How to Sponsor a J-1 Scholar

1. Scholar Foreign Influence Vetting - Restricted Party Screening

   J-1 Exchange Visitors
   UCOP now requires Export Control review for all J-1 visa applicants.  All sponsoring units must fill out the required Visa Screening Form.  Once the form is completed, it will then be sent automatically to the UC Riverside Export Controls office by clicking the submit button.  This step must be taken prior to requesting DS-2019 processing from the Office of International Students and Scholars (ISS).  Once the Certification of Export Control review is obtained, the Export Control office will issue a certifying letter to the sponsoring units.  Sponsoring units should include a copy of this letter along with the other DS-2019 request documents when contacting ISS through ISSonline to initiate document processing.
   Complete the Form

2. Department invites perspective J-1 Scholar (with or without salary) by issuing a UCR appointment letter and completing the J-1 Request Approval form.

3. Department submits documents (“invitation”) to the Office of International Students and Scholars (ISS) for approval by entering information into the ISSonline portal.  

4. Prospective scholar then receives their login and password credentials so they are able to enter information and upload documents into ISSonline.

5. ISS reviews invitation, contacts department and scholar if clarification is needed, and requests an FAU from the department for payment of the ISS fees. Under certain conditions, the scholar may pay part or all of the fees. Please contact ISS at internationalscholars@ucr.edu for more information. 

6. After receiving the FAU from the department (or scholar payment, if applicable), ISS prepares the DS-2019 Certificate of Eligibility (immigration document required for visa processing at that US embassy) and forwards it to the scholar.

Please consult with the International Students and Scholars office if you have questions about visa types for prospective researchers and scholars: internationalscholars@ucr.edu.

Responsibilities

It is the sponsoring department’s responsibility to provide the following:

Upon Invitation:

• A contract/appointment letter, submitted to ISS Online
• Payment of service fees if applicable (see below)

After arrival:

• Academic appointment information to the scholar
• A campus email address
• Sponsorship for the scholar’s NetID, R Card, etc.
• Space to work
• Etc.

Note about ISS Online Service Fees: The below fees are all those associated with the J-visa type; they may or may not apply to the scholar of interest’s situation. For a personalized breakdown of fees, please speak to an International Scholar Advisor.