Sponsoring a J-1 Exchange Visitor at UW

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 as described above, should seek an employment visa.  The J-1 visa does not allow participation in a tenure-track position.  The J-1 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 H1B employment visa before requesting documents for a J-1 visitor.

Adapted from www.j1visa.state.gov :

Student Intern:  This category is for graduate or undergraduate students who want to participate in an official internship inside the US, as part of their required curriculum in their home country.  The website information for the Student Intern category is under construction.  Faculty who want to supervise a J-1 Student Intern on campus should email ISS to request the necessary forms.  This section will be updated with online forms and information soon!

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.

The research scholar’s appointment to a position shall be temporary, even if the position itself is permanent.

Incidental lectures or short-term consultations are permitted with the approval of the responsible officer so long as they are directly related to the objectives of the participant’s program, and do not delay the exchange program’s completion date.

Research Scholars must:

• Not be a candidate for a tenure track position;
• Not have participated in and completed a research scholar program within the last 24 months preceding the beginning date of their new program’s commencement;
• Not have participated in a J-Visa program for all or part of the 12-month period immediately preceding the start date of a research scholar program unless they meet one of the following exceptions:
• The participant is currently in a research scholar program and is transferring to another institution in the United States to continue their current J-1 program;
• The participant’s prior physical presence in the U.S. on a J-visa program was less than six months in duration; and
• Any prior participation was as a short-term scholar.

Duration of participation.  A professor or research scholar may be authorized to participate in the Exchange Visitor Program for the length of time necessary to complete his or her program, provided such time does not exceed five years. The five-year period of permitted program participation is continuous and begins with the initial program begin date documented in SEVIS or the date such status was acquired via a petition submitted and approved by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as documented in SEVIS and ends five years from such date.

 

Short-Term Scholar

Professors, research scholars and other individuals with similar education or accomplishments travel to the United States on a short-term visit for to lecture, observe, consult, train or demonstrate special skills at research institutions, museums, libraries, post-secondary accredited academic institutions or similar types of institutions.

Short-Term Scholars must:

• Be a professor or research scholar or someone with similar education and or experience in their country of residence.

Duration of participation. The short-term scholar shall be authorized to participate in the Exchange Visitor Program for the length of time necessary to complete the program, which time shall not exceed six months. Extensions beyond the duration of participation are not permitted under this category.

 

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 State 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.

Professors must:

• Not be a candidate for a tenure track position;
• Not have participated in and completed a professor program within the last 24 months preceding the beginning date of their new program’s commencement;
• Not have participated in a J-Visa program for all or part of the 12-month period immediately preceding the start date of a professor program unless he or she meet one of the following exceptions:
• The participant is currently in a professor program and is transferring to another institution in the United States to continue his or her current J-1 program;
• The participant’s prior physical presence in the U.S. on a J-visa program was less than six months in duration; and
• The prior participation was as a short-term scholar.

Duration of participation. A professor or research scholar may be authorized to participate in the Exchange Visitor Program for the length of time necessary to complete his or her program, provided such time does not exceed five years. The five-year period of permitted program participation is continuous and begins with the initial program begin date documented in SEVIS or the date such status was acquired via a petition submitted and approved by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as documented in SEVIS and ends five years from such date.

Note: Sponsoring department is responsible for completing all UW hiring/appointment/access processes.

1. Review the Exchange Visitor information below to determine the appropriate J visa category. Other visa options may be more appropriate such as the H1B visa for employment (contact UW HR for info).
2. Determine the UW appointment dates. Due to visa processing delays at many US consulates the intended Exchange Visitor and/or sponsoring faculty should check the visa wait times at the consulate and plan the UW appointment start date accordingly.  ISS requests at least one week to review submitted requests, but processing might be delayed during busy times of the semester.
3. Download (forms are not fillable if not downloaded first) and complete the “J-1 Exchange Visitor Sponsoring Department Information” and “Campus Notification of Intended J-1 Exchange Visitor Appointment” forms, including collecting all required signatures;
4. Have the potential Exchange Visitor download (forms are not fillable if not downloaded first) and complete the “J-1 Exchange Visitor Information” form and return it to you, along with additional documents: copy of passport for visitor and all dependents who will accompany them to the US, documents for previous J visa stays in the US if applicable; proof of English proficiency, proof of funding if not UW. See below for information about these documents.
5. Collect additional documents discussed in "Additional Documents Required for Issuance of immigration Form DS-2019" below.
6. Submit all forms and documents to ISS.
7. ISS will review the forms and documents, contact the sponsoring faculty for any questions, and issue the immigration Form DS-2019.  The Form DS-2019 will be emailed to the exchange visitor and faculty. Email will include next steps for the exchange visitor to take to apply for visa, prepare for travel to the US, and how to officially check-in with ISS upon arrival to the US.

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.”.  There are several approved methods to provide such evidence of English proficiency. Proof of proficiency must be submitted to ISS by the sponsoring UW faculty or staff with the other required forms and documents. 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. Faculty do not need to collect or submit;
  • 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
To issue the DS-2019 document ISS must have proof of at least $1500 in funding per month for the exchange visitor, at least $500 per month for the first dependent and an additional $325 per month for each additional dependent, for the duration of the initial UW appointment.  Documentation of any funding not provided by UW must be submitted to ISS by the sponsoring UW faculty or staff with the other required forms and documents.

Copy/Scan of Passport(s)
To ensure correct spelling and name order on the Form DS-2019 ISS requires a copy/scan of the biographical passport page for the Exchange Visitor and all family members that will travel with them to the US as dependents.  Dependents are limited to spouse and children (under age 21).  Other family members cannot come to the US as a dependent of the Exchange Visitor.

Documents for Previous J visa stays in the US
If the Exchange Visitor has previously been in the US on the J-1 or J-2 visa they must provide copies/scans of their previous Forms DS-2019 and visas foils from their passports. Documents must be submitted to ISS by the sponsoring UW faculty or staff with the other required forms and documents.

Health Insurance - Proof not required for issuance of the DS-2019; however, 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. 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 (See “Additional Considerations & Department Responsibilities” below).

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.  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 J1 Exchange Visitors in finding adequate housing.  ISS does not have resources available to assist exchange visitors in searching for housing in Laramie.

 

Providing Cross-Cultural Activities

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."

Sponsoring departments are required to:

• Offer or make available to exchange visitors and the accompanying spouses and dependents, if any, a variety of appropriate cross-cultural activities. The extent and type of the cross-cultural activities will be determined by the needs and interests of the particular category of exchange visitor. The Department of State encourages sponsors to give their exchange visitors the broadest exposure to American society, culture and institutions; and
• Encourage exchange visitors to participate voluntarily in activities that are for the purpose of sharing the language, culture, or history of their home country with Americans, provided such activities do not delay the completion of the exchange visitors' program.

 

Reporting a Serious Problem or Controversy to ISS

Sponsoring faculty are required to report any of the following 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 incidents, 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)

 

Reporting Early Termination or Completion of Objectives 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.  Report an Exchange Visitor’s early termination/completion to ISS.