J-1 Visiting Scholars

A visiting scholar is a visiting professor, research scholar, or short-term scholar under the J-1 Exchange Visitor program or a guest lecturer under a provision in the B-1 (Business Visa) or WB (Business Visa Waiver) category.

You will need to contact the department with which you are interested in serving as a visiting scholar and ask whether it is able to invite a visiting scholar.

1. The department at The New School invites the prospective visiting scholar.
2. The department sends a Request for Form DS-2019 and an invitation letter to ISSS.
3. ISSS reviews the documents submitted by the department for eligibility.
4. ISSS contacts the prospective visiting scholar for additional documents and the online application.
5. The prospective visiting scholar provides additional documents to ISSS and completes the online application.
6. ISSS issues the DS-2019 and emails the prospective visiting scholar instructions for downloading the DS-2019.
7. The prospective visiting scholar uses the DS-2019 to obtain a J-1 Entry Visa at a U.S. consulate or embassy.
8. The visiting scholar enters the United States on or within a period of 30 days before the DS-2019 start date.
9. The visiting scholar checks in with the department and ISSS.

ISSS will contact you by email within five to ten business days of receipt of the Request for Form DS-2019 and the invitation letter from the department.

A J-1 professor, research scholar, or short-term scholar will need to submit:

• An online DS-2019 Application. The link will be sent to confirmed visiting scholars.
• A copy of the biographical page of your passport for you and your dependents.
• A marriage certificate if you are bringing your spouse
• Birth certificates if you are bringing your children
• Financial documentation showing that you can support yourself and your dependents for the duration of your program. Please refer to the estimated expenses form to see the amount for which you will need to provide documentation.
• Previous immigration paperwork if necessary

If you are coming to The New School as a J-1 student intern, you must also provide:

• A school certification form
• A T/IPP/DS-7002 (Training/Internship Placement Plan). The department should provide this document when it contacts ISSS.

U.S. government regulations for J-1 exchange visitors require that you possess "sufficient proficiency in the English Language, as determined by an objective measurement of English Language proficiency."

International appointees (visiting professors, research scholars, and short-term scholars) can meet the language proficiency requirement in one of the following ways.

Test

Submit TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language Testing System), or PTE (Pearson Test of English) results to the department. The department is required to keep the scores on file. International appointees must have received scores of at least 100 (TOEFL), 7.0 (IELTS), or 68 (PTE). Please note: The department must indicate on the Request for Form DS-2019 that it has received a copy of the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score and that it meets the minimum requirement given above.

Interview

Complete a proficiency interview with the Department of English Language Studies at The New School. The proficiency interview results will be provided to the department by the Department of English Language Studies. International appointees may contact the front desk at [email protected] to schedule the proficiency interview. Please note: The proficiency interview must be held and the results received by the department before it submits the Request for Form DS-2019.

Signed Documentation

Submit signed documentation from an academic institution or English language school confirming English language proficiency. Please note: The department must indicate on the Request for Form DS-2019 that the international appointee has submitted documentation of English language proficiency.

The English language proficiency requirement can be waived if the exchange visitor meets either of the following conditions:

• The exchange visitor can demonstrate that he or she received an education in a country with English as an official language and the language of instruction in higher education.
• The exchange visitor is a citizen of a country with English as an official language.

U.S. government regulations set minimum requirements for health insurance for J-1 visiting scholars. Regulations require J-1 visiting scholars to have health or medical insurance for themselves and any accompanying dependents in J-2 status as of the program start date on the DS-2019 and until the program end date on the DS-2019.

Minimum insurance coverage must provide benefits of:

• $100,000 per person per year or accident
• Repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000
• Medical evacuation of the exchange visitor to his or her home country in the amount of $50,000
• A deductible limited to $500 per accident or illness

Please refer to this list of insurance companies of insurance companies that offer health insurance for J-1 visiting scholars. The New School does not endorse or recommend any company. You are not limited to these insurance companies, and it is recommended that you evaluate a number of companies to find the one that best meets your needs. Please note that exact premiums and costs can be dictated only by the carrier. The cost of your coverage will depend on factors including the type of plan you choose, your health, and the number of family members who will participate. The cost of individual insurance varies; the cost of coverage for you and your dependents can be determined only after you complete a request for a quote from the carrier.

You should purchase health insurance before traveling in the United States. Once you have chosen a health insurance company, you should complete the health insurance contract and email [email protected] the completed document.

Not all exchange visitors are subject to the two-year home residency requirement. An exchange visitor is subject to the requirement in three situations:

• The exchange visitor's participation in an exchange program was financed, directly or indirectly, by the U.S. government or a foreign government for the purpose of exchange.
• The skills the exchange visitor is coming to develop or use in a field that the exchange visitor's home government requested are included on the State Department exchange visitor skills list.
• The exchange visitor is coming to the United States to receive "graduate medical education or training."

An exchange visitor in any of these situations will continue to be subject to the residency requirement, even if his or her funding or field of study changes. If the principal J-1 exchange visitor is subject to 212(e), all dependents who enter the United States in J-2 status are subject as well.

For more information on 212e, refer to the U.S. Department of State website.

If you have been invited by The New School to be a visiting scholar and you have spoken to your current institution and are eligible for a transfer of your J-1 immigration record, please contact [email protected] for further advisement.

You may arrive in the United States up to 30 days before your program start date, as given in box 3 on your DS-2019. All visiting scholars are required to arrive by their program start date.

When entering the United States, you will need to show your immigration documents to a Customs and Border Protection agent at your port of entry. You must have the following documents with you upon entry:

• An original DS-2019
• A J-1 visa
• A passport (valid for at least six months)

Be sure to carry these documents with you. Do not put them in your checked luggage.

When you arrive at the port of entry, you will present your immigration documents (passport and DS-2019) to the officer, who will ask you some questions. The officer may ask why you are traveling to the United States, where you will be staying, and what your plans are. If you are asked about how you will fund your program, you can offer to show your financial documents. If the officer asks you about your intentions, answer the question, keeping in mind that you are entering the United States in order to be a visiting scholar and then return home.

After you arrive in New York City, you must check in with the ISSS office. You can check in electronically through your iGlobal account. You will need to upload a copy of your I-94 record and your signed DS-2019 and report your local U.S. address. Check-in instructions appear below.

You must also attend the mandatory visiting scholar orientation. Information about the date, time, and location of the orientation will be sent to you through your email account.

As a J-1 visiting scholar, you must understand the regulations that govern your status while you are in the United States, particularly with regard to travel, speaking or other engagements at neighboring universities, extensions, and Social Security numbers. This is particularly important in view of the dramatic rise in government fees for rectifying violations.

At the International Scholar Orientation, ISSS is available to answer any questions you may have about The New School and provide other resources that you may need. The orientation also offers you the opportunity to meet fellow visiting scholars.

A few weeks before your arrival, ISSS will send an email with information about upcoming visiting scholar orientations.

When you arrive in the United States, the first thing you must do is contact your department in order to obtain your New School ID number if you do not already have it. Once you obtain your New School ID number, contact ISSS so that your record can be updated and you can complete the Check-In Form. 

It is crucial that you follow these steps so that we can activate your SEVIS record.  To check in, you must complete and submit the online check-in form, found under J-1 Scholar Services at iGlobal. You must check in within 30 days of the DS-2019 start date. Check-in is mandatory, as the information is required to validate your SEVIS record. You can complete the check-in form only after entering the United States.

If your I-94 record contains incorrect information or has not been properly updated, you can correct the information by contacting the Deferred Inspection site. If you have questions or problems correcting your I-94 record, please contact an ISSS advisor.

If you are having difficulty retrieving your I-94 admission record:

• Try entering different variations of your name in the First and Last Name sections.
• Try inverting the day and month in your birth date (e.g., 9/7/2000 would become 7/9/2000).
• Try entering an old passport number

If you do not complete this online check-in form, you will be in violation of your immigration status, so please complete it as soon as you arrive. If you need assistance with the form, please come to our office or email [email protected].

First, you will need to work with your department to obtain an N number. Once you have an N number, you can go to the ID card office, located in the basement of 72 Fifth Avenue, to obtain a New School ID card.