Reporting Your Arrival (J Scholars)

WHO NEEDS TO REPORT

You need to report your arrival to Columbia if you are:

J-2 SEVIS record(s) are automatically activated with yours. Check to see that their I-94 Arrival Record is accurate. They should be admitted with the notation of “J-2 until D/S". D/S refers to "duration of status".

Do not report to Columbia if you received your DS-2019 from another J-1 Exchange Visitor program sponsor, such as IIE for Fulbright. Please follow their guidance for reporting your arrival to them.

WHEN TO REPORT

It's mandatory to report your arrival within a week of your first-time arrival with this Columbia DS-2019.

This is a government requirement and will activate your SEVIS record. The online form meets the requirement—you do not need to report your arrival in person.

Step 1.

Gather your documents and information

If you have a problem retrieving your I-94 arrival record, call the immigration office at either JFK or Newark airport (regardless of where you arrived) to speak with Deferred Inspection. Be sure to have all of your documents ready when you make the call. Deferred Inspection can usually locate your record and make a correction (if needed) while you're on the phone so that you can access and print the corrected record.

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Step 2.

Log in to Compass to report your arrival

There are two ways to log in to Compass: with a UNI and without a UNI. The UNI consists of your initials plus an arbitrary number, e.g. AB123, and is part of your Columbia email address. Learn more about your UNI on the Columbia University Information Technology (CUIT) website.

How to Log in to Compass

For current employees and visiting scholars who have an active UNI and password, use your UNI and password to log in to Compass.

Morningside login issues? Morningside scholars with login issues should email their UNI to their scholar adviser.
Not sure of your campus? Check our campus school list.
Need help using Compass? Learn more on our Compass User Guide.

If you do not yet have a UNI, follow these instructions:

A. Receive your PID

Within 30 days of your DS-2019 start date, your ISSO Faculty and Scholar Services team will send you an ISSO PID. This is an internal ISSO identification number that you will use for this purpose only.

If you still have not received your PID within 10 days of your DS-2019 start date, contact us:

Not sure of your campus? Check our campus school list.

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B. Enter Your PID in the "University Identification Number" Box

Go to the Limited Services PIN Lookup page and enter your PID in the "University Identification Number" box to request a Limited Services PIN. You will receive a confirmation on your browser screen that your request was successfully processed.

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C. Complete and submit the SEVIS Report form

Make sure you have your PID, Date of Birth, and Limited Access PIN ready, and click the appropriate link below:

Not sure of your campus? Check our campus school list.
Need help using Compass? Learn more on our Compass User Guide.