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Inviting J-1 Scholars
Before bringing a visiting scholar the sponsoring department must access/be familiar with the West Virginia University Academic Visitor/Visiting Scholar guidelines. Please keep in mind that the J-1 category cannot be used for tenure track faculty positions or regular staff positions.
IMPORTANT
- The request to invite a J-1 scholar will not be processed until all required
documents listed below have been fully completed.
- The processing time for J-1 requests is
fifteen (15) business days.
- Please submit items 1 - 8 by email to isss-scholars@mail.wvu.edu.
Please complete the steps and submit the documentation in the order listed below.
1. Send an offer/invitation letter to the prospective J-1 scholar and submit a signed accepted copy to ISSS. The offer/invitation letter should follow a specific format, specifying the visitor's duties and the source of funding during the visitor's stay. You must use one of the templates from below and be sure to use the department's letterhead. Please also see minimum funding requirements below.2. Complete a Request for J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa Form.
3. Complete the visitor's J-1 English Fluency Attestation Form.
4. Forward a copy of your visitor's:
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Passport identity pages (also for prospective J-2 dependents, if applicable)
- Completed WVU Export Control Visa Form
- Copy of visitor's Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Copy of visitor's passport identity pages
- Copy of offer/invitation letter (with project description)
6. *For unpaid (courtesy) appointments (*required only when the J-1 scholar is unpaid or funding is from a source other than WVU):
- If the Dean has not signed the offer/invitation letter, please complete the Appointment Acknowledgment Form (on the Dean's Letterhead) to notify the Dean's Office in your college that you wish to invite a visiting scholar.
- Official documentation verifying the source of funding is also required. Please see minimum funding requirements below.
Minimum Funding Requirements
To issue a DS-2019, WVU is required to collect documentation demonstrating that the scholar and their dependents have adequate financial resources for the entire duration of their stay.
Financial Documentation Requirements
- Documents should be in English or have an accompanying translation
- Bank statements must be official and dated
- All accounts/assets must be
liquid and
dated within the
last six (6) months
- Any letter of sponsorship must specify both the amount and duration of support
Minimum Funding
|
Per Month |
Per Year
|
Scholar (J-1) | $1,700 | $20,400 |
Each Dependent (J-2) | $500 | $6,000 |
Please note: The above estimates are conservative. Exchange Visitors should factor in individual financial requirements when making plans to come to WVU.
Insurance Requirements
Benefit | Minimum coverage |
Medical Benefits
|
$100,000 |
**Repatriation of remains | $25,000 |
**Medical Evacuation | $50,000 |
Deductible per accident or illness | $500 |
Two-year Home Residency Requirement - 212(e)
Please be specific when completing items concerning the legal residency, the visitor’s position in his/her home country, and the source of funding. They have a direct bearing on applicability of the two-year foreign residence requirement of U.S. law. In some instances, the legal residency of the visitor may not be the same as his/her country of citizenship. Under current U.S. law, some visitors may be subject to the two-year home-residence requirement upon completion of their programs because of their specialized knowledge and skills or their source of funding.
Repeat Restrictions
Regulations governing the J-1 exchange visitors program prohibit us from issuing a DS-2019 to begin a new program under the professor or research scholar category to visitors who have been in the U.S. in the preceding 12 months on a J visa in any category.
Exceptions to this rule are those who were here in the “Short-Term Scholar” category, were in the U.S. for less than 6 months, or are transferring directly from another program. In order to ensure compliance with these rules, please have the prospective visitor complete the "J-1 Status Eligibility" section of the "Request for J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa Form."
Request to Add a Dependent Post-arrival
Extension of Stay
U.S. Department of State regulations dictate the procedure under the “short-term” J-1 exchange visitors can be in the U.S. for up to 6 months with no further extension available, while J-1 participants processed under the “research scholar” and “professor” categories can be in the U.S. engaging in their research and teaching responsibilities for up to 5 years.
To initiate the extension procedure, the department should send ISSS the following documentation at least one month prior to the expiration date on the visitor’s DS-2019.
- J-1 Extension Request Form
- Copy of an updated offer/invitation letter
- Deemed Export Attestation (see #5 above for procedures)
- Proof of insurance (for the extended period) from the J-1 exchange visitor
- *For unpaid (courtesy) appointments (*required only when the J-1 scholar is unpaid or funding is from a source other than WVU):
- Official documentation verifying the source of funding is required. This official documentation must specify both the amount and duration of support.
- Please note: If the J-1 scholar is both self-funded and a courtesy appointment, an extension may be renewed for a maximum of one (1) year at a time.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The PI or supervisor is responsible for export control compliance. All visa extensions require export control approval. A new approval must be obtained through the Export Control Office before the extension request is granted.
J-1 Transfer Procedures for Scholars and Researchers
Transfer-in
All transfer-in exchange visitors must have their program participation validated by the transfer-in Responsible Officer or Alternate Responsible Officer, no later than 30 days after the transfer effective date. Validation represents the program sponsor’s acknowledgement that the exchange visitor has reported as required, and requires the program sponsor to update the SEVIS record with the exchange visitor’s current U.S. address.
Transfer-Out
An exchange visitor may transfer from one program sponsor to another if the purpose of the transfer is to complete the objective for which he or she was admitted to exchange visitor status and if the exchange visitor remains within the same participant category. A transfer out form must be submitted to ISSS along with a copy of the offer letter from your new institution. Please note: t he faculty adviser hosting the exchange visitor must concur with the transfer out.
After being notified by the exchange visitor that they intend to transfer programs, it must first be determined that:
- The transfer is consistent with the goals of the exchange visitor program
- Current Regulations allow for both paid and unpaid Exchange Visitors. When unpaid, sponsors must determine that the scholars continue to have adequate financial support to maintain their extended program stay before authorizing an unpaid appointment.
- The Program begin date will be filled in automatically as the same date as the transfer effective date. That field cannot be changed.
- The Program end date in the exchange visitor’s record cannot be changed through the Edit DS-2019 fields.
Departure of International Visitor
When the visitor has completed their program in your department, please complete the End of Program Notification Form and forward it to ISSS within 10 days of the expiration date on scholar’s current DS-2019 form.
In some cases, the visitor may be transferring to another institution to continue the same activity. If this is the case, the visitor will need to notify ISSS of the program they intend to transfer to, and the intended transfer date, at least 30 days before his/her intended transfer date or current DS-2019 expiration date, whichever comes earlier.
isss-students@mail.wvu.edu
101 Purinton House
1505 University Ave
Morgantown, WV 26506 304-293-3519