For J-1 Visiting Scholars, Researchers and Professors

An expedite is defined as a request for a new or extension DS-2019 document that is produced in less than our standard ten (10) business days.

The expedite request is only for BIO to process the DS-2019 in less than the standard 10 business days. Expedites can NOT be requested to the Department of State for visa applications. See the J-1 Process Overview for more information about the time line to get a visa.

Expedites are granted for emergency reasons only, based on the criteria listed below. Please reserve the use of expedites for genuine emergencies as expediting a case will put that case ahead of others and will thereby slow down processing for other cases. The decision to expedite will be made on a case-by-case basis. All cases that are not expedited will be routed for normal processing.  As with all requests, please avoid contacting Berkeley International Office regarding the status of a case until 10 business days have passed.  We will contact you to inform you of our decision on this request for expedited processing. 

A $200 fee is assessed in addition to the J-1 services fee for all DS-2019 requests requiring expedite service. BIO encourages campus staff to be diligent in submitting requests in a timely manner to avoid this additional cost and to be mindful of the burden that such requests places on this unit.  This fee is not intended to be a “premium processing fee” to routinely submit requests as expedites to get work done faster. 

Expedite Criteria
The decision to expedite will be made taking into consideration the following criteria:

1. Required to maintain scholar’s legal immigration status
2. Scholar will be teaching a course at UC Berkeley
3. Humanitarian circumstances
4. The volume of expedite requests received and the resources available

Expedite Instructions
When submitting expedite requests, please do the following:

1. Complete the Expedite Request Form. Print it on goldenrod-colored paper.
2. Attach an original, signed Expedite IOF in the amount of $200 (one IOF per scholar please).
3. Complete the DS-2019 Request Form and attach fee payment as follows:
   • For a scholar who is new or changing status to J-1, attach an original, signed J-1 Services IOF in the amount of $410 (or check/money order for $425). 
     
   • For an extension, attach an original, signed J-1 Extension IOF in the amount of $200 (or check/money order for $215).
4. Submit the request in person to Berkeley International Office.

Also, please note:

• If the department submits an Expedite Request Form without the Expedite IOF, the DS-2019 process will only be completed after BIO receives the fee.
  
  
• If a DS-2019 Request Form is submitted without the Expedite Request Form, but an expedite is actually needed (due to scholar’s appointment start date or to maintain scholar's legal staus), the process will only be completed after BIO receives the Expedite IOF.
  
  
• Since expedite requests come only from the academic department, BIO must receive expedite payment in the form of an IOF.  Checks or money orders will not be accepted for the expedite portion of the request (however, checks and money orders will be accepted for new, transfer, change of status and extension requests.