Exchange Visiting Scholars Program

The Exchange Visiting Scholar Program allows faculty to invite international colleagues to do research at this university for a set period of time. Export Control along with the Office of International Student Services, the hosting faculty member, and the potential visiting scholar ensure that the visit complies with all federal and institutional regulations.

A UA Little Rock faculty member must invite all visiting scholars and follow the institutional application process in its entirety. Visiting scholars will not be allowed to visit the United States until all documents are completed and approved by Export Control, the Office of International Student Services, and the Federal government.

After the approved visiting scholar comes to the United States, they will work continually with the hosting UA Little Rock faculty member and the Office of International Student Services to meet federal and institutional requirements during the duration of their visit. Please visit the Office of International Student Services website for additional information about the requirements and responsibilities placed on the visiting scholar after they arrive.

If you are a UA Little Rock faculty member who wants to invite a visiting scholar, please review the information below before beginning the application process.

Note: The application process may take two to three months to complete from start to approval. Travel arrangements generally take an additional 30 days after approval. The visiting scholar and any dependents can arrive in the U.S. up to 30 days before beginning research at UA Little Rock.

If you are a visiting scholar hoping to visit UA Little Rock, please contact your UA Little Rock hosting faculty member to learn more about the process.

Who Can Participate?

Visiting scholars must meet certain requirements to participate in the J1 visa program. Please visit the Office of International Student Services website to learn more about these requirements.

Training Requirements

The host faculty member must submit the Export Control and Responsible Conduct of Research CITI certification before approval will be granted. Visiting scholars must also complete both courses. This requirement can be completed once the visiting scholar arrives.

Application Process

The visiting scholar application process has three steps.

1. Complete the Visiting Scholar Interest Form
   • This form notifies Export Control and the Office of International Student Services of your potential upcoming plans to invite a visiting scholar. We recommend that you submit this form at least three months before the visiting scholar is expected to arrive at UA Little Rock.
   • You will need to know the following information before you start this form:
     • Visiting scholar’s first and last name
     • Visiting scholar’s city and country of origin
     • Visiting scholar’s current position
     • Projected start date of visiting scholar’s visit
     • Purpose of visiting scholar’s visit
2. Complete the Academic & Immigration Review Application
   • Printing the Academic &amp Immigration Review Application before beginning should make it
     easier to determine what information and documentation are required. English Language Proficiency Assessment Form, and the Statement of Compliance with Exchange Visitor Health Insurance Requirements Form (to be completed by the visiting scholar), are two forms that will need to be completed and submitted within the Academic & Immigration Review Application. You will need to work closely with the visiting scholar to obtain the required information and documentation. Once the application is approved, the Office of International Student Services will contact you. They will guide you through the next steps to bringing the visiting scholar to the UA Little Rock campus.
3. Once the application is approved, you will begin to work with the Office of International Student Services as the final step in bringing the visiting scholar to the UA Little Rock campus.
   • A UA Little Rock employee, preferably the hosting faculty member, must complete each step in the application process. The UA Little Rock employee who is completing the Visiting Scholar Interest form and the Academic & Immigration Review Application will need to work closely with the host faculty member and the potential visiting scholar to gather all the necessary information and documentation.

Note: A visiting scholar does not have permission to come to the U.S. until Export Control and the Office of International Student Services has approved the information and all documentation received.

All UA Little Rock faculty intending to bring a visiting scholar to campus must review these requirements and responsibilities prior to extending an invitation to a visiting scholar. They are also encouraged to visit the Office of International Student Services website for more information about the exchange visiting scholar requirements.

The attestations and statements included in the application are considered official and binding; it is the responsibility of the UA Little Rock personnel completing the application to make all relevant parties aware of them.

After a visiting scholar has been approved and comes to the United States, he or she will work continually with the hosting faculty member and the Office of International Student Services to meet federal and institutional requirements during the duration of the visiting scholar’s visit. Please visit the Office of International Student Services website for more information about the requirements and responsibilities placed on the visiting scholar after he or she arrives.

Application Requirements

The university assumes the responsibility of some magnitude for undertaking visa sponsorship for an international scholar in the J visa category. Please provide complete and accurate information about the prospective visiting scholar, the purpose and goals of the visit, and his/her funding. UA Little Rock, in turn, is responsible for guaranteeing this information to the U.S. government.

By agreeing to host the visiting scholar, departments agree to provide a workspace and support to him/her for the duration of their visit. It is the responsibility of the hosting faculty member to communicate all UA Little Rock requirements and policies to the visiting scholar during both the application process and their visit to UA Little Rock.

The hosting faculty member must be a full-time faculty member (not adjunct faculty). In addition, the hosting faculty must be physically present for the duration of the visiting scholar’s activity at UA Little Rock, except for short, reasonable absences of time during which an on-campus designee will be responsible.

All visiting scholars in a UA Little Rock J program must have at least a bachelor’s degree equivalent. Additional requirements for exchange visiting scholars are listed on the Office of International Student Services website.

At any point in the application process, Export Control and/or the Office of International Student Services may disapprove or delay the scholar’s application in order to comply with federal and university regulations. Completing the application process does not guarantee the approval of the visiting scholar’s visit.

Financial Support and Responsibility

The visiting scholar must provide documentation in English and sufficient funding to cover the living expenses of the visitor (and any and all dependents) for the time he/she is here. This documentation is due when the Immigration Review Application is submitted.

The estimated minimum amounts needed to cover living expenses are as follows:

• $16,000.00 / year for visitor (or $1,400.00 per month)
• $5,000.00 / year for the visitor’s spouse (or $420.00 per month)
• $4,500.00 / year per child (or $375.00 per month)

Note: If the department is hiring the visitor, be aware that the visitor CANNOT be put into student job classifications. Visiting scholars in the J Visa program cannot be teaching assistants or research assistants and cannot be a candidate for a tenure track
position.

Health Insurance

Visiting scholars and their dependents must be covered by sickness and accident insurance for the duration of their stay in the United States. Failure to purchase such insurance coverage set forth in an exchange visitor program or make material misrepresentations to the sponsor concerning such coverage will be deemed to be in violation of these regulations and will be subject to termination from the Exchange Visitor Program. These United States Department of State (DOS) regulations are published in the Code of Federal Regulations [22 CFR 62.14(4)(i)].

For more information about the health insurance requirement, please visit the Office of International Student Services website.

Dependents

Visiting scholars may bring their spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21 to the U.S.  Dependents are issued J-2 visas and are subject to the regulations of the Exchange Visiting Scholar Program. They may arrive with the visiting scholar or join him/her at a later time.

Visiting scholars are permitted to bring dependents to the U.S. only if financial resources are adequate for their support.  Each dependent must have health insurance coverage while in the U.S. that meets the minimum standards established for all F and J visa holders studying at UA Little Rock.

Once dependents arrive in the U.S., they may apply to the U.S. Citizenship and Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for employment authorization. This application process usually takes several months, and the Office of International Student Services will provide the necessary forms. Applicants must clearly demonstrate that the income earned will not be for the support of the visiting international scholar.

If the visiting scholar leaves the U.S., his/her dependents no longer have valid immigration status within the U.S.

English Language Proficiency

All visiting scholars from countries where English is not the official language must provide proof of English proficiency.

English proficiency implies that the visitor is able to do the following:

• Perform research/internship program activities, including teaching and collaborating with English speakers
• Navigate daily life in the U.S. alone (i.e., grocery shopping, renting an apartment, etc.)
• Read and comprehend information related to maintaining good standing in the J program (immigration requirements, etc.)
• Understand fully his/her rights, responsibilities, and protections in the United States
• Know how to seek help if necessary

To verify this proficiency, the UA Little Rock host must submit one of the following for the international scholar as part of the Immigration Review application:

• TOEFL or IELTS scores
• Proof of attendance for two or more years at a U.S. school
• Two completed English Language Proficiency Assessments, conducted and filled out by two different UA Little Rock faculty or staff members