J-1 Exchange Students

You must first apply at a U.S. consulate or embassy for an entry visa with the exception of exchange students from Canada. You will need your Form DS-2019 and your country's original passport. Please follow instructions given on the specific consulate's website.

• As an exchange student on a J-1 visa, your advisors are Eleanor Wolgast and Marta Lopez. You may reach them by email at eleanor.wolgast@csun.edu and marta.lopez@csun.edu.
   
• As soon as you arrive in the United States, you MUST ATTEND a mandatory J-1 orientation meeting. This meeting will be held on campus on Friday, January 17th at 9:30 am – Please mark your calendar! You will receive an email message with the meeting information closer to the date of the meeting. At this appointment, you will be meeting your advisor, who will process your DS-2019 and immigration documents, give you important information on how to maintain legal student status in the U.S., help you become acquainted with the structure of your new campus, and make you aware of the campus offices and services you can use and help you with the registration process.
  
  Please note that you are expected to be enrolled in full course of study before attending this meeting. Important: As an exchange student, you may attend a maximum of one fully online course per semester. Additionally, J1 students may take in-person classes with virtual components (hybrid).
   
• If you are outside the United States or planning to travel and re-enter the U.S, the last date for you to enter this country is January 16, 2025. This information is in section 3 of your DS-2019.

Failure to report to the IESC within 30 days of arrival and provide required documents will result in automatic termination of your SEVIS record by immigration.

In the near future you will receive the following information:

• A letter of admission that includes your CSUN student ID number.
• An email from the University with your User ID and password and directions to activate your account, your CSUN portal. Please activate your account immediately to be able to access important information and email communications from the University, and register for classes.
• Form DS-2019.
• An email directing you to a "New Student Registration" link which has information about your registration appointment and directions regarding registering online (see the tab below for more information on registering for classes).

If you are missing any of the first three pieces of information, it is either because your application has been processed after the deadline or there may be an issue with your address. Please contact us if you do not receive any of the above information.

How to activate your student account and CSUN username and password

Locate the email sent to you by the Office of Admissions and Records with instructions to activate your student account. The email contains the link to authenticate your identity for the activation.

You may also visit the CSUN instruction page, and follow the subsequent instructions to activate your user ID and password. For additional information regarding registration and activating your student account go to How To Guides For Students.

Submitting Immigration Documents to the IESC

As an incoming exchange student, there are certain documents the IESC needs to collect for your exchange to CSUN. These items will need to be submitted through the myCSUNglobe application portal before your J-1 orientation. Students can log in using the CSUN login and their CSUN credentials (CSUN username and password).

Students coming from Canada through the National Student Exchange program do not need to complete a new application, as these items are already included in your current myCSUNglobe application portal.

If you experience any trouble logging in to the site, please reach out to Eleanor Wolgast directly.

Immigration Documents (PDF COPIES REQUIRED)

• Valid passport pages showing name, photo, number and expiration date
• Visa
• DS-2019
• Proof of Health Insurance (see details in next section)
• I-94 (available after you enter the U.S.)

For New J-1 Exchange Student arriving from overseas: Please click here to print your electronic Form I-94 after you arrive in the U.S., and bring a copy of your Form DS-2019 with entry stamp.

For a Transferring J-1 Exchange Student from another U.S. school: Front and back of Form I-94 (white card) or if you have received an electronic form I-94, please print it, and Form DS-2019 with section eight (8) signed by the last authorized school.

Health Insurance Requirement
All International Exchange Students are required to have health insurance coverage per Department of State Regulations. Please visit the following link to California State University, Northridge (CSUN) International Student Health Insurance group to purchase the pre-approved policy offered by Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk (Formerly JCB Insurance Solutions). This policy meets the Health Insurance Requirements as mandated by the California State University Chancellor's office.

*Please note that Academic Year exchange students must purchase the Academic Year insurance plan in order to meet coverage requirements for exchange.*


All international students will have a foreign registration hold (F hold) placed on their account at the beginning of each registration appointment period that prevents them from registering for classes. Once you purchase the insurance policy, the IESC will automatically receive proof of coverage directly from the health insurance provider, and your foreign hold will be removed.

How to purchase your health insurance policy:

1. Go to https://jcbins.com/
2. Type "CSUN" in the search box
3. Select your plan year (i.e. 2024/2025) and then "International Students (Not IEP or SAC)" from the list of options.
4. Scroll down, click "View My School Portal" and then click "Enroll."
5. Answer Question #1 by selecting Coverage Term (i.e. Annual, Fall only, Spring only).
6. Click "Agree to Terms & Conditions"
7. Create account
8. Make payment

If you have applied for on-campus housing, you must use your student ID number from now on to access your housing information. If you have not applied for housing, please visit the Student Housing Application page.

HOUSING IS NOT GUARANTEED AND ALLOCATED ON A FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED BASIS.

Therefore, you are advised to apply AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE YOUR CSUN USERNAME AND PASSWORD. For all housing inquiries, please contact the housing office at (818) 677-2160.

Information on student housing is also available on the Student Housing and Conference Services website. If early access to housing is needed, it must be requested in advance through Student Housing by emailing housing@csun.edu and it will have associated costs per night.

This information is for: Spring 2025

• Important! As an exchange student, you may attend a maximum of one fully online course per semester. Additionally, J1 students may take in-person classes with virtual components (hybrid). You must enroll in at least 12 units as undergraduate or 8 units as graduate student.
• Enroll in classes through the online portal using self-service registration. Log into CSUN Portal  with your CSUN user ID and password.
• Browse the Fall 2024 Schedule of Classes. Find dates, tips, and tutorials in the Registration Guide. You are strongly urged to read all instructions carefully prior to registering.
• You will receive information regarding registration that indicates your enrollment appointment sometime through December 10, 2024. If you are admitted after December 10, 2024, no appointment is required. Your enrollment appointment also displays in your CSUN Portal Checklist. Registering on the date you have been assigned will give you the best selection of classes and class times. However, you may continue to access the system as often as you like from your registration appointment date through February 16, 2025.
• Nonrestrictive Registration begins on December 11, 2024. No appointment is required. Wait listing continues from your registration appointment through Sunday, January 26, 2025 (11:59pm PT). Permission numbers are required to add classes beginning January 27, 2025. Learn more with the How To Guides.
• Weekday classes begin on January 21, 2025. Saturday-only and Friday-Saturday classes begin Saturday, January 25, 2025. Find more dates in the Registration Calendar.

Please note: You may see a course listed in the University Catalog but not in the Schedule of Classes because the class might not be offered each semester. The catalog lists all the courses offered by the university, whereas, the schedule lists the courses that are offered in a specific semester.

If you cannot register for a specific class, it is because departments have their restrictions or prerequisites (PDF) per course. This may prevent you from registering for that class. Please contact eleanor.wolgast@csun.edu or marta.lopez@csun.edu to request a support letter. You may email this letter to the professor as an attachment or print and present to professors when trying to add a class during the add/drop period.

Also, please keep in mind that seats in junior and senior level classes cannot be guaranteed. We do hope you are flexible with your coursework and are prepared to take some other courses if some don't work out. Unfortunately, we do not have control over departmental restrictions or course requirements that may be applicable to certain areas from your home campus' transcript.

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the nearest airport to CSUN. Students are responsible for making their own arrangements for transport.

The following options are available:

• The best option is the FlyAway Bus, which can be boarded outside each terminal at LAX – Look for the FlyAway Bus signs. It departs approximately every half-hour (24hrs) and goes non-stop to the FlyAway Bus Terminal at Van Nuys, California. Please note that there is a Flyaway Bus to one other destination, so make sure you get on the Van Nuys FLYAWAY Bus (not Union Station). Travel time is 50 minutes and costs $9.75 one way (You can buy a ticket when you arrive at Van Nuys, but please note that payment is only by credit or debit card – No cash). Take a taxi from the Van Nuys Terminal to the CSUN campus (see below for the address for student housing). 
• Taxis are available from LAX to CSUN and cost about $35 to $50. The contact for Authorized Taxicab Supervision (ATS) is (323) 776-5324, and the contact for L.A. Taxi/United Checker Cab is (877) 201-8294. You may also visit Los Angeles Yellow Cab for services and other information.
• A shuttle van is also available outside each terminal at LAX. These vans carry several passengers and make several stops. Board the San Fernando Valley shuttle. The estimated cost is approximately $15-$45 and the estimated travel time is one to one and one half hours. Advance reservations can be made at Super Shuttle website.

The Student Housing department is located at 17950 Lassen St, in Building 6 on the corner of Lassen St and Zelzah Ave. Please do not have your cab wait for you while you check in. One student from New York had the driver wait and he kept his meter running. The resulting cab fare was $75!

During your stay in the United States, your J visa advisor will provide you with information so that you understand how to maintain your immigration status. You will also learn of the different on-campus services, because we want you to have a safe and positive experience. In the event where there is potential litigation, death, serious injury or sexual abuse allegations involving an exchange student, please inform your J visa advisor.

Incidents like the above mentioned will need to be reported by your J visa advisor to the Office of Private Sector Exchange Administration Academic and Government Programs (OPA-AG) which is the body that monitors compliance with the United States Department of State regulations and policies with a focus on exchange visitors’ health, safety, and well-being. The International & Exchange Student Center must promptly notify the Department of any investigations of an exchange visitor’s site of activity or any serious problem or controversy that could be expected to bring the Department of State, the Exchange Visitor Program, or the California State University, Northridge (CSUN) exchange visitor program into notoriety or disrepute, to include: [22 CFR 62.13(d)] To learn more, you are welcome to watch the J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program Incident Report—OPA video.