J-1 Employment

A student on a J-1 Visa is eligible to apply for Academic Training (AT) if the student meets the following general conditions:

• The student is in good academic standing.
• The student is primarily in the United States (U.S.) to study rather than engage in AT.
• The student is participating in AT that is directly related to his or her major field of study as indicated on his or her Form DS-2019.
• The student receives written approval in advance from ISSS
• AT can only be authorized by the J-1 program sponsor (Georgia State, Department of State, Fulbright, USAID, etc.).

AT may be authorized for an amount of time that is equal to the time you are enrolled (up to 12 months).

J-1 degree-seeking students may be authorized for 18 months of Academic Training while engaged in study and following completion of their degree, unless your period of study was less than 18 months. AT cannot be authorized for a period longer than the total period of study.

J-1 Ph.D. degree-seeking students may be authorized for 18 months of AT while engaging in study and following completion of their degree.

If you are offered an established Post-Doctoral position you may be authorized for additional 18-months, for a total of 36 months of post-doctoral training, which is the maximum amount.

In general, AT may only be conducted part-time during the school year and full-time during Summer and Winter vacation periods. Exceptions include:

• Graduate students who have completed all coursework for the degree and plan to conduct AT that will assist them in the development of their thesis/dissertation
• Undergraduate students who conduct internships that are required of their program or for which they will receive credit

Obtain an original letter from your employer, on the employer's letterhead, that includes ALL of the following details:

• Job title
• Name of supervisor
• Location of employment
• Proposed start and end dates of employment
• Number of hours per week

Please Note: Salary must be included on this letter if employment occurs post-degree/program completion. If the employment is unpaid, then you will also need to submit financial documents showing that you or your sponsor can cover the cost of living expenses for the required DS-2019 extension.

• Log into iStart
• From the iStart homepage: click on J-1 Student Services submit the Academic Training Request e-form.
• After submission, an ISSS advisor will review your e-form submission within 3-5 business days and notify you via email of a decision or follow-up for more information.

In this eform, you will provide the name and email of your Academic Advisor (J-1 degree-seeing student) or Program Coordinator (J-1 non-degree seeking student).

Your request will go to that person via email for secondary approval. ISSS cannot approve your Academic Training Request e-form until your secondary approver replies to the request, so make sure they are aware of this process before you submit the e-form.

J-1 students must submit an evaluation of each Academic Training experience via iStart.

• Log into iStart
• From the iStart homepage: click on J-1 Student Services submit the Academic Training Evaluation e-form.
• After submission, an ISSS advisor will review your e-form submission within 3-5 business days and follow-up for more information if necessary.