The University defines a visiting scholar as an expert in an academic discipline or disciplines with a short-term residency at UConn for mutual intellectual enrichment and collaboration.  Visiting scholars may also include post-doctoral fellows and other temporary UConn employees whose appointment further UConn's academic and cross-cultural exchange objectives. Visiting scholars should not include currently enrolled students (see visiting students). 

Approved Activity

UConn departments can host visiting scholars for the purpose of teaching, lecturing, observing, consulting or researching. Visiting scholars should not be invited to participate in human or animal clinical activity or research. 

Qualifications

Visiting scholars must have a Bachelor’s degree and appropriate experience in their field for the activity they are conducting at UConn. For visiting scholars coming in the Specialist category, they must be experts in their field. 

Affiliation process

Visiting scholars who are paid employees should be offered positions through the normal hiring process according to the type of position they will hold. Visiting scholars who are not paid employees should be offered a gratis appointment, processed through a Smart HR transaction and using a valid special payroll title. 

Visa Categories

ISSS may sponsor J-1 visas in the Research Scholar, Professor, Short Term Scholar or Specialist categories. Refer to this chart to understand the differences in each category.

Visiting students come to UConn for a temporary period while remaining affiliated with their home, degree granting institution. ISSS sponsors visas for visiting students invited by hosting academic departments to come for research or training activity.

Taking classes: ISSS sponsors visas for visiting students engaged in coursework only when they come to UConn through an exchange agreement or a program administered by UConn's Global Training and Development Institute (GTDI). If you are interested to invite an international visiting student for coursework, please contact GTDI to learn more.

Approved program activity

Full time research, observing, training, or internship.

Visa Categories

ISSS will sponsor J-1 visas in the Student Non Degree and Student Intern categories. Please refer to this chart to understand the differences for each category.

Affiliation process

Visiting students for research or training do not apply to the university and do not enroll in coursework. Instead, the hosting department should offer the student an appointment using the Visiting Student special payroll title. This title can be used for gratis appointments - use the gratis appointment letter template and process as a smart HR transaction - or compensated appointments.

For students visiting in fall 2024 or later, we strongly encourage departments to align visits for fall and spring term with the UConn academic calendar start dates for fall and spring.

Funding Source and UConn Compensation

The visiting student's funding source will impact which J-1 visa category ISSS may use for the student's program.

UConn financial support:

• If UConn will support the student through a payroll appointment (compensation for work) the student's program must be structured as an internship, and ISSS will use the Student Intern category. The internship must be integral to the student's home country degree program, and all other eligibility criteria for Student Intern must be met.
• If UConn will provide financial support to the student that is not through payroll, OR UConn provides payroll compensation that is not connected to the student's primary program activity at UConn (e.g., student will conduct research as their primary activity, but will receive payment from UConn for teaching a class on the side) then ISSS will use the Student Non-Degree category in most instances. The student's program will not need to be structed as an internship.

If UConn is not providing financial support to the student for their program:

• If the student has at least 51% funding support from non-personal sources (e.g. scholarships, grants), ISSS will use the Student Non-Degree category.
• If the student is primarily self-funding their program (at least 51% comes from personal or family funds) and the student's visit falls under an agreement with their home country, state, or institution, ISSS will use the Student Non-Degree category.
• If the student is primarily self-funding their program (at least 51% comes from personal or family funds) and the student's visit does not fall under an agreement with their home country, state, or institution, ISSS will use the Student Intern category, and the program must be structured as an internship. The internship must be integral to the student's home country degree program, and all other eligibility criteria for Student Intern must be met.

Qualifications

Visiting students for research or training are typically enrolled in a degree program abroad and should remain affiliated with their program while at UConn. If your visitor will have completed their degree before coming to UConn, please refer to the Visiting Scholar qualifications and process instead. Visiting students must all other criteria for J-1 exchange visitors, including English language proficiency and insurance requirements.

Visiting Scholar Categories:

Short Term Scholar: 1 day to 3 weeks.

Research Scholar and Professor: 3 weeks to 5 years.

Specialist: 3 weeks to 1 year.

Visiting Student Categories:

Student Non Degree: 3 weeks to two years.

Student Intern: 3 weeks to 1 year.

A Note About Start Dates:

• We strongly encourage departments to align student visits that fall during fall and spring term to align the visiting student's appointment start date with the start of the academic fall or spring semester.
  
• For compensated positions on UConn payroll, start dates must align with the start of a payroll period.
• Submit the completed visa sponsorship request at least 12 weeks before the anticipated start date.

UConn department hosts should ensure that your visitor has obtained safe, adequate housing that is accessible to campus. Visiting research students and interns are generally not eligible to live in on-campus housing.

Visiting scholars and students can use the resources available through Off Campus and Commuter Student Services to locate housing.  UConn hosting departments can apply for university housing on behalf of visiting scholars through the Rental Properties website. 

Visiting scholars and students do not have access to SHaW medical or mental health services. Instead they can utilize off-campus health services. All visiting scholars and students must have comprehensive insurance that meets certain benefit standards, including medical evacuation and repatriation insurance. They have the option to purchase the same health insurance plan offered to UConn students at a prorated monthly rate,  and we strongly recommend this option. 

UConn does not charge fees to visitors or departments associated with the visit of a scholar, research student or intern. However, to qualify for a visa, visiting scholars and research students must demonstrate they have at least $2,590 available per month to support their living expenses, and more if dependent family members will accompany them. Financial details are available here. 

Visiting scholars and research students come on J-1 exchange visitor visas. The J-1 visa is issued for participation in a particular program category that aligns with the purpose of their stay. Each category carries particular restrictions and benefits, and the appropriate category to use generally depends on the visitor's qualifications, activity and length of stay. Learn more about the available J-1 visa categories here. 

ISSS works with host departments to provide visa sponsorship documents and support your visiting scholar or student through the visa process. ISSS must issue a Form DS-2019 for your visiting scholar or student before they begin the visa process. Departments mail the DS-2019 to your visiting scholar or student so they may apply for the J-1 visa at the U.S. embassy or consulate in their country. ISSS holds regular training sessions for hosting departments on how to request the DS-2019 form, and step-by-step details are available here. 

All incoming visiting scholars or students will be reviewed (name, country, home institution) to ensure their visit complies with federal export control regulations. ISSS will initiate this review while processing the DS-2019 form. If departments have export control concerns about a particular visit, they may also work with OVPR to review the visit before starting the hiring process or visa sponsorship request.