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USAnaru™ — Your crossing to the right U.S. school.

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Official form or feeJ-1I-20 / DS-2019DS-2019

Form DS-2019 (Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status, J-1)

The DS-2019 is the J-1 equivalent of the I-20. A U.S. Department of State–designated exchange sponsor creates it in SEVIS and its Responsible Officer signs it; the student uses it to pay the SEVIS fee, apply for a J-1 visa and enter the United States. High-school exchange students get it from their exchange sponsor, not from the school.

Who issues / uses itCreated in SEVIS by a designated exchange visitor program sponsor and signed by its Responsible Officer (RO) or Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO). Used by the participant, the U.S. embassy or consulate and CBP at the port of entry.

When in the processAfter the sponsor accepts the student and secures the school placement (and, for secondary school students, the host family or boarding-school placement) — before the SEVIS fee, DS-160 and visa interview.

CostNo government fee for the form itself. The sponsor's program fee, the J-1 SEVIS fee and the visa application fee are separate.

Last checked2026-10-10

Official page ↗

Steps

Apply to a designated secondary school exchange sponsor (the State Department lists sponsors on j1visa.state.gov).
The sponsor secures written school acceptance and a host family or boarding-school placement.
The sponsor issues the DS-2019 in SEVIS; the RO signs it.
Check the name, dates, program category and placement address.
Pay the SEVIS I-901 fee for J-1, then complete the DS-160 and attend the visa interview.
Carry the printed, signed DS-2019 when you travel and show it to CBP.

What the DS-2019 is

The DS-2019 shows that a designated exchange sponsor has accepted you into a J-1 program. It lists your name, the sponsor, program dates, the exchange category (for high school: Secondary School Student) and where you will be placed.

How it is used

Visa: you use it to apply for the J-1 visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate.
Entry: you carry the printed form to the airport and show it to CBP. J-1 visitors may be admitted up to 30 days before the program start date.
Stay: J-1 admission is tied to the program end date on the DS-2019 (up to a 4-year maximum), plus 30 days to prepare to leave.

High-school exchange (J-1 secondary school student)

For high school, J-1 programs last one or two semesters and are run by designated sponsors. The student lives with a vetted host family or at an accredited boarding school. See the related rules page for ages and limits.

Common mistakes

Thinking a school can issue a DS-2019 for a high-school exchange — it comes from the designated sponsor.
Paying the reduced $35 J fee — that rate is only for au pairs, camp counselors and summer work/travel; secondary school students pay the full J rate.
Arriving more than 30 days before the program start date.
Letting someone else keep your passport or DS-2019 — the rules say the student keeps their own documents.

Questions

Who signs the DS-2019?

The sponsor's Responsible Officer or Alternate Responsible Officer whose name is printed on the form.

Can a J-1 high-school student stay for a second year?

J-1 secondary school programs are one or two semesters, and a student who has already done a U.S. semester or year exchange, or studied in the U.S. on F-1 or J-1, is not eligible again. Students who want to continue studying in the U.S. need a different path, such as admission to an SEVP-certified private school and an F-1 visa — ask the school and the sponsor early.

Official sources

Form DS-2019 — U.S. Department of State, BridgeUSA · checked 2026-10-10
8 CFR 214.2(j)(1) — Admission of exchange visitors — eCFR · checked 2026-10-10
22 CFR 62.25 — Secondary school students — eCFR · checked 2026-10-10

Information, not legal advice. We summarize public U.S. government sources in our own words; rules and fees change. Confirm with the school’s DSO (F-1), your sponsor’s Responsible Officer (J-1) or the U.S. embassy or consulate before you act.