- One of the most important parts of using TraiNet for US exchange events is obtaining visas for US exchange visitors. What visa data is required in TraiNet?
- I have entered all program, participant and visa data in TraiNet for a J visa. Now what do I do next?
- For short-term training of one or two weeks, does all "required" information need to be transmitted from TraiNet to the VCS?
- Is the US School address in TraiNet the address of the school where the student is training?
- How do I enter a US School address for short term trips, or for a tour where the exchange visitor might stay in several hotels for only a few days at a time?
- My exchange visitor moved to a new address in the US. What should I do in TraiNet?
- The Verifier cannot see the data I entered in TraiNet. What should I do?
- Some of the exchange visitors I entered in TraiNet were rejected in VCS because of incorrect or missing data, what do I do?
- When should I update participant status, and how do I do it?
- I have exchange visitors doing several U.S. trainings in a row. How do I best manage the TraiNet data?
- Several people in my group are arriving in the U.S. late. Do I have to update them to In Training them now, or should I wait until they arrive?
- How do I update return status?
- I have updated Program and Participant status fields, but I continue to receive automated notifications. Why?
See the VCS and TraiNet FAQ for more information.
One of the most important parts of using TraiNet for US exchange visits is obtaining visas for US exchange visitors. What visa data is required in TraiNet?
According to The Complete Guide to USAID J Visa Compliance" (downloadable on our web site here) for U.S.-based training the following fields are required in order to process a DS-2019 and J visa:
Trainee Information, Overview Tab:
- Trainee Last Name (Note: First Name is NOT required, but First and Last Name entered in TraiNet MUST match the first and last name as they appear on the passport)
- Gender
- Birth Date (MUST match passport exactly)
- Birth City (MUST match passport exactly)
- Birth Country
- Residence Country
- Citizenship Country
- Trainee US School Address
- Line 1
- City
- State
- Zip Code (must be five digits)
- Country
Trainee Information, Details Tab:
- Return Status (upon program completion)
Trainee Information, Details Tab, Visa Grid:
- Position Code
- Visa Type
- Visa Category
- Passport Number (MUST match passport exactly)
- This is so Approvers have something to match on when they enter the passport number as validation
Program Information, Overview Tab
- Field of Study
Program Information, Detail Tab, Training Component Grid
- US Training Component Start and End Dates
- Training provider (facility) name
- Training provider (facility) address
- Line 1
- City
- State
- Zip Code (must be five digits)
- Country
Program Information, Details Tab, Trainees Enrolled in Program grid
- Trainee Status
- For new trainees the status must be Planned, Candidate or Alternate
Program Information, Details Tab, Attendance grid
- In US Component, Trainee's name must have a check next to it to indicate they are attending the portion of the program held in the US
Program Information, Funding Tab, USAID funding grid
- Budgeted Funding amount
- Must be greater than zero
Program Information, Funding Tab, Other funding grid (non-usaid)
- If a line exists here the amount must be greater than zero, however this is not a required field
I have entered all program, participant and visa data in TraiNet for a J visa. Now what do I do next?
First, download and read the "The Complete Guide to USAID Visa Compliance". You can find a copy here.
Once entered in TraiNet, the data on your exchange visitor must be transferred to the Visa Compliance System so that you can receive a DS-2019 form.
- Log into TraiNet.
- On the File menu, select Data Transfer > Send Data.
- Enter Site ID HCDTRN.
- Follow the instructions in the rest of the Data Transfer Wizard to complete the transfer.
After data is transferred from TraiNet to the VCS, a verification and approval process takes place. Please read "The Complete Guide" and contact the J Visa Helpdesk for assistance in setting up, or explaining roles and responsibilities.
For short-term training of one or two weeks, does all "required" information need to be transmitted from TraiNet to the VCS?
Yes. There is no allowance made in any of the regulations for altering the required information based on program duration.
Is the US School address in TraiNet the address of the school where the student is training?
No, it is the residence address of the exchange visitor in the U.S. This is the address that will be reported to the BCIS (formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Service). For very short-term programs, it is acceptable to use the address of the monitoring organization in the United States.
How do I enter a US School address for short term trips, or for a tour where the exchange visitor might stay in several hotels for only a few days at a time?
You must still enter a US School address in every case no matter what. If the exchange visitor never has a permanent residence address, you may be able to use the address of the monitoring organization, school, or contractor who knows of the trainee's whereabouts.
My exchange visitor moved to a new address in the US. What should I do in TraiNet?
Update the U.S. School Address field and retransmit the change through VCS. The VCS process will remain the same, with the Verifier, Approver and Submitter reviewing the change. Also keep in mind, during the course of a participant's program, the following information must be updated in real-time (same day information is known) if there are changes or if errors are discovered:
- Current U.S. Address*
- Last Name
- Birth Date
- Gender
- Country of Birth
- City of Birth
- Country of Residence
- Position Code
- Current Site of Activity [current training provider's name and address]**
- Field of Study
- Program Start and End Dates
- USAID or Other funding contributions
- Participant Completion - Update Participant Status to Completed
- Participant Termination - Update Participant Status to Terminated and update Termination Reason
*NOTE: For short-term technical training with multiple site visits, where the exchange visitor's current address will change frequently, the U.S. address of the implementer administering the training program may be used.
**If the training provider has not yet been identified at the time of initial data entry, the implementer's name and U.S. address may be used until such time as the training provider is known. Once known, training provider information should be provided as a site of activity update via TraiNet, as described above.
The Verifier cannot see the data I entered in TraiNet. What should I do?
Did you transfer the data to the VCS via the "Transfer Data" feature? U.S. training data entered or updated in TraiNet cannot be seen by the Verifier or Approver until it is transferred to the Visa Compliance Server.
On the TraiNet Taskbar located at the left side of the main TraiNet screen:
- Select the "Transfer Data" tab
- Select "Send Data"
- Enter Site ID HCDTRN
- Follow the prompts by selecting the category of data you wish to send, click the "Next" button for each screen and then "Finish"
The Visa Compliance Server is updated twice daily with data fed from TraiNet. Notify your Verifier that data has been sent from TraiNet to the VCS. If your Verifier does not see the data by the following day, contact the J Visa Helpdesk for assistance.
Some of the exchange visitors I entered in TraiNet were rejected in VCS because of incorrect or missing data, what do I do?
Make sure you clarify exactly what information is missing or incorrect. Make all updates or additions in TraiNet. Obtain the correct information, or add information you left out of required fields. For TraiNet Desktop, re-transmit the data to the VCS using Site ID HCDTRN. For TraiNet Web, click the Submit button or hyperlink.
See FAQ What VCS data is required in TraiNet? for a list of all required fields in TraiNet that must be filled in before transmitting data to the VCS.
When should I update participant status, and how do I do it?
It is very important to update participant status during the course of processing an application for a J visa, when the training program begins, and after program completion. The TraiNet/VCS Help Desk recommends using the following statuses in the Current Trainee Status field in TraiNet:
| If you want the VCS to: | Set the Participant's Status to: |
|---|---|
| Request a DS-2019 | Candidate, Planned, Alternate |
| Void a DS-2019 | Cancelled |
| Validate a Participant | In-Training |
| Terminate a Participant | Terminated (ALSO, update Return Status - see below) |
| Close the Program after Completion | Achieved (ALSO, set the Return Status to one of the following):
|
There are two ways to update participant status: one participant at a time, or several participants all together who are attending the same program.
To update Status for one participant:
- Log into TraiNet
- From the Bookmarks section on the right side of the main TraiNet screen, select Trainees-Individuals
- Select the ALL hyperlink at the top of the page to list all your Trainees
- Find the participant whose status you wish to update and double click on their name
- You will be on the Trainee Information screen. Select the Detail Tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Change the Current Trainee Status field on the top left of the screen.
To update Status for a group of trainees attached to one program:
- Log into TraiNet
- From the Bookmarks section on the right side of the main TraiNet screen, select Programs
- Click the ALL hyperlink at the top of the page to list all your programs
- Find and open, by double clicking, the program for the participants you want to update all at once.
- You will be on the Program Information screen. Select the Detail Tab at the bottom of the screen.
- On the second grid (Trainees Currently Enrolled), while holding down the Ctrl key, select all participants whose status you wish to update
- Select the Actions Menu on that grid
- Select Update Trainee Status
- Change the status in the Trainee Status Wizard
- Select the Finish button
Remember: When a program is completed or terminated, you should update two fields for each trainee attending that program: Current Trainee Status and Return Status. Refer to the table, above, for appropriate status options.
For more details on participant status, please refer to the following newsletters in our Newsletters section:
Several people in my group are arriving in the U.S. late. Do I have to update them to In Training them now, or should I wait until they arrive?
You should never update an exchange visitor's status to In Training before you have confirmed that they arrived in the United States at the site of Training. If people arrive at different times, you should update their status as they arrive.
I have exchange visitors doing several U.S. trainings in a row. How do I best manage the TraiNet data?
The most important issue to consider in deciding how to record and process multiple training programs for one exchange visitor is the length of time between the end of the first program and the start of the second. Here are two scenarios to consider for making that decision:
1. Events are consecutive:
If the events in the U.S. are immediately one after the other, create one single program with as many components as events. If they are not immediately consecutive - there are gaps between the end date of one event and the start of another - contact Marina Gelles for immigration advice at jvisa@devis.com .
2. The time between events requires that the exchange visitor return to their home country and make a second trip at a later time:
Because SEVIS cannot process a second training program while the first one is still active, it is necessary to schedule the training programs to allow sufficient time between the end of the first program and the beginning of the second in order to obtain the DS-2019 and apply for the new visa.
Enter the first training program by entering all required data (see the first FAQ at the top of this page). Transfer the data to the VCS for verification, approval and submission to the SEVIS system. Once the program end date has arrived and the participant and program statuses have been updated accordingly, you may enter the second training program and transfer the data to the VCS as you did for the first one. Please notify the helpdesk at jvisa@devis.com when the second program is ready to be read into the VCS.
Remember to leave at least sufficient time between the end date of the first program and the start date of the second program so as to allow enough time for the processing of subsequent J visas.
How do I update return status?
Open your program in TraiNet and click to the Detail tab. Double-click on a name in the Trainees Currently Enrolled list; this takes you to the Trainee Information screen. Click to the Detail tab on this screen to see information about the programs, visas and HAC enrollment for this person. Click once on the name of the program that has just finished. Now, at the top of the screen you can select the return status for this program. Go to the Actions menu at the top of the screen and choose Close. This will take you back to the training program so you can select another trainee if necessary.
I have updated Program and Participant status fields, but I continue to receive automated notifications. Why?
There are three status fields that get updated in TraiNet Desktop: Program, Participant and Return. Do the following:
- Go to the Program Information screen and update the Program Status on the top right of the Overview tab as appropriate.
- For each participant who traveled to the U.S., go to the Participant Information screen.
- Select the Detail tab and update the Trainee Status and the Return Status fields.
- Transfer the data using the All Data option to HCDTRN or your Mission to submit your changes.
Your status updates should now be successfully transferred to the VCS and all notifications should stop.
Note: this update does not need to be verified or approved. If you are using TraiNet Web, follow the procedures here.