New Visiting Scholars

Welcome! Each year the University of Connecticut hosts hundreds of visiting scholars from around the world who are advanced students, faculty, scientists, researchers and other experts in their field, to perform research, teaching, or other scholarly activity at the University. We also host student interns - current students in their home countries who are coming to the University to conduct an internship required for your degree. If you have been invited by a UConn department, school, or institute to be a visiting scholar or student intern, International Student and Scholar Services is here to help you navigate the visa process and other aspects of life at the University.

Your hosting department at UConn will initiate the visa process on your behalf by requesting a Form DS-2019 for you and any accompanying dependent family members. Visiting scholars at UConn apply for J-1 Exchange Visitor visas after receiving Form DS-2019 from your department.  This webpage contains information to help you prepare for your arrival after you receive your Form DS-2019.

 

Apply for the Visa

Step 1: Review your Form DS-2019 for accuracy, and sign at the bottom. If you have accompanying dependents, they should sign their own DS-2019 as well (except for children under age 14 - you should sign for them).

Step 2: Pay the I-901 SEVIS fee. This $220 fee can be paid at www.fmjfee.com. If you are a citizen of or were born in the countries of Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria or Gambia, you cannot pay online by credit card, but may pay by money order or through Western Union Quick Pay. Only J-1 visa applicants pay this fee – it is not paid for accompanying J-2 dependents. Print your payment receipt, as this will be needed at your visa interview and for entry to the United States.

Step 3: Follow the instructions on the website of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate nearest you, to apply for your J-1 visa. If you have accompanying dependents with Forms DS-2019, they will apply for J-2 visas. Citizens of Canada or Bermuda are not required to apply for a visa stamp at a U.S. embassy or consulate, but you will be required to present your Form DS-2019 for admission in J-1 status at a U.S. port of entry when you travel to the U.S. to begin your program.

Step 4: If your visa application is delayed and you will not be able to arrive to begin your program on your DS-2019 program start date, you must notify your hosting department and ISSS. We will need to issue for you a new Form DS-2019.

You may arrive in the U.S. up to 30 days before the program start date listed on your Form DS-2019. This gives you time to settle in before beginning your appointment at UConn.

Prepare for Arrival

Pre-Arrival Information for J-1 Scholars
Purchase Medical Insurance

Click on "Resources" above for information on getting a driver's license, finding housing off-campus or other information on how to prepare for your visit.

Check-In at ISSS: Visiting scholars at Storrs campus

Visiting scholars who are based at Storrs campus should visit the ISSS office in McMahon Hall to complete your check in process. Visit Tuesday and Friday afternoons between 2 pm and 4 pm.  Bring your DS-2019, passport, visa, and your medical insurance information. If you have accompanying dependents, bring these documents for your dependent as well.

After you complete your ISSS check in, we will register you for an orientation meeting with your ISSS Advisor.

Check-In at ISSS: Visiting scholars not based at Storrs campus

Visiting scholars who are not at the Storrs campus will prepare electronic copies of their immigration documents, and submit your arrival documents online through the ISSS Portal. You must do this within 3 days after arrival to the U.S. Follow the instructions below, and contact international@uconn.edu if you have any problems accessing your ISSS Portal account.

After you submit your arrival documents, your ISSS Advisor will schedule an orientation meeting with you.

Step One: Download I-94 Admission Record

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will issue all exchange visitors an I-94 Admission Number upon entry to the U.S. Exchange visitors entering by air travel will be issued an electronic I-94 Admission record after passing through immigration/passport control, which can be saved/printed for your records.  Exchange visitors entering from Canada or Mexico by land or sea will receive a white paper card stapled inside their passport.   Your I-94 is very important and indicates the Date of Entry, Class of Admission and the Admit Until date.  For all exchange visitors, your I-94 should indicate Class of Admission = J-1 and Admit Until Date = D/S.  If your I-94 is "Not Found" or if the information on your I-94 is incorrect you may need to have your I-94 Admission corrected by CBP (see below).

Select Get Most Recent I-94 option.

If your I-94 cannot be found, try these tips to locate your record.

  • Enter your information again, slowly to make sure there are no typos.
  • If your name differs on your passport and visa, try using the name as it appears in the passport.
  • Try switching your “Family Name” and “First (Given) Name”.
  • The search is case sensitive. Try all lower case letters.
  • If you have two passports with the valid visa in the old passport, try using each passport number.
  • If you have multiple names, try eliminating the space between them, or removing the last few letters.
  • Try using the machine readable name spelling from your passport (e.g. PMUSALAST<<FIRST<NAME<<<).
  • Try switching the month and day of your Birth Date (e.g. 10/03/1985 and 03/10/1985).
  • Try entering your visa number instead of your passport number.
  •  If you have a Mexican passport, try eliminating the first two digits of the passport number.

If it still cannot be found, or if your I-94 has errors or is incorrect, contact international@uconn.edu, and your ISSS advisor will contact U.S. Customs and Border Protection on  your behalf to find or correct your record.

Step Two: Prepare Immigration Documents

Prepare electronic copies of the following documents (.jpeg or .pdf).  Use your smartphone camera or a scanner to save your files.

  1. Passport (with picture, biographic info and expiration date)
  2. Current J-1 Visa
  3. Entry stamp in your passport
  4. Print-out of your automated I-94 admission record*
  5. Form DS-2019 used to enter the U.S.
  6. Medical Insurance Documentation:
  7. If your dependents have UConn J-2 visas, Please submit items 1-6 above for your J-2 dependents as well.

Step Three: Submit Arrival Documents

J-1 Visiting Research Scholars should complete their check in remotely by following the steps below:

  1. Log into your Scholar Portal account with your email and password (Do NOT use NetID).
  2. Go to the “REQUESTS” tab at the far right of your profile page.
  3. Click on “SUBMIT ARRIVAL DOCUMENTATION”
    1. Please upload your copies (PDF or Jpeg’s are fine) of DS-2019, Passport, Visa, I-94 admission record.
  4. Next, click on “SUBMIT INSURANCE DOCUMENTATION” and enter your J-1 medical insurance coverage information (required).
  5. Finally, follow up with your Sponsoring Department PI/Faculty Supervisor directly to ensure proper university protocol for beginning your J-1 program objectives.

Orientation

All visiting scholars will be scheduled to attend an orientation meeting with your ISSS Advisor. This approximately one hour meeting can be either in-person or virtual, and will be scheduled when you check in at the Storrs office. If you are not at the Storrs campus, your ISSS advisor will contact you to schedule the orientation meeting after you submit your arrival documents. Please review the new J-1 Scholar Orientation content prior to your orientation meeting.
REVIEW SLIDES: J-1 Scholar Orientation (04/03/2020)

Student/Exchange Visitor Applicants Privacy Notice

For information on the University’s privacy policy and how it relates to international students and exchange visitors, please visit here