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:
- The scholar’s name and contact information
- The scholar’s passport biographic page and CV/resume
- 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.
- Does the scholar have the appropriate English language proficiency to be eligible for a J-1 visa?
- 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.
- 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
- How will the scholar be financially supported?
- Scholars must present proof of how they will fund their exchange visitor program whether through government, personal, home educational institutional funding, etc., or through UML payroll
- NOTE: No more than 25% of funding can come from a personal/family bank or saving account. Non-Personal funding must come from a recognized funding source i.e., funding from home institution, fellowship, scholarship, stipend. Visitors can be paid by the UMass Lowell hosting department.
- Dependents can be covered 100% fully personal funding
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.