Students can apply for Pre-Completion AT to gain employment authorization while still enrolled in classes at Rowan University.

• Can be a paid or unpaid position
• Requires students to be enrolled full-time for classes
• Must be no more than 20 hours per week during the semester; may be full-time during vacation periods
• Students must accrue time on J-1 status before starting Academic Training; it is generally unavailable to a student within the first few months of J-1 status

Students can apply for Post-Completion AT to gain employment authorization that begins after the duration of study at Rowan University.

• Must be a paid or compensated position
• If the position is unpaid, the student must show that they are supported by other sources (such as home country government)
• Authorization must start within 30 days of the DS-2019 program end date
• Authorization must be requested and granted before the DS-2019 program end date

Students on Post-Completion AT must maintain health insurance for the entire duration of the training. We recommend that students purchase insurance via ISO or ISI providers. More information can be found here.

You must notify the International Center if you have changed to a different visa status (H-1B, TN, E-3, green card, etc.) or if you have left the U.S. and are no longer using AT.

The total employment period may not exceed the amount of time spent in the full course of study, with a limit of 18 months. For example, an exchange student here for 9 months is eligible for no more than 9 months of Academic Training. Any pre-completion Academic Training is deducted from your total allowed period of Academic Training.

Students must accrue time in J-1 status in the U.S. before they may start using AT. AT is generally not available during your first few months in the U.S. in J-1 status.

All work done during Academic Training must be directly related to the student's field of study, and it must be commensurate with their level of education. The following list describes acceptable forms of employment under AT:

• Full or part time employment
• Paid employment
• Unpaid employment. You may work as a volunteer or unpaid intern, where this practice does not violate any labor laws.
• Multiple simultaneous employers. You may work for more than one employer, but ALL employment must be related to your major field of study and degree program, and you must receive authorization from the HIO for each employer.
• Multiple consecutive employers. As a reminder, you can change employers, but you cannot begin new employment until you submit an evaluation for the first employer and submit a new application for AT to the International Center.
• Self-Employment is not permitted on AT, as it requires a training plan and supervision.
• The Department of State requires that all Academic Training positions must be either in-person or hybrid. Remote positions are not allowed. Hybrid work is defined as “one or two telework days per week”.

Each AT authorization you receive from the International Center is specific to one training organization and position only.

• If you work for multiple training organizations simultaneously, you must apply for AT authorization for each position.
• If you change training organizations, you must submit an evaluation for the position that is ending and apply for AT authorization for your new training organization.
• If you are extending an AT authorization, you must submit an updated AT application to the International Center before the end date of your current AT authorization.

You must submit an Academic Training Evaluation Report via Terra Dotta when ending employment.

You must report any change of address to the International Center via the Self-Service Banner within 10 days of moving. Instructions can be found here.

1. Apply for a job or internship and receive an official offer letter from the employer. The offer letter must include:
   1. Your job title
   2. Description of the goals and objectives of your employment
   3. Dates and location of employment
   4. Number of hours per week, pay, and benefits
   5. Name and title of your supervisor
2. Obtain a letter of recommendation from your academic advisor. You will need to provide your academic advisor with a copy of your employment offer letter. The recommendation letter from your academic advisor must include:
   1. The goals and objectives of the specific training program
   2. A description of the training program, including all the information listed above
   3. An explanation of how the training relates to your major field of study
   4. An explanation of why this employment is an integral or critical part of your academic program
   5. The length of time necessary to complete the goals and objectives of the academic training
3. Log into your Terra Dotta portal and submit an Academic Training Request. You must do this at least one month prior to your DS-2019 end date.
   • If you do not submit your Academic Training Request in a timely manner, you will not be eligible for the Academic Training benefit. Requests must be received and processed before the end date of your DS-2019.
4. Schedule an appointment with an advisor in the International Center via RSN. The appointment should be at least 30 days before your DS-2019 program end date!
5. If approved, the International Center will issue you a new DS-2019 with Academic Training authorization for the duration you requested, as well as an Academic Training Authorization Letter.
   1. Please note that you cannot start work before your Academic Training is approved.
   2. You will likely need a Social Security Number (SSN) to work. See this page for instructions on how to get your SSN.

Please take note that after the AT period has ended, options to continue working in the U.S. may be limited due to the 12-Month Repeat Participation Bar on the J-1 visa, and the potential Two-Year Home Residency Requirement (212e).

The 12-Month Bar

Individuals who have been in the United States for more than six months on a J-1 Student visa are not eligible to enter the United States as a J-1 Research Scholar or Professor for a 12-month period following the end date of the J-1 Student DS-2019 form. The 12-month bar applies to both the J-1 principal and any J-2 dependents. The J-1 Research Scholar or Professor visa is a visa commonly used for individuals with academic appointments at the University. The 12-month bar does not prevent individuals from returning to the United States in any other visa status. For more information see here.

Two-Year Home Residency Requirement (212e)

In some cases, the J-1 visa carries with it a two-year home residence requirement which obliges visa holders and their J-2 dependents to return to their home countries for two years before being eligible to apply for an immigrant visa or a non-immigrant H or L visa. The requirement also makes J-1 visa holders and their J-2 dependents ineligible to change to any other visa status within the United States if they are subject to it.

Not all J-1 visa holders are subject to this requirement. For more information see here.