You've made it to the United States! Learn more about what to do after you arrive for your AIPT program. Click on one of the links below:

Who is the sponsor when participants are in the United States?
How do I contact AIPT?
What do participants do when they first arrive in the United States?
What documents must participants have with them all the time?
How do participants apply for a Social Security number/card?
Do participants need a Social Security number in order to begin their training?
Can participants change their location of training?
What if a participant loses his or her Certificate of Eligibility (DS-2019)?
What if a participant loses his or her I-94 card?
What if a participant loses his or her passport?
Can participants travel outside the United States during the training program?
Can dependents travel outside of the United States during the training program?
What if a participant changes his or her home address?
How should a participant notify AIPT that he or she has moved to a different address, or if he or she has a different telephone number or e-mail address?

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How do I contact AIPT?
Contact AIPT by telephone at 410-997-2200, by mail at 10400 Little Patuxent Parkway, Suite 250, Columbia, MD 21044-3519, or by e-mail at aipt@aipt.org. AIPT staff travel throughout the United States during the year. Check the AIPT Web site at www.aipt.org/events for information on events in nearby cities.

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What do participants do when they first arrive in the United States?
Participants must contact AIPT to confirm the date of arrival, and must provide AIPT with the current address, telephone number and e-mail address within 10 days of arrival. AIPT must confirm arrival with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) within 30 days of the date listed in line #3 of the Form DS-2019, otherwise AIPT will be forced to withdraw sponsorship.

Participants who do not have a Social Security number will need to apply for one in order to be added to the host employer's payroll. See information below about applying for a Social Security card. Make sure to bring proof of identity, as well as the I-94 card and the Form DS-2019. On the first day of the J-1 program, the participants will be asked to complete an I-9 form and W-4 form in order to get enrolled onto the host employer's payroll. Make sure to bring the Form DS-2019. Please see instructions herein for information on paying taxes.

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What documents must participants have with them all the time?
Participants should always carry their I-94 card and the Form DS-2019. The I-94 card is the document that confirms participants have legally entered the United States. The Form DS-2019 is the document that confirms that participants are in the United States legally on a J-1 visa, and entitled to be at a workplace on a J-1 program. Therefore, it is important that participants have both documents with them at all times so they can prove they are legally in the United States on a J-1 visa.

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How do participants apply for a Social Security number/card?
If participants do not have a U.S. Social Security number, they will have to apply for a Social Security card. They will need to travel to the local office of the Social Security Administration (SSA). These are located in major cities, as well as in the county seats of all U.S. counties. Participants can find address information from the "blue pages" in their local telephone book or by searching the Internet at www.ssa.gov.

Participants must carry their passport, the I-94 card, and the Form DS-2019 with them for identification purposes. They should also bring the copy of their birth certificate in case the SSA needs to further confirm their identity. Participants will complete an application for a Social Security card and will have to show these documents to prove their identity.

Participants should prepare to spend at least one hour applying for their Social Security card. Depending on the number of people who have come to the office on that day, participants will likely find a long line of customers in front of them. (The Social Security Administration manages benefits to senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and those individuals who rely on publicly funded health insurance.) Participants will likely be asked to take a number and wait for the number to be called. Once called, participants will submit their application and show their I-94 card and Form DS-2019. The customer service agent will make copies of these forms, and return the original copies. Participants SHOULD NOT leave the original of the I-94 card or the Form DS-2019 with the customer service agent.

For security purposes, the customer service agent is required to confirm participants’ arrival information in the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, which receives information from the Department of Homeland Security. Once an applicant is verified in this database, the Social Security Administration can process that individual’s application. Participants will get a receipt indicating that they have applied for the Social Security card, and that they will receive the card within two to four weeks.

If the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been slow to update its records, the customer service agent may not be able to confirm the information. In that case, participants will be given a receipt that they have applied for a Social Security card, but that the Social Security Administration was not able to confirm their security clearance. The Social Security Administration will have to make a formal inquiry to DHS about their records, a process that can take four to six weeks.

Participants can be added to their host employer's payroll without a Social Security number. They can show the receipt of having applied for the card, and the host employer will be able to use a "dummy number" to enroll them on the payroll until they get their number. Participants must give their host employer their Social Security number as soon as they know it.

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Do participants need a Social Security number in order to begin their training?
No. Participants can be added to their host organization's payroll without a Social Security number. They can show the receipt of having applied for the card, and the host organization will be able to use a "dummy number" to enroll them on the payroll until they get their number. Participants must give their host organization their Social Security number as soon as they receive it.

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Can participants change their location of training?
No. Information about participants’ location of training is listed on their Form DS-2019. As applicants are entering the United States for on-the-job training in a specific field at a specific location, they will not able to change training locations. If financial or other conditions with the host employer change dramatically during the training program, participants must contact AIPT in order to determine if arrangements can be made to allow them to secure training at a different site. However, as the visa sponsor, only AIPT can make a decision on a change in training location.

It is important to remember that participants can legally earn a wage only at the host employer listed on the Form DS-2019. Substantial penalties exist for both the employer and the participant if the participant is not legally authorized to earn a wage at that employer.

*Under the AIPT Experience USA program, it is acceptable for participants to take second jobs and change jobs as long as AIPT is notified of the change. 

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What if a participant loses his or her Certificate of Eligibility (DS-2019)?
Participants should contact AIPT immediately. AIPT will issue them a new Form DS-2019 for a small administrative charge. They must always carry this document with them.

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What if a participant loses his or her I-94 card?
Participants must apply to the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for a new I-94 card. It is important to remember that the I-94 card is the document that the U.S. government uses to determine that participants legally entered the United States. Without this card, participants have no proof that they have legally entered the United States, and will be subject to deportation. To obtain a replacement card, participants will complete and submit the I-102 form to USCIS. They will be asked to pay a fee to replace a lost I-94 card. Participants should also contact AIPT immediately to inform us that they have lost their I-94 card.

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What if a participant loses his or her passport?
Participants’ passports are a valuable form of identification, and, if lost or stolen, can be used by someone else. Passports will also contain participants’ J-1 visas issued by the U.S. Embassy or Consulate (except for Canadian citizens). Participants should immediately contact the nearest embassy or consulate of their country of citizenship located in the U.S. to inquire about applying for a replacement passport. Participants will be able to obtain new passports while remaining in the United States.

Please note that if participants travel outside of the United States (including Canada and Mexico) after they have obtained a replacement passport, they must obtain a new J-1 visa before they will be allowed to re-enter the United States (because their new passport will not have the J-1 visa in it).

If the I-94 card was inside the lost passport, participants must remember that they will have to apply for a replacement I-94 card (see above). If the Form DS-2019 was inside the lost passport, participants must remember that they will have to obtain a replacement Form DS-2019 from AIPT.

Participants should contact AIPT immediately to notify us that they have lost their passport.

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Can participants travel outside the United States during the training program?
Participants are able to travel outside of the United States during the training program for up to 30 consecutive days. Before they travel, participants must send the Form DS-2019 to AIPT for a signature. The signature confirms that the participant continues to be sponsored by AIPT, and they should not be questioned at the border when returning. The signature is valid for one year.

You must have a valid multiple entry visa in your passport to re-enter the United States. If you have a single entry visa, or if your visa has expired, contact AIPT well in advance of your trip so that necessary documentation can be provided.

When traveling to Canada or Mexico for less than 30 days, participants do not surrender the I-94 card at the border. Participants can keep the card and show it to the border official when they return.

It is important for participants to make sure they can enter Canada or Mexico without a visa. Remember that the J-1 visa is only valid for the United States. And, while U.S. citizens do not need a visa to visit Canada or Mexico, the participant’s home country may have separate visa requirements for travel into Mexico or Canada.

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Can dependents travel outside of the United States during the training program?
Yes. J-2 dependents may travel in and out of the United States during the training program. It is strongly recommended that each dependent have his or her own passport.

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What if a participant changes his or her home address?
It is imperative that AIPT maintain an accurate, current home address for all participants in the United States.  Participants must notify AIPT of any address changes within 10 business days, or risk losing visa status.

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How should a participant notify AIPT that he or she has moved to a different address, or if he or she has a different telephone number or e-mail address?
Participants can contact AIPT by telephone at 410.997.2200, by mail at 10400 Little Patuxent Parkway, Suite 250, Columbia, MD 21044-3519, or by e-mail at aipt@aipt.org. AIPT staff travel throughout the United States during the year. Participants can check the AIPT Web site at www.aipt.org/events for information on events in cities near them, and they can inform us of any changes in their contact information in person. 
 
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