Roles and responsibilities of the sponsoring department and host faculty member(s):

• Assisting with housing and arrival arrangements (IPC can provide information and resources upon request).
• Providing a workspace and arranging library and computer access.
• Collecting current contact information for scholar (email and mailing address).
• Advising the J-1 Scholar to check in with IPC immediately upon arrival at UNCG.
• Supervising the scholar during their stay in the U.S., and reporting to IPC any updates to the arrival date and the termination and/or departure of the scholar from the University.
• Communicating any concerns about immigration, orientation to the campus and community, insurance or other related assistance to IPC.
• Offering cross-cultural interaction between the J-1 Scholar and the department’s faculty and staff.

Roles and responsibilities of IPC:

• Providing information to university faculty and staff on the protocols for hosting international visiting scholars at UNCG, including working with Human Resources to invite visiting scholars to UNCG.
• Issuing form DS-2019 “Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1)”.
• Liaising between visiting scholars and UNCG offices, U.S. government, and the community.
• Conducting the required “New Scholar Orientation” to discuss maintenance of immigration status matters, making copies of the scholar’s visa documentation and insurance information, and delivering information about IPC services and programs.
• Maintaining scholars’ current U.S. physical address in the SEVIS database,
• Advising scholars on all visa-related matters including immigration and travel, and educating J-1 scholars and their dependents on their rights and obligations.
• Providing cultural and social activities for scholars throughout the year.

• Contact overseas colleagues or their students.
• Get in touch with acquaintances from international and regional conferences, including those where you have met visiting scholars already in the U.S.
• Contact overseas institutions with whom UNCG has exchange agreements (consult the IPC about existing and possible future exchange agreements).
• Advertise through professional organizations, etc. (generally for paid positions such as postdoctoral fellow or adjunct faculty).

• Academic Credentials: The department must ensure that the J-1 Scholar has the appropriate academic credentials to perform the proposed activity. A Bachelor’s degree is a minimum requirement for international visiting scholars.
• English Proficiency: English proficiency for J-1 Scholars from countries where English is not the official language must be evaluated by the Department prior to submitting the J-1 Scholar Request Form.
• Scholar Types: International visiting scholars can come to UNCG in one of several categories depending on their length of stay and purpose of their work. To learn more about these categories, click here.

Before you begin, please review our Quick Guide to Hosting International Visitors and Scholars at UNCG and J-1 Visa Timeline for Scholars New to UNCG. This document will help you to determine the proper category your visiting J-1 scholar may fall under.

The respective UNCG sponsoring faculty/department needs to begin the invitation process 4 months prior to the intended start date of the J-1 program. Beginning the process early is important since consular/visa security clearance may delay visa approval due to such circumstances as a name check, country of citizenship or sensitive area of research. There is a two-part process necessary for IPC to issue a form DS-2019: Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1).

Part 1: to be completed by the Sponsoring Department/Faculty Member and Visiting Scholar

1. Initiate discussions with the department:
   • Discuss your interest in inviting the visiting scholar with your Associate Dean of Research. Address issues such as department/college policies for visiting scholars, involvement of grant funding, other resources, import/export control issues, etc.
   • If the visiting scholar will be paid by the University, the hosting faculty/Department confirms that the position is EHRA and a position number has been assigned. International visiting scholars paid by the University through grants or other external funds must contact the UNCG Office of Contracts and Grants for further information and requirements.
2. The hosting department chair provides a letter to the respective Dean requesting the visiting scholar appointment, indicating whether the appointment is paid or unpaid and including the sponsoring faculty member’s name. Click here for a sample memo.
3. The sponsoring faculty member/Department completes the IPC “Visiting Scholar DS-2019 Data Form, Part A - Department Request and Verification”
4. The sponsoring faculty/Department completes the PD-7 “Personal Action Form” (located on the Human Resources website)
5. If applicable, the sponsoring faculty/Department completes the “Phone Verification of Credentials” process.
6. Sponsoring faculty/Department faxes or emails the following forms and instructions to the scholar for completion and signature. Forms should be returned to the faculty/department:
   • The “J-1 Scholar Request Form, Part B Scholar Profile” to the visiting scholar
   • Insurance Attestation Form
   • PD-7a “Personal Action Form
   • Certification Form
   • If applicable, request for academic transcripts and phone verification of credentials
7. Sponsoring faculty/Department requests the following copies (including for dependents if applicable) from the visiting scholar to be faxed or emailed to the department.
   • A copy of the scholar’s biographical page of the passport
   • A copy of the scholar’s curriculum vitae (CV) or resume
   • Proof of financial support (i.e. letter from the sponsoring department stating the amount available from the department; or letter from the home institution verifying financial support of the scholar for sabbatical leave; or a letter from the home government verifying financial sponsorship; or verification of personal financial support; or a combination thereof). Appropriate levels of financial proof are outlined here.
   • Request for official academic transcripts from all post-secondary education institutions attended and phone verification of credentials is required only for those international visiting scholars who will be paid by and/or teaching at UNCG. Therefore, many scholars in the categories of Short-Term Scholar and Research Scholar will not need to complete this step since they will only be conducting research.
8. The respective Dean provides a letter of request for a visiting scholar appointment to the Provost’s Office. Sample letters can be found here. The Dean submits this letter along with the following documents along with those from steps 4, 5 and 6 above to the Provost’s Office. If the appointment is for research-orientated activity (as opposed to instruction), the Provost’s Office will forward the paperwork to the Office of Human Resources for processing.
   • PD-7 “Personnel Action Form”
   • PD-7a “Personnel Action Form”
   • Certification Form
   • Official transcripts (if required)
   • Phone Verification of Credentials form (if required)
   • Visiting Scholar DS-2019 Data Form, Parts A and B
   • Insurance Attestation Form
   • Biographical page(s) of passport and CV or resume
   • Appropriate funding documentation if not financially sponsored by UNCG
   If the visiting scholar is to be appointed for the summer term, the request for appointment may need to go through UNCG Online (formerly the Division of Continual Learning). Please contact the Provost’s Office for confirmation.
9. Conduct EHRA Background Check as required by the Provost’s Office. More information is available here .
10. Send duplicate copies of all documents mentioned in #9 above to the attention of Jennifer Kelley via fax at x45406 or email at jlkelley@uncg.edu .

Part 2: Steps to be Completed by IPC

Upon receipt of the Provost’s appointment, IPC will:

1. Issue a form DS-2019 “Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1)”.
2. Issue a welcome letter to accompany the original letter of appointment (which will be sent to IPC from the Provost’s Office), form DS-2019 and a brochure from the Department of State with insurance information.
3. Contact the scholar to confirm mailing address and to ensure delivery of form DS-2019 package if IPC is the sender.
4. Maintain communication with scholar via email to confirm issuance of visitor’s J-1 visa.

• The scholar will check in at IPC, whose staff will conduct the required New Scholar Orientation to discuss maintenance of immigration status issues and provide information about IPC services and programs.
• Scholar will complete “Personal Data Sheet for Scholars” and copies of appropriate documents will be made, including a copy of the “Post-Employment Personnel Data Form PD-7a.” provided by the hosting department.