International Student Services

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J-1 Request Form

Limitations on J Visas for Visiting Faculty and Visiting Scholars

Important changes in the federal J visa regulations now make it more difficult for "repeat participation". Please include language in any verbal discussions and offer letters that state: "this offer is contingent upon you successfully proving eligibility (or obtaining eligibility prior to your start date) to engage in research, teaching and/or employment by RIT."

2 Year Bar
Up until November 18, 2006, certain J-1 professors and research scholars faced a 12-month bar to repeat participation in those categories. After that date, anyone in those categories now faces a 2 year bar to repeat participation.

Maximum Program Length is now 5 Years
While the length of program participation for J-1 Professors and Research Scholars has been raised from three years to five years, the five-year period is not an aggregate of five years. It is a continuous five-year period given to a participant on a "use or lose" basis. For example, a professor who comes for one full year, and then returns home, must wait 2 years before returning to the US as a professor or research scholar.

Further discussion of the 11/18/06 changes can be found here:
http://www.nafsa.org/_/Document/_/regulatory_practice_advisory.pdf

Options
"Short-term scholars" (6 months max.) are not subject to the two year bar. RIT Human Resources, in consultation with outside counsel, can advise on the suitability and costs of other options such as the H1-b or O-1 visas.

Once an offer/invite is made, the web form to request that the ISS staff begin working with a candidate on J-1 eligibility documents is available below.

Please contact Jeff Cox if you have any questions.

J-1 Request Form Part 1 - To Be Completed by RIT Department

After completing form, please hit "Submit" button at end. Then, please scan and email to jwccst@rit.edu or fax to Attn: Jeff Cox at 585-475-7419 the following:

  1. Copy of your Dean's invite or offer letter
  2. If there is additional external financial sponsorship, please provide a copy of that agreement
  3. Copy of visitor's passport photo/name page

Please indicate acknowledgement of your compliance with either:

I hereby authorize International Student Services to process a transfer of $300 (to help defray RIT’s J-1 program administration costs and the costs of facilitating the required immigration documentation for this J-1 visitor), from RIT account number:

74200.
00000 (XX.XXXXX.74200.XX.XXXXX.00000)

(Please note: some federal grant accounts may not be used for mailing costs. We recommend using a standard RIT operating account line.)

Part II - Required Biographical Information for DS-2019

(dd/mm/yyyy)
(student, researcher, professor)
from to

*Please note that tenure track positions are NOT eligible for J-1 status

**Short term = less than 6 months - cannot extend.

And, please provide exact dates of that J-1 participation:

from to

Accompanying Dependents

Biographical information of any accompanying spouse and/or children:

Part III - Required Department Information

Financial Support

Show source(s) and amount(s) of available support in dollar amounts from ALL sponsors (including any grant support).

Note:Please be specific in your offer letter as to whether or not RIT will be providing any benefits (health insurance, office space, etc.

Under J-1 rules, health insurance is a requirement for participation in the program. I will communicate in a letter with the DS-2019 that the Exchange Visitor is responsible for securing health insurance. Questions concerning an employee’s eligibility for RIT's health insurance, H-1b visas, or other university benefits should be directed to Human Resources.

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