The J-1 process involves a number of steps. A faculty member needs to bring the request to the department assistant. There are a number of forms that need to be filled out by the department and the prospective exchange visitor. When these are completed, the forms are forwarded to the dean’s office for approval. The dean’s office will process an appointment letter and all the information will be forwarded to our office. When the immigration and HR services team receives the paperwork, a DS-2019 Form will be issued. This is sent by the department to the individual. They can then make an appointment with the consular office for a visa interview. It will take about one week to obtain the visa in the passport. The individual can then purchase a plane ticket. The whole process takes about 90 days. Processing times may vary due to visa wait, administrative, and/or security processing.