J1 Visa Waiver Requires all Form DS-2019s Issued to Me. Missing my DS-2019 from 10 years ago

[Sabela 16]

Dear Forum Members,

 

I am writing you to inquire about the waiver for the Two-Year Home-Country Physical Presence Requirement attached to my J-1 visa. Unfortunately, I am not able to find an answer online, and I was hoping a wise member of the forum would have an advice for me. Please allow me to give you some context first before posing my question: 

 

From 2018-2020, I was a Visiting Professor in the USA. My program was partly funded by my home country government (Spain).This is the reason why I am subject to the rule. While reading about the paperwork I need to submit to apply for the waiver, I realized that applicants must mail several documents, including: "Legible copies of every/all Form DS-2019/IAP-66 ever issued to you”. Before this Visiting Professor Program, ten years ago (from 2010-2011), I was an international exchange student at another higher education institution in the US. I was finishing my bachelors degree then. As an exchange student, I was a holder of a J-1 visa then too, but I do not have access to that DS-2019 since this happened 10 years ago… I am very concerned about this matter as I cannot provide such document (I, however, still have that old passport stating that I was not subject to the rule then).  How can I then apply for the visa waiver? Any ideas on how to proceed with this? Is there a solution? As an international student in 2010, I did not receive funding from anyone to perform any kind of job since I was just part of an international exchange program through my university in Spain. I am subject to the 212(e) because of my last J1 visa. This is disheartening as the process by itself takes a long time already.

 

Thank you for your assistance in this matter and for taking the time to read my message. I really, really appreciate it.

 

Sabela

[milimelo 4,520]

Contact the old university to get a copy of ds-2019? 

[Sabela 16]

I have not thought about that. Thank you. One last question because I am a little confused about this. My J1 visa then was when I was an international exchange student in an American University through an international exchange program through my Spanish institution. Who would be my program sponsor? I emailed the US university international office because I really doubt my Spanish univ. has that kind of information. I just want to make sure I am contacting the right people. Hopefully that works, and thanks again.