J-1 ExchangeVisitor News for U

By: Mo Tao

Permission for a change of a Site of Activity is required for a J-1 Scholars

who move to a new lab or Department.

A site of activity (SOA) is the name and address of the location where a J-1 Exchange Visitor will conduct their program activities (i.e. campus appointment to conduct research, lecture etc.). All J-1 Exchange Visitors must have a primary site of activity listed in their SEVIS record. Additional sites must be added when a J-1 Exchange Visitor requests a change of site or will engage in activities at more than one location. J-1 Exchange Visitors are generally expected to engage in their program in-person at the primary site of activity noted on their Form DS-2019.

Your primary site of activity and program objectives can be found in section #1 (site of activity) and section #4 (subject/field code and remarks) of your DS-2019. The subject/field code and remarks should always reflect your current program objectives.

• Receive an appointment (invitation or offer) from a host academic department to continue your program objectives at a new site of activity.

• Describe and confirm that the objective at the new site is related to, or a progression of, your original program objectives.

• Submit proof that any change in funding and/or your health insurance meets the minimum requirements of your J-1 visa status.

Submit a Change of Site of Activity E-form through UAtlas.

Please be prepared to submit the following:

• Description of the research/program activities conducted at your current SOA

• Description of the research/program activities that will be conducted at your new SOA

• Description of how the research/program activities at the new SOA is related to, or is a progression of the research/program activities conducted at the current SOA

• Appointment or offer letter disclosing the new location, contact information of your supervisor, as well as a brief description of the research/program activities at the new SOA

The I-94 arrival/departure record is evidence that someone has been admitted to the United States in “J-1 status” at a US port of entry (land, air, or sea) by US Customs and Border Protection.

This document identifies the date and class of admission (J-1) to the US, as well as the expiration date of the authorized period of stay. For EVs on a J-1 visa, the period of authorized stay is identified as “duration of status”, also known as D/S, which is "stamped" on the visa foil page of a passport. D/S is not an expiration date, so check the dates on the DS-2019 to confirm your authorized period of stay in the US, and to confirm J-1 status.

EVs and their dependents will have a new I-94 with each new entry to the US, so all new I-94s should be kept for record keeping. Please provide the “newest” copy of the I-94 to the ISSS office, as this is the document that identifies a legal status in the US.

Visit the official I-94 website for more information on the I-94 and how to “get most recent I-94” record.

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

If you have a concern or a question that may impact your visa 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.

• Maintain health insurance that meets the requirements of the Exchange Visitor Program for the entire duration of your stay as indicated by the begin date and end date listed on your DS-2019.

• 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.

The Golden Spike, located at Promontory Summit in Utah, holds a place of great significance in American history as the symbolic completion point of the first Transcontinental Railroad.

This monumental event took place on May 10, 1869, marking the moment when the Central Pacific Railroad from the west and the Union Pacific Railroad from the east were joined together.

When the Golden Spike was hammered into place, it was much more than just the final touch on a massive engineering project; it was a pivotal moment that reshaped the United States. This act literally linked the country from one coast to the other, slashing the time it took to cross the continent from many months to just about a week. This incredible feat made it easier and faster to transport people and products from one end of the country to the other, sparking economic growth, encouraging the spread westward, and forging a stronger sense of being one united nation.

The spike itself is a 17.6-karat gold final spike that was driven by Leland Stanford, president of the Central Pacific Railroad, to join the rails of the nation.

Today, the Golden Spike National Historical Park in Utah commemorates this event, offering visitors a glimpse into the past with reenactments, exhibits, and the opportunity to see replicas of the steam locomotives that met on that historic day.

The labor of Chinese workers is intertwined with the history of the first Transcontinental Railroad. An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 Chinese workers, almost all from southern China, laid the tracks of the western half of the railroad.

The work of Chinese laborers on the Transcontinental—virtually all of it done by hand—ranged from physical labor, such as moving earth, rock, and snow, to highly skilled tasks, such as blacksmithing, carpentry, tunneling, and drayage. They carved and blasted fifteen tunnels through solid rock. They experienced landslides, snowslides, falls, and explosions. They endured the blistering heat of the Nevada and Utah deserts and the brutal cold of Sierra Nevada winters. The human cost was immense.

While workers’ deaths were not systematically recorded, historians estimate 1,200 or more Chinese laborers died in accidents. The Chinese laborers worked longer hours and were paid less than their white counterparts, and even had to pay for food that was free to white workers.

To pay their respects, about two hundred Chinese Americans and visitors from China recreated the 1869 photo with an all-Asian cast on its 145th anniversary.

Leland Stanford was a complex figure in American history, known both for his significant contributions and his controversial actions. Born in 1824 in New York, he moved to California during the Gold Rush era, where he made his fortune and entered into politics. Stanford served as the Governor of California and later as a U.S. Senator. He was also a key figure in the development of the Central Pacific Railroad, which played a crucial role in completing the first transcontinental railroad.

Despite his substantial achievements in infrastructure and education, including founding Stanford University, Leland Stanford's legacy is marred by his discriminatory policies against Chinese immigrants. As governor, he supported and enforced policies that significantly curtailed the rights and freedoms of Chinese workers, who were instrumental in building the Central Pacific Railroad. His public statements and actions contributed to a climate of racism and exclusion, which culminated in the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, the first significant law restricting immigration into the United States based on ethnicity.

This stark contrast between his contributions to American development and his discriminatory policies highlights the complexity of Stanford's character and the contradictions within his legacy, making him a subject of both admiration and criticism in historical discussions.

Bison herds in the western United States were so massive, they shook the ground and sounded like thunder in the distance. The American bison roamed most of North America and in the early 19th century, population estimates were between 30 million to 60 million. Their story is inextricably tied to the history of America’s first transcontinental railroad.

Hundreds of thousands of bison were slaughtered by hunters, travelers and U.S. troops. Trains shipped bison carcasses back east for machine belts, tongues as a delicacy, and bones as fertilizer. When the Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869, it accelerated the decimation of the species and by 1900, naturalists estimated less than 1,000 bison remained.

The American bison relate to Native Americans in many ways, not only through spiritual connection but through their attempted eradication in history.

In 1873 the American government killed 1.5 million bison in that one year alone to starve the native Americans so they would be come more dependent on the American government to survive. The soldiers would use buffalo as target practice, killing them in massive numbers daily and then leaving them there to rot. They only took the buffalo tongues and their meat of choice. Military commanders had licenses to kill as many buffalo as possible because it was believed they were “doing their part” to gain control of Native Americans. These hunts were horrendous, and the slaughtering of these animals nearly destroyed Indigenous peoples.

By the late 1880s, the endless herds of bison were wiped out and just a few hundred individuals remained. Near extinction of the majestic animal deprived the Plains Indians of thier livelihood and resulted in tremondous suffering. The last remaining Bison were protected in Yellowstone National Park and other sanctuaries in North America. Today, bison populations are slowly recovering. The sculpture “Distant Thunder” is a tribute to the vast herds that once roamed the American West.

“Distant Thunder” was created by Utah artist Michael Coleman and first exhibited on May 10th, 2019. The 3,500 pound bronze sculpture took over a year to create. It was donated to Golden Spike National Historical Park in 2019 in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the driving of the last spike in the Transcontinental Railroad.

"Spiral Jetty" is a renowned earthwork and an iconic piece of land art created by American artist Robert Smithson in 1970. Located on the northeastern shore of the Great Salt Lake near Rozel Point in Utah, USA, this artwork is constructed entirely from natural materials, specifically mud, salt crystals, basalt rocks, and water.

The work forms a 1,500-foot-long, 15-foot-wide counterclockwise coil jutting from the shore into the lake. Smithson's choice of a spiral shape was inspired by the earth's natural patterns and the concept of entropy, reflecting his fascination with decay and the passage of time. The spiral also draws from cultural and historical symbols that represent notions of renewal and continuity.

"Spiral Jetty" is submerged and reemerges depending on the water level of the Great Salt Lake, which varies with the local drought and precipitation conditions. This interaction with the elements means that "Spiral Jetty" is in a constant state of change, visually and conceptually different with each viewing.

Alaska? Texas? Or Southern England?

Actually this is Amoco drilling exploratory wells in the Great Salt Lake of Utah!

Rozel Point is one of the oldest fields to produce oil in Utah. The seeps have been known since the late 1800s and production attempts began in 1904. The field produced an estimated 10,000 barrels of oil from 30 to 50 wells, but has been inactive since the mid-1980s due to extremely difficult production, very high refining costs, and rising lake levels.

Today, Rozel Point has been repurposed by modern artists into a land art site, transforming its industrial remnants into a space of creative expression and attracting visitors worldwide.

Artist: Sophia Belkin, Nicholas Campbell, Jasmine Monsegue

Date: April 14, 2021

Artist: Kai (Kari) Altmann

Date: July 7, 2020