We are so pleased you are preparing to bring a J-1 Exchange Visitor to the University of Notre Dame! We have provided instructions below for:
- understanding the different J-1 Exchange Visitor categories
- requesting initial DS-2019's for new scholars,
- reporting program updates (including extensions and late arrivals) and
- general information about a department's responsibilities when hosting
The Department of State Exchange Visitor Program allows for the exchange of research scholars and professors and promotes the exchange of ideas, research, mutual enrichment and linkages between research and academic institutions in the United States and foreign countries. There are multiple categories of the J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa, and the category is determined by the visitor’s education level, length of stay and activities on campus.
Note: In general, visitors coming to campus from outside the U.S. who are engaged with the Notre Dame community and/or will need any access to Notre Dame facilities should be submitted to the IRF process and will likely need an appointment letter from the Provost or Postdoc office.
New Scholar Appointments
STEP 1
Determine which office will provide the appointment letter.
- All faculty appointments and faculty visitors go through the Provost
- Regardless of the visit's purpose, if the visitor is active faculty at another institution, their visit and appointment must go through the Provost
- All postdoc and non-faculty appointments go through the Postdoc office
If your scholar does not seem to fit these categories, please contact ISSA to discuss.
| For appointments through the Office of the Provost, contact them for instructions on meeting the following requirements: | For appointments through the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, submit the following documentation to Diana Dickson or Jordan Rodgers: |
|
|
In order to begin the J-1 Application for a New Exchange Visitor, an NDid number is required for the J-1 Scholar. To have an NDid number, all requirements listed in Steps 1 & 2 must be met. The appropriate office will provide the NDid number when the appointment process is completed. The Banner record and NDid may not be accessible in ISSAlink until the day after the NDid is assigned, but if it is not available within 24 hours, call ISSA for assistance.
Special Note regarding Hire Dates: J-1 visa regulations require scholars and their dependents to carry health insurance for the duration of their program. If your scholar will receive university benefits, please consider the following:
- If the hire date is the 1st of a month, benefits are effective on the day of hire.
- If the hire date is after the 1st of a month, the scholar will be required to pay full insurance premiums until the 1st of the following month. Alternately, the scholar may purchase a short policy from another insurer to bridge the gap until university benefits begin.
STEP 2
Complete and submit the Immigration Request Form. If it is determined that a J-1 visa is appropriate, departments will work with ISSA and either the Provost's or the Postdoc's office to follow the steps below. Please wait for determination from the ISSA office before moving to the next step. You will be contacted within 3 business days regarding follow-up questions or with a recommendation and next steps.
STEP 3
Complete the English Proficiency Verification process.
Federal visa regulations (Federal Regulations section 22 § 62.10 (a)(2)) require that an assessment of the Exchange Visitor’s English language proficiency be obtained by the program sponsor (University of Notre Dame) to confirm that the J-1 Exchange Visitor possesses “sufficient proficiency in the English language, as determined by an objective measure of English language proficiency, to successfully participate in his or her program and to function on a day-to-day basis.”
This English proficiency requirement can be met in one of three ways:
| Method | Documentation Needed |
| By interview with department | Information about who conducted interview and what date |
| Recognized English test, interview with English verification company, or written verification from an English program | English test or program results |
| Confirmation of English through citizenship (English is official language) or education provided predominately in English | Name of institution (diploma preferred) |
Language Test or Interview Exceptions:
- Native English speakers from countries where English is the only official language
- Non-native English speakers who have received at least 80% of instruction in English at an institution in home country or abroad
- Non-native English speakers who have completed two consecutive years of full-time high school or university study in the U.S. or other country where English is the only official language
- Non-native English speakers who have a minimum of one year of full-time employment in the U.S. or other country where English is the only official language
Special note: While a potential exchange visitor may have sufficient language for work with colleagues in the lab or in collaborative research, it's imperative per DOS regulations that they can also navigate life at the University and in the U.S. independently.
Once verification of English has been completed, the department will confirm in the ISSAlink form (STEP 4) which method was used to determine proficiency and upload the appropriate documentation.
STEP 4
You are now ready to request the DS-2019. Go to ISSAlink to provide access to the J-1 Applicant Information form to the scholar and complete the Department Information form. Screenshot instructions can be found here.
To complete Step 4, you will need digital copies (only PDF, JPG, BMP, or PNG formats accepted) of the signed appointment letter to upload for the Department Information form.
*If this is an appointment through the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, they will have to approve and upload the signed appointment letter.
You will need to inform the scholar that she or he will need digital copies (only PDF, JPG, BMP, or PNG formats accepted) of the following documents to upload for the J-1 Applicant Information form:
- scholar’s ID page in passport
- all dependents’ (spouse and children under 21) ID pages in passports
- proof of funding if ND is not paying the scholar (funding requirements and acceptable types of funding can be found here) - funding should be in USD
- any previous DS-2019’s, especially if the scholar is transferring from another program or school
If you need assistance, contact us at issa@nd.edu.
STEP 5
Once both ISSAlink application forms have been completed and submitted, ISSA will confirm receipt and process the Form DS-2019 within five business days.
STEP 6
Review DS-2019. ISSA will issue an electronic copy of the DS-2019 to the scholar and department; please review for accuracy.
STEP 7
Confirm scholar attended ISSA's Scholar Welcome Session. ISSA reviews essential information about the J-1 Scholar's status and responsibilities while in the U.S. The scholar will complete the J-1 Validation process upon arrival to the ND area, but this session helps ensure their ongoing compliance.
Scholar Program Updates
Go to ISSAlink to complete the Scholar Program Updates form, which can be found on the left under Departmental Services, for the following changes:
- program extension,
- salary change,
- late arrival,
- scholar cancellation (never arrived),
- early termination or end of program, or
- scholar withdrawal from program.
In order to complete the form for extensions, you must have digital copies (only PDF, JPG, BMP, or PNG formats accepted) of the following documents to upload:
- Upload a copy of the reappointment letter
- Upload proof of funding, if ND is not paying the scholar
Department Responsibilities:
- Contact the Office of the Provost or Office of Postdoctoral Affairs to complete the appointment process.
- Verify the scholar has the necessary background and sufficient English language skills for the activities they will be performing on campus prior to the scholar's arrival.
- Provide access to the scholar to ISSAlink’s J-1 Applicant Information form.
- Complete the ISSAlink Department Information form.
- Organize logistics regarding the arrival of the scholar, arranging housing and providing other information as necessary.
- Confirm the scholar attended a Scholar Welcome Session and completed J-1 validation.
- Report scholar updates, including extension requests, changed program dates, late arrivals, and early terminations in a timely fashion. Updates should be reported via ISSAlink.