Even after your J-1 has been stamped into your passport and you have been admitted to the US, your visa and DS-2019 work authorization are not fully ‘active’ until they have been validated in the SEVIS system.
As soon as you possibly can AFTER you have arrived in the U.S., (and no later than 10 days from the start date of your DS-2019), you MUST report your current US address by logging into your IENA user account.
1) Login at https://www.iena.org/wapps/user/login
2) Click on “Validate/Update” on the lefthand side of the screen
Make sure you have your passport and DS-2019 with you.
You MUST validate at least 3 business days before you apply for your Social Security number (SSN), or it may delay your SSN application.
After you’ve successfully validated, you will receive a confirmation email. You should also see the ✅ symbol in your online account.
Questions? Contact IENA on 1 888 724 4292.