Application Process

Please register for our J1-Visa Program by filling out our registration form. 

After 3-5 business days you and your host company should receive a registration confirmation via email, which contains all the necessary information for each party.

Please note that steps 1 and 2 are two individual steps, and we do not accept complete application documents (step 2) if you have not first registered yourself and received a confirmation.

Various forms are required from you. Please make sure to know by now which J-1 visa category you have to apply for.

In order to simplify the process, we have created a checklist. Please note that the complete application must be submitted in one to three PDF documents at most.

Your contact person at the GACC will notify you if your application is acceptable, complete and correct. Please note that corrected or missing documents should be submitted as soon as possible so as not to delay the application process.

Important advice for completing the J-1 visa application form can be found here.

Each applicant must complete a short interview via Zoom. After you sent in your application documents, you will receive an email from your case manager with details for your mandatory interview. 

Your English language skills will be evaluated as part of this interview.

You may pay the GACC service fee either by filling out our Credit Card Authorization Form other through an electronic transfer.  If you choose to transfer the funds, you must send a confirmation of payment to your case manager in order for your payment to be filed.  Please note that we will only issue an invoice once your application is finalized.

Once we have received all completed documents from you and your host company, the mandatory interview has been conducted, and we have received proof of payment for your J-1 visa application fees, your application will be considered complete, and we will begin processing your application. As of this point you should estimate a processing time of up to 6 weeks.

After your completed application has been approved, your data has been entered into the SEVIS database, and your SEVIS number has been generated, we will issue your DS-2019 Certificate of Eligibility and send it to you to the email address you provided to us. At the same time you will also receive your SEVIS number immediately via email.

Please stay informed here regarding what documents you need to complete and submit for your appointment at the U.S. Consulate (in Germany). Please check your home country's U.S. Consulate website.

Please fill out the form DS-160 for your appointment at the U.S. Consulate and print out the confirmation page at the end.

On the following you will find a video on how to fill in the DS-160. Please note the location specific instructions and apply it to your location!

In addition to the GACC fee, you will need to pay some additional fees for your J-1 visa.

Please pay the following fees:

1. The U.S. Consulate fee of approximately $185 - please check your home country's U.S. Consulate website;

2. The SEVIS fee of approximately $220 must be paid through the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; read through the I-901 Fee Payment Tutorial

3. Bring proof of payments to your U.S. Consulate appointment.

After you have paid the SEVIS and the U.S. Consulate fees you will be able to schedule an appointment at a U.S. Consulate located in your home country.

On the day of your appointment, the documents needed for your visa application at the U.S. Consulate include:

• DS-2019 Certificate of Eligibility

• Form DS-7002 (training plan)

• Confirmation page of the online application form DS-160

• Proof of payment of the U.S. Consulate fee

• Proof of payment of the SEVIS fee

• Passport photo

• Passport

After your visa appointment at the U.S. Consulate, it should take about 5-7 business days to receive your passport back with your J-1 visa, the DS-2019 and the DS-7002.

Please check the information on your J-1 visa, whether everything is correct. The end date of your J-1 visa is the same as the end of your exchange program (same end date as on the DS-2019). After the end date of your exchange program, you are allowed to travel in the US for 30 days (Grace Period), but you will no longer be in J-1 visa status. See here for more information: https://j1visa.state.gov/participants/current/adjustments-and-extensions/

J-1 visa participants and their immediate supervisors must evaluate their J-1 program.

If the duration of your program is less than 4 months, you and your supervisor only need to fill out a final evaluation at the end of your program. If the duration of your program is more than 4 months, you and your supervisor will need to fill out a midterm evaluation at the mid point of your program and a final evaluation at the completion of your program. Evaluations are filled out online, and a link will be provided.

Please forward the supervisor evaluation link to your immediate supervisor.

The evaluation is an important feedback for us, and is required by the U.S. Department of State. Failure to submit your midterm and/or final evaluation will result in an uncompleted J-1 visa program.

Click here to view helpful updates regarding the current tax year.

All J-1 exchange visitors are required to file certain information with the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by April 15 of the following year.

The necessary forms depend on the specific circumstances of your work in the U.S.

• If you worked in the U.S. during a tax year but were not paid from a U.S. source (i.e. you were paid from the company in your home country or not paid at all), you will not have to file a tax return.

• However, you should still file form 8843 to exclude your days of presence in the U.S. during your program.

• All tax forms for current tax filing are available online at http://www.irs.gov.

Failure to file could restrict your entry to the U.S. in the future, and you may miss out on claiming any refund that may be owed to you.

Because tax documents can be complicated, we recommend that you consult a professional tax preparer.

While the GACC cannot offer such professional services, we are happy to announce that we have recently partnered with Sprintax.com, a European-based company offering global tax return filing and refund services. Sprintax.com will be able to provide assistance with identifying and completing the necessary forms you will have to file. For more information, please email us at visa@gaccny.com. When filing your taxes, be sure to have your W-2 earnings statement ready. If you have not yet received your W-2 statement from your U.S. host company, please contact them immediately to ensure that they have current address information for you.