International Scholar Orientation
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J-1 New Scholar Orientation
The US immigration regulations governing J-1 status require the program sponsor to provide orientation to its J-1 scholars upon arrival in the US.
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All J-1 scholars are required to complete the J-1 Scholar Orientation and Arrival Form in iPenn and virtually check in with an ISSS specialist.
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The check-in process should be completed within 10 days of the program start date on your DS-2019. If your scheduled arrival date has changed, you must contact your department administrator immediately regarding your new scheduled arrival start date.
The check-in process consists of three steps:
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J-1 Scholar Orientation on iPenn
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J-1 Scholar Arrival Form on iPenn
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After submitting the J-1 Scholar Arrival form, email your ISSS specialist to virtually check in.
To complete your virtual new scholar check-in, you will need the following original immigration documents.
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Passport
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J-1 visa (except Canadian citizens)
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Hard copy of I-94 (see https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov)
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DS-2019 issued by Penn
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If you are transferring your J-1 record, any previously issued DS-2019s from your previous institution
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Any other official correspondence from USCIS, such as an I-797, if applicable
In the event that a J-1 Scholar cannot complete check-in within 14 days of their program start date, their host department will need to log into iPenn to complete a "J-1 Scholar Late Arrival" form.
