Departure Procedures
Before your J-1 affiliation comes to and end, please familarize yourself with the following departure procedures:
If you have any questions or concerns about any of these procedures, please feel free to contact ccs-vs@berkeley.edu
When is my final Grace Period?
The Scholar's Final Grace Period will go into effect starting the day after the official end date on the form DS-2019.
- During the grace period, scholars:
- CANNOT extend their J program during the 30-day grace period.
- CANNOT conduct research/teach/work or get paid during the 30-day grace period.
- CANNOT transfer to another institution during the 30-day grace period.
I am planning to leave the U.S. more than 15 days before the end date on my form DS-2019, how do I proceed?
The Berkeley International Office must be notified of any J-1 exchange visitor who will be ending their program more than 15 days prior to the DS-2019 end date.
In order to proceed:
- Submit a written request to ccs-vs@berkeley.edu explaining your reasons for ending your program early.
- Send confirmation of the new last official date at UC Berkeley to ccs-vs@berkeley.edu at least a month in advance of your planned departure and cc' jscholar@berkeley.edu
- BIO will report the change to the SEVIS database and issue a final, shortened DS-2019 to the J-1 Scholar.
When does my CalNet Access to UC Berkeley campus systems expire?
For more information about the campus grace period as it pertains to campus access, please see the CalNet Access information page pertaining to Grace Periods.
Please Note: After your 30 day grace period ends, you will no longer have access to your Berkeley email address. The campus recommends backing up or transferring mass content, such as your emails, from your bConnected account to another Google account, such as a personal one, by using Google Takeout Transfer. This tool is managed by Google, and thus the campus can only provide limited support should scholars have any quesitons about the tool.
My affiliation will end soon, but I want to apply for a program extension, how do I proceed?
Please visit our Visiting Scholar Program Extension: Prerequisites, Application, and Fees page for more information on how to extend your appointment.
Program Completion Certificate
Scholars holding J-1 status are not permitted to conduct research or engage in their J program objectives during their two 30 day grace periods – the first being 30 days before their DS-2019 start date, and the second being 30 days after their DS-2019 end date. Thus, the Center for Chinese Studies will only issue program completion certificates in accordance with the scholar/student’s dates of affiliation at the University of California, Berkeley as recorded on the scholar's DS-2019. If a scholar chooses to end their affiliation more than 15 days prior to their DS-2019 end date, they must report this to the Berkeley International Office, and a new shortened DS-2019 will be issued – affiliation dates will be updated therein.
The Center for Chinese Studies does not have the authority or resources to officially verify your exact dates present in the United States, and so scholars/students who require certification from outside agencies regarding their time in the U.S. should make their travel and affiliation plans so that they are in compliance with both:
- U.S. immigration laws that dictate the timeframe for when a scholar is allowed to engage in their J program objectives
- The scholar/student’s official dates of affiliation with the University