4 Passport and Visa

Passport     

Apply for a passport right away if you haven’t already done so. Your home institution should assist you with this process. Be sure to make two photocopies of the passport page that has your name on it. Leave one copy with your family when you go abroad and take the other with you. The copy will make it much easier for you to replace your passport if it should be lost or stolen.

Visa     

A visa is an authorization, usually a stamp in your passport, that permits you to travel into or reside in another country for a stated period of time. You are responsible for contacting the United States embassy in your home country to determine the entry and visa requirements for citizens of your country. Your home institution should assist you with this process; however, Indiana University provides one of the documents you need, the DS-2019, in your official IU admission packet.

Note that you must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester in order to remain compliant with visa regulations. Dropping below the minimum is a violation of your student visa. For more information on applying for a J-1 exchange student visa, please see the Office of International Services website: ois.iu.edu/studying-at-iu/visa-requirements/index.html.