Skip to main content

Cornell University

International Services

Office of Global Learning

Apply for an Entry Visa

  • For Faculty/Staff

To start a new job at Cornell, most international faculty and staff need an entry visa. This entry visa stamp makes you eligible to enter and reenter the United States. 

If you are a Canadian citizen, you do not need an entry visa.

Before You Apply

Before you apply for an entry visa, you must receive your visa eligibility document (DS-2019 or I-797) from Cornell. 

If you're in J-1 status, you also need to ...

How to Apply for an Entry Visa

  1. Set Up Interview
  2. Show Intent
  3. Gather Docs
  4. Attend Interview
  5. Receive Visa

1Make your visa interview appointment. 

Find the U.S. consulate or embassy where you will apply for a visa, then follow the links on that embassy’s website to learn more about scheduling a visa appointment and relevant requirements. Some locations might require additional documentation. 

2 Prepare to demonstrate “nonimmigrant intent.” 

If you are applying for a J-1 exchange visitor visa, you will need to demonstrate your intent to return to your home country after your appointment at Cornell ends.  

Here are some tips for ways to show you intend to return home: 

  • Prepare a few sentences that explain how you will use your Cornell research at home. 
  • Bring copies of deeds to any property (land, house, apartment) that you own in your home country.  
  • Bring bank statements of any accounts you maintain in your home country.  
  • Bring documentation of relationships with family members and/or friends in your home country.
  • If you have an employer planning to employ you when you return, bring a letter from the employer stating an intention to hire you. 

I’m applying for an H-1B visa. Do I need these materials?

No. H-1Bs are allowed to have the intent to immigrate to the United States, so it is not necessary for you to prove ties to your home country. 

3Gather your documents. 

Have these documents ready for the visa interview: 

  • Passport valid beyond your DS-2019 or I-797 end date 
  • Completed DS-160
  • Your invitation or appointment letter from Cornell University 
  • Any additional documentation requested by your U.S. consulate or embassy

A certified English translation can speed the interview process if your documents are in a different language. Also prepare to provide these additional items:

J-1

  • DS-2019
  • SEVIS fee receipt
  • Documents showing nonimmigrant intent
  • Proof of financial support, if some or all of your funding is from sources other than your job at Cornell 

H-1B

  • Form I-129 (copy)
  • I-797 approval notice
  • ETA-9035/LCA (copy)

O-1

  • Form I-129 (copy)
  • I-797 approval notice

E-3

  • ETA-9035/LCA (copy)
  • Copy of Form I-129 and I-797 approval notice if you applied for E-3 status within the U.S.

Dependents

Your spouse and/or children need to bring the following additional documents to the visa interview:

  • Valid passport/s 
  • Proof of relationship to you (marriage certificate, birth certificate, or adoption papers)
  • Any additional documentation requested by your U.S. consulate or embassy  
  • J-2: DS-2019
  • H-4/O-3: I-797 approval notice
  • E-3 (if your dependent filed an I-539 application within the U.S.): I-797 approval notice

If applying without you present, your dependents should also prepare to provide copies of your documents.

4Attend your visa interview. 

Be prepared to be interviewed in English. Answer all questions honestly and briefly. 

5Receive and review the entry visa in your passport.  

Once your application for a visa is approved, the consular officer will place a visa sticker or stamp in your passport. Make sure that all the information on it is correct. Fix any errors before you leave for the United States! 

Go to the United States government’s U.S. visa FAQs for further information on visas, including how to read and understand one.

Next Up: Enter the U.S.