The Research Scholar is the most common category of Exchange Visitor at CSULA. Research Scholars are individuals concerned primarily with conducting research, observing, or consulting in connection with a research project (even if such individuals are professors at their home institutions). Research Scholars are allowed to teach or lecture. The International Office can issue a Research Scholar DS-2019 for any length from 3 weeks up to 5 years.

Foreign nationals who have been in any category of J-1 visa (except the Short-Term Scholar category) in the previous 24 months are NOT allowed to begin a new Research Scholar visit. This rule is known as the “24-Month Bar.”

J-1 Professors are concerned primarily with teaching, lecturing, observing, or consulting. J-1 Professors may also participate in departmental research. If the Exchange Visitor will be here primarily to conduct research the Research Scholar category is more appropriate, even if the individual is a professor in the home country. The International Office can issue a Professor DS-2019 for any length from 3 weeks up to 5 years.

Foreign nationals who have been in any category of J-1 visa (except the Short-Term Scholar category) in the previous 24 months are NOT allowed to begin a new Professor visit. This rule is known as the “24-Month Bar.”

Short-Term Scholars may be a professor, researcher, specialist, or a person with similar education or accomplishments coming to the United States on a short-term visit for the purpose of lecturing, observing, consulting, training, or demonstrating special skills. The International Office can issue a Short-Term Scholar DS-2019 for any length from 1 day up to a maximum of 6 months. Short-Term Scholar DS-2019s cannot be extended beyond the 6-month maximum.

The Short-Term Scholar category is very flexible and can be used to accommodate many types of short visits. It is NOT subject to the “24-month Bar” which otherwise requires a gap of 24-months between multiple J-1 visits. For this reason we recommend the Short-Term Scholar category for visits of less than 6 months. If your J-1 scholar is expected to extend her or his stay beyond 6 months, we advise you to choose the Research Scholar category when requesting the initial DS-2019.

Non-Degree Students are individuals engaged in a prescribed non-degree academic program with a specific educational objective. Such a course of study may include classroom instruction and/or research projects. The International Office can issue a Non-Degree Student DS-2019 for up to a maximum stay of 24 months.

The following are important points to bear in mind when an inquiry comes to the university on the part of an international scholar who may wish to make a sojourn at the university for the purpose of engaging in unpaid, short-term academic collaboration and research:

It is the decision of the Department Chair, with the compliance of the Dean of the College, whether or not the Chair thinks it would be appropriate to invite a particular visiting scholar to come to the department for the purpose of engaging in short-term academic collaboration and research. Please note that NO FORMAL INVITATION can be made until all of the steps outlined below have been followed. Additionally, the INVITATION LETTER COMES FROM THE DEAN'S OFFICE.

• The Chair should consider whether or not the potential visiting scholar has research interests that are in line with work currently being done by faculty members in the department. If there is no congruence of research interests, there is probably no "match" regarding a given international scholar who may be making an inquiry. In such a case, it is the responsibility of the Department Chair to respond in writing to the individual who has made the inquiry, declining his/her request to come to the university.
• If the Chair decides that there is a "match", then he/she should identify a faculty member in the department who would agree to act as mentor or sponsor of the visiting international scholar and of that person's research interests. The CSULA faculty member would then be expected to correspond with the visiting scholar.
• The Department Chair, or the faculty mentor, is charged with gathering the required documentation on the visiting scholar. This includes all of the following:
• A written statement from the visiting scholar regarding his/her research interests;
• An Affidavit of Financial Support, indicating that the visiting scholar has a minimum of $1,500 per month at his/her disposal for him/herself, plus $1,000 per month for each dependent.
• A copy of the visitor's highest diploma with certified English translation, if the original diploma is in a language other than English. If the student is in the process of completing his/her undergraduate program, the student must submit a Certification of Enrollment from his/her university verifying current student status.
• A copy of the visitor's Curriculum Vitae.
• Copy of passport biographical page (dependents, if any).
• The CSULA faculty mentor (or the visiting scholar) must fill out the "Request Form for DS-2019" form, available from the International Office; the form must be co-signed by both the Department Chair and the Dean.
• The package is then forwarded to the Provost's designer for approval. The current designce is Dean of CESIP.
• All of the documents listed above are then sent to the International Office for a final review.
• Once all reviews are completed, the International Office creates the DS-2019 (i.e. the Dept. of State document called the "Certificate of Eligibility" needed by the visiting scholar to request the J-1 Visiting Scholar visa). The DS-2019 is forwarded to the Department Chair or the faculty mentor for mailing to the scholar.
• The above process may be time consuming, particularly if it is necessary to correspond back and forth with a potential visiting international scholar. We, therefore, recommend that the process be initiated three to six months prior to the visiting scholar's desired date of arrival.
• Please keep in mind that inviting an international scholar to the university carries with it certain responsibilities on the part of the CSULA department. Aside from assigning a faculty mentor, the department must identify appropriate office space, provide for the use of a telephone, computer etc., as well as a number of other details needed to make the sojourn of the visiting scholar successful for him/her and for the department.

If you want to sponsor a colleague or individual to perform research at CSULA, you must submit the following documents, with the proper signatures, to the International Office:

Normal processing is 10 working days to issue the DS-2019. The Welcome Packet, including the DS-2019, will be given to the sponsoring professor for mailing.

J-1 Scholars are eligible to enter the U.S. up to 30 days prior to the program start date on the DS-2019. This time allows the scholar (and dependents) to locate housing, open a bank account, find modes of transportation to and from CSULA, etc. It is also a time when the Scholar must check-in at the International Office.

If the scholar is unable to enter the U.S. by the start date of the DS-2019, you must notify the J-1 Scholar Advisor to update the program start date. This will facilitate the scholar’s visa application at the U.S. Consulate and the port-of-entry.

Upon arrival to Los Angeles, the Scholar must check-in at the International Office, in the College of Extended Studies and International Programs. Please call the office and schedule an appointment to see the J-1 Scholar Advisor. The Scholar should bring the following documents to the appointment (include dependents, if any):

• CSULA DS-2019;
• Passport; and;
• I-94 card.

The J-1 Scholar Advisor will discuss with the scholar the Immigration Regulations pertaining to the J program. If the scholar has difficulty understanding English, it is imperative that a translator be provided and present at this meeting.

At the conclusion of this check-in, the J-1 Scholar Advisor will ‘validate’ the Scholar’s program in SEVIS. Failure to validate the program will result in the termination of the Scholar’s J-1 SEVIS record.

J-1 Scholars are eligible to receive a Campus Identification Card and campus email account. During the interview with the J-1 Advisor, the scholar will be given a letter to take to the Golden One Eagle Office for the ID Card. The scholar is responsible for the fee associated with the One Card.

To be eligible for the campus email account, the sponsoring professor must complete volunteer paperwork with the Human Resources. Once the volunteer position is approved, you can request the email account for the J-1 Scholar.

The ID Card and email account is valid until the expiration date of the DS-2019.

The J-1 visa is a very flexible visa and was designed to accommodate many types of visits to the university.

In most cases the J-1 visa is the most appropriate immigration classification for short-term visits to CSULA. Although many visitors may be able to enter the U.S. with existing B-1/B-2 visas or as citizens of a Visa Waiver Program country this does not mean one of these business/tourist classifications is appropriate for their activities at CSULA. There are circumstances when the B-1/B-2 or Visa Waiver statuses are appropriate but the parameters are very narrow.

Please use the information below to help guide your decision. We encourage you to consult the J-1 Advisor if you have any questions regarding the appropriateness of the tourist visa for your visiting foreign nationals.

• Individual can be reimbursed for expenses
• Individual can be granted an honorarium if visit is less than 9 days at CSULA and if the individual has not participated in such activities at more than 5 institutions in the previous 6 months.
• Individual cannot be in an employee position
• No wages can be paid
• Cannot enroll in classes
• Length of stay determined by Immigration official at the port of entry (may be extended in some circumstances)
• Individuals from certain countries may be eligible for a visa waiver (enter in WB status, 90 day max)

• Individual can be reimbursed for expenses
• Individual cannot receive honoraria
• Individual cannot be in an employee position
• Cannot enroll in classes
• No wages can be paid
• Length of stay determined by Immigration official at the port of entry (may be extended in some circumstances)
• Individuals from certain countries may be eligible for a visa waiver (enter in WT status, 90 day max)

Foreign faculty, researchers, and scholars need specific information and support both prior to and after their arrival for a successful academic experience. It is the Faculty Mentor’s responsibility to see that arrangements are complete so that the visiting foreign faculty/scholar can take full advantage of his/her stay at CSULA.

Below is a list of issues that you, as the Faculty Mentor, should carefully consider and arrange before the arrival of the visitor.

• Pre-Arrival
• Application package: review for missing information or documents prior to submitting it to the International Office; route the Request Form for required signatures
• Invitation letter detailing the proposed activities, length of stay, etc.
• Arrival Logistics/Settling In
• Arrangement to meet with International Office J-1 Scholar Advisor after arrival (schedule an appointment within 10 days of arrival)
• Orientation to campus, computer services, etc.
• NIS/CSULA Email Account
• Social Security Number and Driver’s License: provide general guidance and assist with transportation if necessary
• Banking information
• Housing assistance
• Introduction to colleagues
• Assistance to spouse/dependents
• Public school information
• English conversation classes (University Writing Center)
• Social groups, clubs, etc. (University Student Union)
• Departure
• Farewell lunch, party, etc.
• Notify the International Office of visitor’s departure via online Departure Form