Sponsoring a J-1 Exchange Visitor
To sponsor a J-1 Exchange Visitor at UW, follow the steps below. Requests should be submitted to ISS at least two months prior to the intended UW start date to accommodate ISS processing and visa appointment wait times. Direct all questions and communication to ISS staff at uwglobal@uwyo.edu or 307-766-5193.
Departments who will hire the J-1 Exchange Visitor should contact UW Human Resources to begin the process early. UW hiring date MUST match the appointment start date requested by the sponsoring faculty and printed on the immigration Form DS-2019 that will be issued by ISS.
The J-1 Exchange Visitor visa might not be the best visa choice. Scholars who are seeking to come to the US for employment purposes, rather than the exchange of knowledge and culture, should seek an employment visa. The J-1 visa does not allow participation in a tenure-track position. The J-1 visa can sometimes require the Exchange Visitor to return to their home country for two years after their J-1 appointment before they can return to the US on an H1B or other status with immigrant intent. Departments hiring for a tenure-track position, hiring a scholar who intends to remain in the US by changing to a different visa status at the end of their UW appointment, or those with an employment-focused position should consult with UW Human Resources about the possibility of sponsoring an H-1B employment visa before requesting documents for a J-1 visitor.
The purpose of the Exchange Visitor Program, in part, is to foster the exchange of ideas between Americans and foreign nationals and to stimulate international collaborative teaching, lecturing, and research efforts. The exchange of professors and research scholars promotes the exchange of ideas, research, mutual enrichment, and linkages between research and educational institutions in the United States and foreign countries. It does so by providing foreign professors and research scholars the opportunity to engage in research, teaching, and lecturing with their American colleagues, to participate actively in cross-cultural activities with Americans, and ultimately to share with their countrymen their experiences and increased knowledge of the United States and their substantive fields.
Review specific participant eligibility and department responsibilities below.
NOTE: Exchange Visitors already inside the US on the J-1 visa may transfer to UW but must initially transfer to the same category for which their current Form DS-2019 is issued.
Student Intern
This category is for graduate or undergraduate students who want to participate in an academic internship inside the US that fulfills an educational objective for the student’s degree program at their home institution. Participants in the J-1 Student Intern category are not admitted to UW, do not enroll in classes at UW during their internship, and are not considered “students” while at UW.
Research Scholar
This category is for a foreign national who enters the United States for the primary purpose of conducting research, observing, or consulting in connection with research projects at research institutions, corporate research facilities, museums, libraries, post-secondary accredited academic institutions, or similar types of institutions. A research scholar may also teach or lecture, unless disallowed by the sponsor.
Short-Term Scholar
Professors, research scholars, and other individuals with similar education or accomplishments travel to the United States on a short-term (six months or less) visit to lecture, observe, consult, train, or demonstrate special skills at research institutions, museums, libraries, post-secondary accredited academic institutions, or similar types of institutions.
Professor
The exchange of professors promotes the exchange of ideas, research, mutual enrichment, and linkages between research and academic institutions in the United States and foreign countries. The professor category is for a foreign national who enters the United States for the primary purpose of teaching, lecturing, observing, or consulting at accredited post-secondary academic institutions, museums, libraries, or similar types of institutions. A professor may also conduct research, unless disallowed by the sponsoring organization.
Adapted from www.j1visa.state.gov.
Health Insurance
All Exchange Visitors and dependents (spouse or children) must maintain health insurance that meets federal minimum requirements for the duration of their stay in the US. The cost of insurance is not included in the estimated financial support outlined above. Exchange Visitors will be provided with health insurance requirements and a non-exhaustive list of insurance companies that provide health insurance that meets the federal regulation. NOTE: UW’s benefited employee health insurance does not meet the federal requirement. Exchange Visitors hired as benefited employees are required to purchase an additional secondary health insurance policy that meets the federal requirement.
Housing
Housing in Laramie can be difficult for visiting scholars to secure. Due to a lack of readily available information and assistance for finding housing in Laramie, the sponsoring faculty/department should plan to assist incoming J-1 Exchange Visitors in finding adequate housing. ISS does not have resources available to assist exchange visitors in searching for housing in Laramie.
UW Sponsoring Faculty/Department is Required to:
- Screen and select qualified individuals for further education, research, and exchange initiatives.
- Notify ISS of any delay in arrival to UW so that Form DS-2019 can be updated PRIOR to the program start date printed on the form.
- Ensure Exchange Visitor completes the online check-in process with ISS within 48 hours of arrival to UW.
- Monitor the visitor’s stay in the United States, ensure that they are progressing in the work being performed, the research being conducted, or the training described on the internship training plan, including the submission of Student Intern Evaluations online as required.
- Ensure that visitors are involved in cross-cultural programs where they can learn about the United States and its people. A cross-cultural activity is “an activity designed to promote exposure and interchange between exchange visitors and Americans so as to increase their mutual understanding of each other's society, culture, and institutions.
- Report any serious problem or controversy involving the exchange visitor to ISS within
24 hours of notification/discovery (report incident online):
- Exchange Visitor Death
- Exchange Visitor Missing
- Exchange Visitor Serious Illness or Injury (e.g., brain injury, severe burn, major surgery, communicable disease, serious mental health incident, condition requiring hospitalization of 48 hours or more, etc.)
- Litigation (related to an exchange visitor’s UW program, in which UW or an exchange visitor may be a named party)
- Lost or stolen immigration documents (i.e., passport and visa)
- Incident Involving the Criminal Justice System (e.g., arrest, charges, law enforcement, etc.)
- Theft of intellectual property or violations of export controls
- Sexually-Related Incidents or Abuse (an incident or allegation involving sexual exploitation, harassment, or abuse)
- Negative Press involving an exchange visitor’s UW program
- Foreign Government Involvement (including embassy officials)
- Other Situations Impacting Exchange Visitor Safety (e.g., natural disasters, civil unrest, outbreaks of violence)
- Report early completion of objectives or termination of appointment to ISS. Sponsoring faculty are required to report to ISS if an Exchange Visitor’s appointment is voluntarily or involuntarily ended prior to the Program End Date given on the Form DS-2019. ISS is required to update the Exchange Visitor’s record in the immigration system in a timely manner. Failure to report early termination/completion to ISS could result in UW being in violation of federal immigration regulations.
Reference: US Department of State - www.j1visa.state.gov.
Exchange Visitors who will NOT be paid by UW must be cleared by UW Export Control prior to faculty submission of request to ISS. To receive a clearance email from Export Control, sponsoring faculty must:
- Submit the completed Export Control Exchange Visitor Application to the Export Control office (instructions on the form).
- Receive clearance approval email from Export Control and save the email as a pdf.
- Submit to ISS with other required documents and information.
Collect the following from the prospective Exchange Visitor:
- Completed J-1 Exchange Visitor Information form (completed and signed by prospective Exchange Visitor).
- Scan of Passport - For exchange visitor and all dependents who will accompany them to the US. Dependents are limited to spouse and children (under age 21).
- Proof of English Proficiency: Per federal regulation, the Exchange Visitor must have
“sufficient proficiency in the English language, as determined by an objective measurement
of English language proficiency, successfully to participate in his or her program
and to function on a day-to-day basis.” Exchange visitors from English-speaking countries
do not need to provide proof of English proficiency:
- English test minimum score: TOEFL 525 or 71 iBT; IELTS 6.0; CET6 430; Duolingo 100.
- English3 J-1 Interview minimum score of 3 (ISS will receive results directly from E3).
- Completion of an English as a Second Language program or a degree from a university where instruction is completely in English.
- Proof of Financial Support (if not fully funded by UW) - At least $2000 per month for the exchange visitor and at least $850 per month for each dependent, for the duration of the UW appointment requested by the sponsoring faculty.
- Scan of Previously Issued Forms DS-2019.
- For Student Intern category only: A letter from Student Intern’s home institution.
- If the internship is NOT a paid internship this letter may be signed by the student's academic advisor, dean, internship coordinator, or similar school official.
- If the internship IS a paid internship (student will be employed by UW) this letter must be signed by the student's academic advisor or dean, giving permission for the employment.
- For J-1 Transfers only: Transfer approval email or letter from current RO/ARO containing transfer approval, confirmation of intended transfer date (must be same as UW start date), J-1 Program Number, and RO/ARO email and phone number.
Prepare the following information for the Exchange Visitor’s appointment at UW:
- Start and end dates of appointment.
- Location and brief description of research or teaching objectives. Student Intern category requires location, dates, internship details, and supervisor information for each internship phase.
- Source and amount of funding per month.
- Department Chair and Dean’s Office representative names and emails. Representatives will be emailed to confirm their approval of the appointment.
Complete the Request to Sponsor a J-1 Exchange Visitor at UW online. You will be required to provide all information and upload all required documents listed above. You will receive an automated email response including a report of your submission for your records.
ISS will review the request and contact the sponsoring faculty for any questions, before issuing the Form DS-2019. The Form DS-2019 will be emailed to the Exchange Visitor and sponsoring faculty. Email will include next steps for the Exchange Visitor to apply for their visa, prepare for travel to the US, and how to officially check-in with ISS upon arrival to the US. The Student Intern process has one extra step; sponsoring faculty signature on a Form DS-7002 which will be issued by ISS and emailed to the faculty for signature. Once the signed form is returned to ISS the DS-2019 and DS-7002 will be emailed to the intern and faculty.
NOTE: ISS will issue a W# for Exchange Visitors who will not be hired by UW. W# issuance by ISS does not create an email/access. Faculty should follow the Office of Academic Affairs' instructions if they want to request email/system access for unpaid Exchange Visitors. This can be done early to allow time for processing before the Exchange Visitor arrives. Exchange Visitors who are hired by UW will receive email/access via the standard hiring process after their arrival to campus.
Delays in travel to the US: Sponsoring faculty must maintain contact with prospective Exchange Visitor and report ALL changes/deferrals to their intended start date by emailing uwglobal@uwyo.edu PRIOR to the intended start date. The Form DS-2019 becomes invalid after the Program Start Date if the Exchange Visitor has not arrived and checked in with ISS. Delays in visa issuance or travel MUST be reported to ISS so that the Form DS-2019 can be updated PRIOR to the intended start date. Exchange Visitors who arrive to the US with an invalid Form DS-2019 will be denied entry and returned home.
Checking in with ISS Upon Arrival to UW: Sponsoring faculty must ensure that the Exchange Visitor submits an online check-in to ISS with 48 hours after their arrival to UW. ISS staff must process this online check-in BEFORE the Exchange Visitor can complete hiring processes with HR or receive their UW ID. The link to the online check-in is provided to the Exchange Visitor as part of their “next steps” in the email sent to them with the Form DS-2019.
