DS-2019 Expedite Instructions

What is an Expedite?

An expedite is defined as a request for a new or extension DS-2019 document that is produced by Berkeley International Office in less than our standard 10 business days. Expedites CANNOT be requested to the U.S. Department of State for visa applications. See the J-1 Process Overview for more information about the timeline to get a visa.

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.

Fees

A $300 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 place 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.

Criteria for Approval

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

  1. The expedite is required to maintain scholar’s legal immigration status.
  2. The scholar will be teaching a course at UC Berkeley.
  3. There are humanitarian circumstances.
  4. The volume of expedite requests received and the resources available allow us to proceed.

Instructions

When submitting expedite requests, please do the following:

  1. Gather required documents and complete a request using International Scholar Dossier (ISD).
  2. Scan and upload an original, signed Expedite IOF in the amount of $300 (one IOF per scholar please) into the documents tab of ISD.
  3. Scan and upload other fee payments as follows:
    • For a scholar who is new or changing status to J-1, upoad an original, signed J-1 Services IOF in the amount of $650.
    • For an extension, upload an original, signed J-1 Extension IOF in the amount of $400.
  4. Clearly mark that it is an expedite request in the Notes tab in ISD. Include reason why request is an expedite.
  5. Submit the request.
  6. Please also email jscholar@berkeley.edu to alert us to the urgency of the request.
  7. We will inform you of our decision on this request for expedited processing. As with all requests, please avoid contacting Berkeley International Office regarding the status of a case until 10 business days have passed.

Also, please note:

  • If the department submits an Expedite Request without the Expedite IOF, the DS-2019 process will be completed only after BIO receives the fee.