Host Departments Must...

  1. Work with the International Students & Scholars Office (ISSO) through the visa document issuance process, including the providing of necessary information and documentation needed to eventually issue the Form DS-2019 J-1 visa document. Of these documents, the host department will be required to prepare a letter of invitation that the ISSO will need to prepare the visa document.
  2. Confirm the financial support of the visiting scholar. The U.S. Embassy will require the scholar to present proof of financial support at his/her/their visa interview. The letter of invitation from UMass Lowell must reflect this requirement and state if/how the scholar will be supported financially by the department, a government sponsorship, the scholar's own personal funding, the scholar's home institution, or any combination of the above.
  3. Verify that the visiting scholar has the adequate English language proficiency to operate in the U.S. on a day-to-day basis, and to successfully interact with all relevant University contacts. Please read more about the English Language Proficiency confirmation on the J-1 Compliance/Bars section of this website.
  4. Prepare to assist the visiting scholar to find appropriate housing upon arrival. Please note that the university does not provide on-campus housing to visiting scholars. We recommend designating a point of contact in your department who will assist the visiting scholar to secure housing as well as assist them with shopping for initial groceries, taking public transportation and getting acquainted with the campus and surrounding community.
  5. Assist the scholar in getting to Lowell from Boston Logan International airport. There are several airport transportation options from Logan to Lowell, and the ISSO defers to departmental handling of this matter.
  6. Upon their arrival, help orient the scholar to your department and to campus. Please arrange to have a someone in the department or a student worker show the scholar around the campus as well as help them obtain their UMass Lowell ID at the UCAPS office and arrange UML email and WIFI access.
  7. If the scholar is to be paid by UMass Lowell, please work with the Office of Human Resources, Equal Opportunity and Outreach to arrange any necessary payroll or contract paperwork. Please note that the ISSO does not coordinate the payment of biweekly pay or stipends, so we would defer to HR to assist you in ensuring the scholar is paid appropriately, if applicable. An ISSO advisor, at the scholar’s J-1 orientation, will discuss the Social Security process. If the scholar is to be paid by UMass Lowell, he/she/they MUST obtain a Social Security Number.