Who is a sponsored student or scholar?
ISSS refers to students and visiting researchers who come to UConn on J-1 visas that are not sponsored by UConn, as sponsored students or sponsored scholars. Your visa sponsor is the institution that issues your Form DS-2019. Common J-1 visa sponsors include Fulbright Visiting Scholars and Student Researchers, Foreign Language Teaching Assistants, associated Fulbright programs like Laspau, Amideast, and IREX, or government organizations such as USAID.
The onboarding process for sponsored students and scholars depends on whether you are coming to study in a degree program, teach (FLTA), or conduct research (visiting scholars and research students). You will work collaboratively with your sponsoring institution, your UConn academic program and ISSS collaboratively to prepare for arrival.
Information for Degree Seeking Students and FLTAs
Please tell ISSS you are coming to UConn! We will set you up in our system as an incoming international student so that you can receive important communications from ISSS, attend ISSS orientation, and access ISSS resources. Email international@uconn.edu.
Information for Visiting Scholars and Visiting Student Researchers
Sponsored researchers should be given a gratis appointment at UConn, which will give you access to a Net ID and UConn email address. Your hosting department will arrange this.
Once your visit to UConn is confirmed, ISSS will ask you to provide us a copy of your passport to confirm certain biographical information. We will create an ISSS Portal login for you so that you are included in communications to the international student and scholar community. We will email you after we create this profile to provide you with your login information.
When you arrive at UConn, you should come to the ISSS office to check-in during designated visiting scholar check-in times, submit your arrival documents, and schedule an individual orientation meeting with your ISSS advisor.
Arrival Check List
Sponsored degree students and FLTAs should follow the student arrival checklist.
Visiting scholars and student researchers should follow the visiting scholar arrival checklist.
ISSS Support Services
While you are at UConn, you have an assigned ISSS advisor based on your program of study (degree students) or hosting department (FLTAs, visiting scholars, visiting research students). You can find your assigned ISSS advisor here. However, only your Alternate Responsible Office (ARO) with your sponsoring organization can advise you on important immigration matters, and issue and sign DS-2019 forms.
ISSS has resources and information about life in the U.S. and we hope you will participate in our programs and services.