the DS-2019 Form for travel OR schedule an appointment for a change of status.

If you decide to submit a COS application in the US, bring the following materials with you to your appointment:

  1. Completed and signed in blue ink Form I-539.
  2. Temple check, Personal check, certified bank check or a money order payable to the USCIS for US $290.
  3. A statement to USCIS explaining why you wish to change your status. See instructions on how to write a statement to USCIS.
  4. Legible copy of the biographical and visa page(s) of your passport, the visa on which you last entered the United States, the most recent US admission stamp in your passport and Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Card). We do not need copies of blank passport pages or copies of entry stamps to countries other than the U.S.
  5. Copies of any other documentation submitted to or received from the USCIS.
  6. Copy of marriage/birth certificate if you are in a dependent status (F-2, H-4, L-2, etc.) and proof that primary visa holder is maintaining her/his status. This might include a statement from the primary's employer plus copies of recent pay stubs and I-94 card if s/he is in H-1 or L-1 status or copies of the F-1's transcripts and enrollment verification if you are in F-2 status.

After you receive the DS-2019 from ISSS you will need to pay the SEVIS Fee online. You will not be able to pay this fee until ISSS has issued you a DS-2019. Include proof of payment with your COS application. Please provide ISSS with a copy of your payment.

ISSS is happy to answer any questions concerning your application during your appointment. However, please prepare as much as you can before meeting with us. Often foreign nationals need a second appointment to finish up the COS application.

A change of status from another non-immigrant visa to Non-immigrant Exchange Visitor status  (J-1) currently takes approximately four months to be processed. If you travel outside the US while the application is pending USCIS considers you to have abandoned your application.

You are not considered eligible for benefits of the requested status until the COS application has been approved by the USCIS. This means that you may not begin working on-campus until the COS has been approved.

Once an application for change to Non-immigrant Exchange Visitor  (J-1) status has been approved, you may begin employment at Temple University

If a Change of Status is granted:

The USCIS will send you a Notice of Action (Form I-797A) and a new Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure card) and the Form DS-2019. The Form I-797A will indicate "Change of Status granted on DATE from YOUR CURRENT STATUS to J-1 - D/S." Even though the Change of Status is granted inside the United States, it does not grant you a new visa. Rather, you will need to apply for a J-1 visa at a U.S. Consulate outside of the United States to re-enter the U.S. in J-1 status.

If your application for a change of status is denied:

The USCIS will send you a Notice of Action (Form I-797A) which may indicate a VOLUNTARY DEPARTURE date. You must depart the US PRIOR to the voluntary departure date (indeed, as soon as possible). In this case, you will need to request a new Form DS-2019 from ISSS before you leave the U.S. if you intend on returning to the U.S. in J-1 status. You will need to apply for a visa outside the U.S. to return in valid J-1 status. Please schedule an appointment with an immigration advisor in ISSS as soon as possible so s/he can discuss strategies with you.