Welcome to UCSF and the Bay Area

The UCSF International Student and Scholar Office (ISSO) has created this page for international scholars with confirmed academic appointments. If you do not have a confirmed academic appointment, please visit our page for prospective scholars to learn how to receive an invitation to come to UCSF. 

Once you have secured an invitation to come to UCSF, HR and the ISSO will work together to prepare your DS-2019 Certificate of Eligibility form which you will need to apply for a J-1 visa stamp (if required) at the US embassy to enter the U.S.

What are your next steps?


Receive

  1. You will receive an email from a system called DocuSign to access your DS-2019 form 
  2. Confirm that the data in your DS-2019 form, including your J-1 exchange visitor category, are accurate. If there are errors, email your J-1 adviser before applying for your visa. 
  3. If your DS-2019 is accurate, print out and sign a hard copy of your DS-2019 in preparation for applying for your visa

Please do not purchase your plane ticket to the US until your visa has been issued in your passport. ISSO is unable to expedite DS-2019 processing due to purchased plane tickets. 


Apply

Visa Application Steps:

  1. Pay the SEVIS Fee
  2. Complete the visa application (Form DS-160) and pay the Deptartment of State NIV Fee. You will be given guidance on how to pay the visa application fee before completing your online visa application. The visa fee must be paid in addition to the SEVIS fee. If you have questions regarding how to pay the visa fee, contact the specific consulate where you will be applying for your visa. Each consulate has unique visa fee payment guidelines. Note that some applicants may be asked to pay an additional Visa Reciprocity Fee, acording to their visa category and nationality.
  3. Make a visa appointment and go to an interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate. Visit the U.S. Department of State website for more information about the visa application process and temporary visitors to the U.S. New scholars may apply for a visa up to 365 days in advance of their program start date. 

Canadian citizens are not required to apply for a visa to enter the United States as an F-1 or J-1, but must still pay the SEVIS Fee and present their DS-2019 form at the U.S. port of entry. However, if the visitor has "Landed Immigrant" status in Canada, a U.S. visa is required to enter the United States.

Required Documents for Visa Interviews:

  • Passport: Note: passports must be valid six months beyond your current program or employment end date, unless your country is waived from this requirement. When a waiver of the six-month requirement exists, your passport must be valid for the entire period of your program, but the additional six-month validity period is not required. Questions about this requirement should be directed to the airline that you will entering the U.S. on, as they will be checking prior to boarding your flight to the US.
  • Valid DS-2019 form 
  • UCSF appointment letter
  • Evidence of the minium financial support
  • Visa application forms and fees
  • SEVIS Fee receipt
  • We recommend that you print out and bring the Department of State's guidance for electronic DS-2019s to your visa interview.

Some consulates may require additional documentation, such as information about social media accounts as part of visa screening and vetting procedures. Check the specific U.S. consulate or embassy where you will apply for your visa for detailed application instructions.

Visa Processing Times

The length of time it takes to be issued a J-1 visa can vary. Your visa application may be temporarily refused for Administrative Processing. Contact your ISSO Adviser if you are unable to begin your J-1 program as anticipated. 


Travel

You may enter the U.S. up to 30 days prior to the start date listed on your DS-2019 form to secure housing and settle in, but you cannot begin working at UCSF until the official start date on your DS-2019 form.

Bring the following documents with you in your carry-on bag to the U.S.: 

Customs and Border Protection will review the documents above upon U.S. arrival. Your U.S. entry into the U.S. be significantly delayed if you do not possess hard copies of these documents with you, in your carry-on bag. 


HR Onboarding

Email your Human Resource (HR) generalist to arrange a new employee onboarding meeting as soon as possible after U.S. arrival. Your HR generalist is listed in your UCSF appointment letter.

Bring the following J-1 (and J-2, if applicable) documents to your HR onboarding meeting:

HR will automatically notify ISSO when you have completed your onboarding with them. Onboarding is required so that the ISSO can validate your status as legal in the government database. 


ISSO Orientation

Please attend a mandatory J-1 orientation within one month of U.S. arrival. If you'd like to attend the J-1 orientation before you arrive in the U.S., you may do so. All ISSO orientation sessions can be found on our events page.


Resources for New Scholars at UCSF

Cost of Living in San Francisco

Getting a J-1 visa and moving to San Francisco involves a number of different expenses. Please be aware of these expenses before you arrive to ensure you have enough funds for your stay.

Read More

Insurance Requirements

J-1 visa holders are required to hold specific levels of insurance coverage. If your visit to UCSF will be self-funded, please understand these requirements before entering the U.S.

Read More

Living in The Bay

Moving to a new country can be a lot of work. From setting up the right kind of bank account to finding affordable groceries, there are a lot of basic things to consider. Let us help you explore the different options.

Read More

Housing Resources

Finding a place to live in the San Francisco Bay Area can be a challenge. Be sure to research all of your housing options, including UCSF campus housing, be you arrive.

Read More

Social Security Number (SSN)

If you will be getting paid by UCSF or another source in the U.S., you will need to obtain an SSN. Before you apply, please understand the process and when to apply.

Read More

Accessing Healthcare in the U.S.

The healthcare system in the U.S. is probably very different from the system where you're coming from. Be sure to understand the different options for receiving care in case of an emergency

Read More

 


Who is the International Student and Scholars Office (ISSO)?

The UCSF ISSO is the office in charge of coordinating the visa processing for anyone at UCSF who requires one. Once visa holders have entered the US, the ISSO provides support and assistance to visa holders, from answering visa-related questions to providing different programs and activities to help international students and scholar accomplish their goals at UCSF. If you ever have a question about your visa or matters related to your visa, please reach out to your ISSO visa advisor for assistance.

One thing to note: the ISSO is a different office than your department and Human Resources (HR). Your department and HR generally work together on matters related to your employment at UCSF (such as preparing your job offer or extending your academic appointment). Once your department and HR have completed their part of the process, your visa request is sent to the ISSO. If you are anticipating a visa but have not heard from the ISSO yet, you may want to reach out to your department or HR representative to learn more.