Eligibility for DS-2019

Once you have been accepted for Cal Poly sponsorship for a J-1 visa, the International Center will send you a link to the DS-2019 Request form or J-1 Student Intern Request Form within which we will collect electronically, an image of passport, proof of funding, proof of English Proficiency, your CV, and an electronic mentor agreement or internship supervisor agreement from your Cal Poly faculty or staff sponsor.

Proof of Funding

Be sure to include documented proof of any funds you will use to support yourself during your stay at Cal Poly. The amount of funds you will need to show will depend on your length of stay and the number of dependents coming with you. Funding can be in any combination of salary from Cal Poly (if applicable), personal, government, or organizational funds including stipends, scholarships, or other support. Documents must be no older than six months. The amount required is based on the cost estimates for living in San Luis Obispo. 

Proof of English Language Proficiency

U.S. Department of State regulations require that the sponsor (Cal Poly) evaluate the visitor’s English language skills to determine that the visitor has sufficient proficiency in the English language to successfully participate in his or her program and function on a day-to-day basis.
We are allowed to use one of the following "objective measurements of English language proficiency" to determine an applicant's language proficiency:

• A recognized English language test;
• Signed documentation from an academic institution or English language school; or
• A documented interview conducted by the sponsor either in-person or by videoconferencing, or by telephone if videoconferencing is not a viable option. This is to be done by the faculty member serving as the mentor to the visitor while he or she is at Cal Poly. This can be conducted and documented by the Cal Poly faculty mentor or internship supervisor when he or she submits the online recommendation or supervisor agreement.