Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status

On September 1, 2002, the form IAP-66 was replaced by the DS-2019. The IAP-66 may only be furnished in support of a visa application if it was issued and dated prior to September 1, 2002. Applications accompanied by an IAP-66 issued and dated after August 31, 2002, will be returned to the applicant unprocessed. If in doubt, please contact your program sponsor.

The form DS-2019 will exist in two formats until February 15, 2003, when SEVIS participation become mandatory. Applicants with a DS-2019 issued prior to February 15, may be in possession of either version of the form as described below. A DS-2019 issued on or after February 15 will be the electronic version of the form.

The paper form DS-2019

A 4 page color coded (yellow, white, pink and green) document. The yellow, white and pink copies must be furnished when applying for the visa and all three copies must be presented to the officer of the Department of Homeland Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at the port of entry. The green copy is retained by the program sponsor. Spouses and children applying for visas at the same time as the principal applicant do not require separate forms; separate forms are required, however, if applying at a later date.

If applying for the reissuance of a J visa, only page three (pink copy)of the DS-2019 endorsed by the issuing school official or program sponsor is required.

The electronic form DS-2019 which will be used in SEVIS

A one page document that contains a two dimensional bar code in the top, right hand corner. Both the principal and dependents will be issued their own DS-2019. SEVIS is a pilot program and has a limited number of participants. Your program sponsor will be able to advise you whether or not they are a participant in this program.

Note: Exchange visitor program participants issued a DS-2019 on or after February 15 will for the first few months receive two documents. The first is the one page SEVIS-generated DS-2019; the second is a duplicate of the DS-2019 annotated to show that it is for USCIS data processing. The applicant is not required to furnish the duplicate DS-2019 when applying for the visa; this form should be surrendered to the USCISat the port of entry when initially entering the U.S. on the J-1 or J-2 visa.

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