In general, J-1 scholars are prohibited from accepting employment outside of the Notre Dame department that hosts them. However, the regulations include an exception for “occasional lectures and short-term consultations”.
PLEASE NOTE:
- Occasional is defined as: irregular or occurs in infrequent intervals
- Short-term is defined as: 30 days or less
- Off-campus activities for J-1 scholars cannot exceed more than 40% of their program length.
Eligibility
To qualify for this exception, the OPPORTUNITY must meet the following conditions
- be directly related to the objectives of the exchange visitor’s (J-1) program
- be incidental to the scholar’s primary program activities
- not delay the completion of the program
- be documented in SEVIS before the start date
- not require an I-9 employment verification process
To be eligible for the exception, the SCHOLAR must meet these conditions:
- receive written permission from ISSA before starting any employment
- work as an independent contractor
- provide documentation of the opportunity in ISSAlink
Process to Apply
To request written permission for an occasional lecture or short-term consultation, the Occasional Off-Campus Activity Authorization Request form must be completed in ISSAlink. Go to ISSAlink, sign in with your NetID and password, and complete the form found on the left under J Scholar Services. You will need a digital copy (only PDF, JPG, BMP, and PNG formats are accepted) of the offer letter from the intended employer.
The letter should be on official letterhead and include:
- A description of the terms and conditions of the proposed lecture or consultation,
- The duration of the proposed activity,
- The total number of hours,
- The field or subject,
- Amount of compensation,
- A description of the activity, and
- The physical address of the activity.
If you have any questions, contact ISSA at issa@nd.edu.
Please be sure your full legal name (as indicated on your passport) is used on all documents.
Remote Work
As of June 2023, the Department of State policy requires that the majority of a J-1 Exchange Visitor's program participation be IN PERSON at the primary site of activity (i.e., Notre Dame). Regardless of a department or division's remote work policy, J-1 Research Scholars, Professors, and Short-term Scholars may work remotely no more than 40% of their schedule per week (i.e. 2 days a week).
Departments and scholars should speak with the Scholar Advising team regarding any off campus work or remote work before finalizing plans to ensure those plans are in alignment with the regulations.