J-1 ExchangeVisitor News for U

By: Mo Tao

Since 1951, the University of Utah has been a designated sponsor of a J-1 Exchange Visitor (EV) Program, also known as “BridgeUSA.” The EV Program was established by the U.S. Department State for the purpose of promoting the interchange of knowledge and skills among foreign and American scholars. It does so by providing foreign scholars an opportunity to share ideas with their American colleagues, participate in educational and professional programs, confer on common problems and projects, promote professional relationships, and bring people together. Through such an exchange, the University can have a unique role not only in shaping a visiting scholar’s career and personal experience, but also in having a positive impact beyond our borders.

Additionally, another advantage of this visa are the generous benefits provided to EV dependents (spouse or unmarried minor children) who are admitted to the U.S. in J-2 status. Dependents can study full-time or part-time, as well as seek employment, which can be located on or off-campus. Although the employment option can be a significant benefit for dependents, it is not guaranteed. Employment authorization must be requested through USCIS and can take up to 3 months for adjudication, a benefit they are eligible to apply for only after arrival to the U.S., and being admitted in J-2 status.

A form DS-2019, also known as a Certificate of Eligibility, is issued to someone in order to participate in a J-1 Exchange Visitor (EV) Program. It is called a certificate of eligibility because it demonstrates that one is eligible for an academic or work-based appointment in the U.S., and used to apply for a J-1 visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad. Dependents will need their own J-2 DS-2019 to apply for a J-2 visa, and to obtain J-2 dependent status.

If more time is necessary to complete EV program objectives, an EV may be eligible for a DS-2019 extension. The length of extension is based on a recommendation of the host University department and the maximum program duration allowed by the J-1 visa category. An extension of your DS-2019 would not automatically extend your J-1 visa, since a visa can only be renewed at a US Embassy abroad. Remember that a visa is allowed to expire while physically in the US, and a legal status can continue as long as the DS-2019 has been extended and valid.

A form DS-2019 is one of three travel documents (along with a visa and passport) that work together to allow entry and participation in an exchange visitor program.

What is 212(e)?

The two-year home residency requirement, also known as 212(e), requires an Exchange Visitor (EV), if they are subject to 212(e), return to and reside in their home country of legal permanent residence for a period of two years (cumulative) before being eligible to return to the U.S. as a

1) Permanent Resident, or 2) on a H-1B, K, or L visa, unless they first obtain a waiver.

Note: This requirement does not prohibit an EV from returning to the U.S. in another J-1 visa

category or in another non-immigrant status, except for when returning as a U.S. Permanent

Resident, or on a H-1b, K, or L visa. For example, returning as a B-2 tourist or as an F-1 student

without first fulfilling 212(e) or obtaining a waiver would be permissible.

Exchange Visitors (EVs) and dependents who have been in the U.S. in any J visa status (including J-2 status) for any part of the 12-month period preceding a program begin date for a new EV program in both the Professor or Research Scholar category, will not be eligible for the Professor or Research Scholar categories.

Note: The 12-month bar does not prevent individuals from returning to the U.S. in any other visa status or in another J visa category, such as Short-Term Scholar or College/University student. It is primarily a “bar” or a 12 month wait, before one is allowed to participate in a new EV program in the Professor or Research Scholar category.

Exchange Visitors who participate in the J-1 Professor or Research Scholar category, regardless of the amount of time spent in those categories, will be subject to what is known as the 24-month bar. The 24-month bar prevents “repeat participation” in the Professor and Research Scholar category for a period of 24 months. Although someone can eventually return to the U.S. in the Professor or Research Scholar category, anyone subject to the 24-month bar must wait 24 months before a returning in those two categories based on the date of the completion of their exchange visitor program. The bar also applies to J-2 dependents, based on the program completion of the primary J-1 exchange visitor’s program completion.

The 24-month bar is a different visa regulation from the two-year home residency requirement 212(e). 212(e) may apply to visitors in any J visa category, while the 24-month bar only applies to EVs in the Research Scholar or Professor category, and their dependents of someone in the Research Scholar or Professor category.

We are approaching the next bi-annual mandatory health insurance update. As a reminder, proof of health insurance must be updated at all times in order to maintain legal J-1 visa status. This can be done through the Health Insurance Update Request E-form through UAtlas.

Reminder: We will send a reminder email in the next few weeks to those in the Research Scholar and Professor categories to update their health insurance information.

As an international scholar, it is important you understand the tax implications of working and living in the U.S. on a non-immigrant visa. For now, you can view more information now on our tax webpage or email the Tax Team at tax.international@ic.utah.edu.

Reminder: The ISSS Tax Team will be sending out informational emails and a code to use to bill your taxes for free very soon.

ISSS' international student & scholar advisors are experienced in advising students & scholars from all over the world.

If you have a problem or a question that may impact your immigration status, please ask! Advisors may have resolved a similar issue before. We highly recommend that before meeting an advisor, you review our website thoroughly so that you may find your answer.

If you are not available in our Walk-In Advising hours (Tue 10:00AM-1:00PM), please feel free to email us and make an appointment: internationalscholars@utah.edu

• Update ISSS of any change in your physical address, phone number, and e-mail address within 10 calendar days of the change through UAtlas.

• Request a travel signature on your DS-2019 if you plan to depart the U.S. and return to continue your exchange program. When you submit your DS-2019 for a travel signature, we will provide a travel survey for you to complete. The travel survey lists information helpful to know to successfully re-enter the U.S.

Visit the ISSS website for information and resources related to your J-1 visa.

Low clouds and haze cover the tops of buildings in downtown Salt Lake City during an inversion event on Monday, Dec. 19, 2023

Under normal atmospheric conditions, air is warmer near the ground and colder at higher altitudes. In a temperature inversion, the situation “inverts,” and cold air at the surface gets trapped under a layer of warmer air. During the winter, snow-covered valley floors reflect rather absorb heat, preventing the normal vertical mixing of warm and cold air that keeps pollutants from building up to unhealthy levels at the surface.

Utah inversions often occur after a snowstorm. The snow cover makes the air colder near the ground, and the clear skies warm the upper atmosphere. If a high pressure system moves in, the gradual sinking of the warmer air acts as a cap over the cooler air, much like a lid over the valley bowl. The longer a high pressure system lasts, the longer and stronger the inversion.

The strength and duration of the inversion will control air pollution levels near the ground as measured by the Air Quality Index (AQI) levels. A typical Utah winter sees about five to six multi-day inversion episodes and on average, 18 days with high PM2.5 levels exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). A strong storm or low-pressure system is often needed to clear out the inversion.

The Advanced Clean Energy Storage project aims to employ electrolysis for transforming renewable energy into hydrogen. It will use solution-mined salt caverns to enable seasonal and dispatchable storage of the produced energy. As the nation's largest facility for both hydrogen production and storage, it is designed to offer extensive capabilities for long-term seasonal energy storage.

Production and Distribution Pathways of Green Hydrogen - Electrolysis Example

Green hydrogen production involves electrolysis, a method that uses renewable electricity from sources like solar, wind, hydropower, and geothermal energy. By utilizing an electrolyzer powered by clean energy, water is split into oxygen and hydrogen, resulting in green hydrogen. This process emits no greenhouse gases and is a scalable solution for sustainable energy.

ACES Delta’s 220-MW Electrolyzers manufactured by HydrogenPro (Norway)

at a production plant in Tianjin, China

The two M501JAC turbines will be capable of utilizing a fuel blend of 30% hydrogen by volume when they begin operation in 2025. However, under a 20-year long-term service agreement, Mitsubishi Power will incrementally increase the amount of hydrogen in the fuel mix as available from the adjacent ACES Delta project to achieve a 100% hydrogen combustion volume by 2045.

Gas Turbine - Mitsubishi Power, Japan

At the Intermountain Power Project in Delta, Utah, green hydrogen will be stored in a salt cavern with a capacity of 150,000 MWh. These caverns can hold 5,512 tons of hydrogen gas each, equivalent to fuel for 200,000 hydrogen-powered buses. The site has potential for over 100 such caverns, enabling long-term storage for clean, on-demand fuel in gas turbine power generation.

A salt cavern takes roughly two years to construct. “The best way to think about that site is as a big block of salt. What we do is drill into that salt with conventional drilling practices,” Mitsubishi Power explained last year. “It’s literally just drilling a well down, and then we inject water. Water dissolves salt, and then based on where we put the ‘stringer,’ you basically keep dissolving the salt, bringing that water out, putting new fresh water in.” This “solution mining” process requires large evaporation ponds that contain brine solution but “no exotic materials” other than “time and water.”

Hydrogen energy's emergence is reshaping global geopolitics as nations compete for leadership in its development and utilization. The shift towards cleaner energy has sparked a race to secure hydrogen resources, driving the formation of new alliances and geopolitical conflicts. Strategic advantages are being sought by nations with abundant renewable energy sources, while others face challenges adapting to the changing energy landscape.

In essence, the evolution of hydrogen energy is not just an energy transition but a geopolitical transformation with profound implications for diplomatic relations, economic competitiveness, and the global balance of power.

"The world’s energy map is no longer an accident of geology. It’s been redrawn by technological, economic and political wherewithal." - The Wall Street Journal

Pulitzer Prize-winning author and global energy expert, Daniel Yergin offers a revelatory new account of how energy revolutions, climate battles, and geopolitics are mapping our future. He illuminates the great energy and geopolitical questions in an era of rising political turbulence and points to the profound challenges that lie ahead.

The Topaz War Relocation Center was one of the ten internment camps established by the United States government during World War II to forcibly relocate Japanese Americans. Located near Delta, Utah, Topaz operated from September 1942 to October 1945 and housed over 8,000 individuals of Japanese descent. The internment was a result of Executive Order 9066, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which authorized the forced relocation of Japanese Americans from the West Coast.

Topaz residents faced harsh living conditions in the desolate desert environment, with crowded barracks, limited privacy, and inadequate facilities. Despite these challenges, many Japanese Americans at Topaz demonstrated resilience, forming a vibrant community with schools, churches, and recreational activities.

The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II remains a dark chapter in American history, highlighting the impact of fear and prejudice on civil liberties.

Dave Tatsuno (died in 2006 at the age of 92) smuggled a video camera into the Japanese internment camp while he was staying in Topaz, Utah, from 1942 to 1945.

This video contains segments of the full 48-minute film, courtesy of the special collections section of the J. Willard Marriott Library at the University of Utah.

The Topaz Museum, located near the site of the former Topaz War Relocation Center in Delta, Utah, serves as a testament to the history and experiences of Japanese Americans during World War II. The museum aims to educate visitors about the injustice of Executive Order 9066 and its impact on the lives of Japanese Americans.

The Topaz Museum was founded in the late 1990s by a group of former internees and their descendants, who sought to preserve the memory of this chapter in American history. The museum houses a collection of artifacts, photographs, and oral histories that document the daily lives, challenges, and resilience of those who were interned at Topaz. Exhibits explore various aspects of the internment experience, including the barrack living conditions, the impact on families, and the efforts of individuals to maintain a sense of community and cultural identity.

Nestled in the picturesque town of Midway, Utah, the Ice Castles stand as a breathtaking winter wonderland, enchanting visitors with their magical allure. Constructed entirely from icicles, these crystalline structures form a captivating maze of shimmering tunnels, archways, and towering spires. As day transitions to night, the ice comes alive with a kaleidoscope of color, thanks to embedded LED lights that illuminate the frozen landscape in a dazzling display. The Ice Castles provide a unique and immersive experience, inviting guests to explore the intricate formations, frozen slides, and icy chambers that make this seasonal attraction a truly unforgettable destination in the heart of Utah's winter wonder.

The Heber Valley Railroad is a historic railroad nestled in the beautiful Heber Valley. This would be a great stop before visiting the Ice Castles because it’s just a short drive away! The train goes all year long and they have many different rides to choose from, some shorter than others. They also have themed trains, please check the website.

Embrace the winter thrill at Woodward Park City in Utah with their exciting snow tubing park. Perfectly crafted lanes cater to all skill levels, offering a heart-pounding ride down the slopes. Whether you're a seasoned snow enthusiast or a first-timer, the tubing park promises a day of laughter and exhilaration against the stunning backdrop of Park City's snow-covered mountains. Get ready for a brief yet unforgettable adventure in the heart of winter wonderland fun.

Utah's world-class ski resorts, including Park City Mountain Resort, Alta Ski Area, and Sundance Mountain Resort... offer unparalleled winter experiences amidst the breathtaking backdrop of the Rocky Mountains.

Crystal Hot Springs, located in Honeyville, beckons visitors with its mineral-rich waters and breathtaking mountain views, providing a therapeutic retreat for relaxation.

On the outskirts of Provo, Fifth Water Hot Springs, also known as Diamond Fork Hot Springs, offers a tranquil oasis nestled in a scenic canyon. Accessible via a picturesque hike, these terraced pools feature crystal-clear water surrounded by the natural beauty of the Uinta National Forest.