Understanding Your Form DS-2019

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• Surname/Primary Name and Given Name: These should match the machine-readable (<<<) zone in your passport. If there is a discrepancy, please contact OGS:
  • If before your program begins: Email a completed Form DS-2019 Update Request Form (PDF) to newinternational@georgetown.edu.
  • If after your program has begun: Email your IS Advisor.
• N00XXXXXXXX: This is your SEVIS ID, which is your identifying number in the U.S. government’s international student database, the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Activate your SEVIS ID by paying the SEVIS I-901 Fee, and save a copy of your payment receipt in your records.
• Date of Birth: This should match your passport. If it is listed incorrectly on your DS-2019, please contact OGS:
  • If before your program begins: Email a completed Form DS-2019 Update Request Form (PDF) to newinternational@georgetown.edu.
  • If after your program has begun: Email your IS Advisor.
• City of Birth and Country of Birth: If your city and/or country of birth are listed incorrectly on your DS-2019, please contact OGS:
  • If before your program begins: Email a completed Form DS-2019 Update Request Form (PDF) to newinternational@georgetown.edu.
  • If after your program has begun: Email your IS Advisor.
• Citizenship Country: This should match your passport. If the citizenship country does not match the passport you submitted to OGS or if you have dual or new citizenship and would like to change the citizenship in your J-1 record, please contact OGS:
  • If before your program begins: Email a completed Form DS-2019 Update Request Form (PDF) to newinternational@georgetown.edu.
  • If after your program has begun: Email your IS Advisor.
• Legal Permanent Residence Country: Except in rare cases, this should match your country of citizenship.

• Program Sponsor and Program Number: You can use this information when completing the DS-160 Nonimmigrant Visa Application.
• Purpose of this form: This section will reflect the reason for the DS-2019 issuance. New, initial DS-2019s will also reflect the number of dependents, if any, associated with the J-1 applicant.
  • To add dependent(s), email the required Dependent Documents to newinternational@georgetown.edu.
  • If the dependent(s) on your DS-2019 will not seek J-2 status and should be removed from your F-1 record, email a completed Form DS-2019 Update Request Form (PDF) to newinternational@georgetown.edu.
• Form Covers Period: You must arrive in the United States to begin your academic program no later than the From date, and you must complete your academic program no later than the To date. If arrival or completion by the listed dates is not feasible due to extenuating circumstances, you must contact OGS for guidance:
  • Arrival: Email a completed Form DS-2019 Update Request Form (PDF) to newinternational@georgetown.edu.
  • Completion: Email your IS Advisor.
• Exchange Visitor Category: There are many different categories of the J visa; this reflects the category that pertains to your Georgetown program.
• Subject Field Code: This lists the government code, called a Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) code, that best reflects your academic curriculum at Georgetown. It may not be the same as your Georgetown program’s name or your major at your home university; this will not impact your eligibility for a visa. If you have been admitted to and will attend a Georgetown program not currently represented on your DS-2019, please contact OGS:
  • If before your program begins: Email a completed Form DS-2019 Update Request Form (PDF) to newinternational@georgetown.edu.
  • If after your program has begun: Email your IS Advisor.

• During the period covered by this form, the total estimated financial support…: This reflects the proof of funding you submitted to OGS up to the amount of estimated expenses for your academic program, even if your sponsor(s) pledged more than that. If you are authorized for Academic Training, your authorization will be noted in this section as well. If there is a significant change to your source of funding, please contact OGS:
  • Before your program begins: Email a completed Form DS-2019 Update Request Form (PDF) to newinternational@georgetown.edu.
  • After your program has begun: Email your IS Advisor.
• Name of Official Preparing Form: This is the OGS advisor who issued your DS-2019 and may not be your dedicated International Student (IS) Advisor. Please refer to our Contact Us page for the contact information of your IS Advisor. School advisors are permitted to sign this form electronically.
• Statement of Responsible Officer for Releasing Sponsor: Except in rare cases, this section should be blank.

• Preliminary Endorsement of Consular or Immigration Officer regarding Section 212(e)…: This section should be filled in by the consular officer at your visa interview; it may be blank in subsequent versions of your DS-2019. See Two-year Home-Country Physical Presence Requirement on the U.S. Department of State website for more information about 212(e).
• Travel Validation by Responsible Officer: You must have a valid travel signature from an OGS advisor on your DS-2019 to reenter the United States in J-1 status. During your academic program, each travel signature is valid for one year or until the end of your program, whichever comes first, even if you travel internationally multiple times within that period.
  • Please review our Travel page for more information about what documents to carry with you when traveling internationally.
  • Please email your IS Advisor after the first month of your program to request a travel signature.
• Exchange Visitor Certification: The Form DS-2019 is only valid with your handwritten signature. After printing your DS-2019, sign and date this section by hand with a pen on paper. If you have J-2 dependent(s), you (the student) must sign the Exchange Visitor Certification section of their DS-2019(s) as well.

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Even though this page does not have any personal information on it, you should review it, as it outlines important fundamental information about J-1 status and your signature on page 1 attests to your having read it.

If you have any questions about or have lost your Form DS-2019, please contact newinternational@georgetown.edu before your program begins or your IS Advisor thereafter.

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