CANADIAN CITIZENS
Canadian citizens need a valid passport to enter the U.S. as of January 23, 2007. In addition to a
valid passport, you need the following documents:
• A valid DS-2019 form in order to re-enter the US in J-1 status as an exchange visitor teacher.
• SEVIS fee receipt.
You must present your Form DS-2019 and make a request upon entering the US to be granted J-1
status. This means that you must receive (first-time crossing) or retain (re-entering the US) in your
possession an I-94 card indicating that you were admitted for J-1 status for duration of status ("J-1
D/S"). Canadians who enter without the appropriate documents for J-1 status are considered short-
term tourists ineligible for employment or any other benefits associated with J-1 status.
If you are a Canadian citizen being sponsored in J-1 status, you do NOT require a J-1 visa stamp in
your passport (thus no contact with the U.S. embassy!). You do, however, need a DS-2019 form
issued by the Cordell Hull Foundation to present to a U.S. border officer upon entering the U.S.
Whenever you leave the U.S. and return, fold and staple this form inside your passport.
Canadian citizens seeking first-time J-1 status upon their admission to the U.S. must pay the SEVIS
fee of $180, a one-time only fee. You must show your SEVIS fee receipt, along with your DS-2019
and passport, in order to be granted admission to the U.S. in J-1 status. The SEVIS fee cannot be
paid at the land border crossing or at the Canadian airport before you leave for the U.S. You may
pay it online using this link: www.FMJFee.com
J-2 dependents (spouse or children of the J-1 teacher) are not required to pay the SEVIS fee.
When to Enter the U.S.
You may enter the country up to 30 days before the start date indicated on your DS-2019.
How is the SEVIS fee charged and collected?
1. Online submission of form I-901 (www.FMJFee.com) to DHS with payment of $180 SEVIS Fee via
Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. You can pay the SEVIS fee online from anywhere in the
world.
2. Mail-in submission of form I-901 to DHS address on form along with $180 SEVIS fee paid by
check, money order, Western Union, or foreign draft drawn on a financial institution in the U.S. and
payable in U.S. currency. Mail-in form I-901 is sent to a DHS office in the U.S. This is the least
efficient method of paying the SEVIS fee. It may take several weeks to receive your receipt, which
you need to enter the US.
Someone other than you (a friend, family member) can pay the SEVIS fee for you by using one of the
two methods just described.
In order to pay the SEVIS fee you need these numbers:
1. The Cordell Hull Foundation Program No.: P-3-01333
located in Section 2 of your DS-2019 form.
2. Your SEVIS ID, starting with N000------
located in the upper right-hand corner of your DS-2019 form.