J-1 Exchange Visitor Guidelines

J-1 status is appropriate for many research positions at UMMS.  Requests for J sponsorship, must be sent to Immigration Services 45-60 days in advance of the desired start date. If less notice is given, it is possible that the individual will not arrive at UMMS by the requested date. The information below is a summary of the UMMS policy on J-1 Exchange Visitors.

Health Insurance - Non-UMMS Funded Sponsorship Requests - Research Scholar/Professor - Short-term Scholar - Non-Degree Student - SEVIS Record - 24-month bar

Health Insurance Coverage

J-1 Exchange Visitors and their J-2 dependents must be covered by sickness and accident insurance for the duration of their stay in the United States, including the 60 - 90 days before UMMS health benefits commence. Failure to purchase such insurance may lead to loss of legal immigration status and termination from the Exchange Visitor Program. J-1 Health Insurance Requirements

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Non-UMMS Funded Sponsorship Requests

J-1 Research Scholars or J-1 Short-term scholars not fully funded by UMMS, must be funded by a foreign grant, institution or government. Proof of the funding source is required prior to document issuance.

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Researcher Scholar/ Professor Category

UMMS will sponsor J-1 Researcher visas for professional level research positions. Positions that allow for sponsorship include the following:

  • Postdoctoral Research Associate
  • Instructor

Other position titles will be considered on an individual basis, but must meet the minimum federal credential guidelines. All positions must also meet salary minimums as stated in institutional guidelines.

There are three factors considered when determining an individual’s eligibility as a J-1 researcher or professor:

  • Must possess a graduate degree or a Bachelor’s degree and significant experience in the field of the proposed employment.
  • May not be a candidate for a tenure-track position. [22 C.F.R. 62.20(d)(1)]
  • Can not be subject to bars on repeat participation in a J program

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J-1 Short Term Category

Under certain circumstances, individuals who plan to enter the United States for short periods of time may be eligible for J sponsorship in this category.  The eligibility requirements include:

  • The individual must possess a graduate degree or a Bachelor’s degree and significant experience in the field of the proposed employment.
  • The period of stay will not last for more than 6 months
  • The work will be limited to lecturing, observing, consulting, participation in seminars, study tours, professional meetings, or similar types of education and professional activities.

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J-1 Non-degree Student Category

A J-1 non-degree student is a person who is pursuing a degree in another country. The degree that the individual is pursuing must be the equivalent of a United States Master’s degree or higher. These students may be invited by a faculty member who will supervise a temporary period of research in the student’s field and use UMMS resources and faculty contacts. The training received by a J-1 non-degree student at UMMS must be directly related to his or her major field of study at his or her home institution. In order to demonstrate eligibility for the J-1 non-degree student category, the sponsoring department must forward the following documents along with the J immigration packet to Immigration Services:

  • Student transcript from home institution (or a letter from a designated University official indicating enrollment status)
  • Proof of funding (with translation to English, where appropriate)
  • Student CV
  • Letter from sponsoring UMMS department including:
    • Detailed description of the training activities
    • Educational goals
    • How goals will be evaluated
    • Expected date of completion of program
    • Statement of 24 month maximum duration
    • Designation of “non-UMMS graduate student” as working title

UMMS permits a J-1 non-degree student to engage in training with or without wages during his or her exchange program. Even if UMMS does not pay wages to the non-degree student, funding for the non-degree student’s stay must equal the UMMS minimum wage for graduate students.

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SEVIS Records

Immigration Services must open a SEVIS record for an incoming exchange visitor prior to issuing the DS-2019.  Immigration Services must report certain information about the J-1 visitor to SEVIS through-out the J program and upon completion at UMMS.  Occassionally Immigration Services will consider leaving a SEVIS record open if the individual is maintaining an ongoing, collaborative relationship with the UMMS. This implies that the exchange visitor is still actively participating in the program, but has left the United States to engage in program related activities, or has returned to his or her home institution to engage in related research/projects. SEVIS Information

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24 Month Bar on Repeat Participation

An individual who participates in the Exchange Visitor Program as a Professor or Research Scholar becomes subject to a 24-month bar on "repeat participation" in those categories after completing his or her program. Under DOS's interpretation, the 24-month bar applies under two circumstances:

  1. If the Professor or Research Scholar completes a full five years of program participation with one or more sponsors; or
  2. If, before the full five-year period is over, the Professor or Research Scholar completes his or her program. In this case, the continuity of the five-year period is broken, the five-year window is "closed," the individual is not eligible to access the remaining unused time, and the individual must wait for two years before beginning a new program as a J Professor or Research Scholar.

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