In order to start the J-1 visa process, the International Students & Scholars Office (ISSO) will need to collect very basic information about the proposed appointment. Generally, the ISSO will need the following:

  1. The scholar’s name and contact information
  2. The scholar’s passport biographic page and CV/resume
  3. Confirmation of the scholar’s educational/professional credentials
    • Typically, to be eligible for UMass Lowell (UML) J-1 visa sponsorship, the visa applicant must possess at least an undergraduate degree and must, at the very least, be coming to perform research related to a graduate level thesis/dissertation.
  4. Does the scholar have the appropriate English language proficiency to be eligible for a J-1 visa?
  5. When do you anticipate the scholar coming to UMass Lowell?
    • It could take several months to move through not only the visa document issuance process, but for the scholar themselves to obtain the required J-1 visa.
  6. How long is the proposed appointment?
    • Depending on the length of the appointment, the ISSO will need to determine if the J-1 Research Scholar or Short-Term Scholar category is appropriate
  7. How will the scholar be financially supported?
    • Scholars must present proof of how they will fund their exchange visitor program whether through foreign government, personal, home educational institutional funding, etc., or through UML payroll

The ISSO strongly encourages you to contact our office to speak with an ISSO advisor to discuss and assess the feasibility of hosting a J-1 scholar.