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SERVICES OFFERED TO VISITING SCHOLARS, RESEARCHERS OR PHYSICIANSThe Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS) provides services and programs for international scholars at Washington University (WU). On behalf of the university, the OISS acts as liaison with U.S. government agencies concerning visa and immigration matters for all international scholars at WU. The OISS advises departments on the various visa application procedures necessary to bring an international scholar to WU. After their arrival in the U.S., the OISS assists scholars and accompanying family members with settling in, employment permission, validating their arrival with immigration, maintaining their visa status, and many other concerns. As the only WU resource knowledgeable in current immigration and visa regulations, it is imperative that prospective international visiting scholars, researchers, physicians, and their departments consult only with the OISS scholar advising staff on these issues. The OISS staff makes every effort to accommodate emergency situations. However, it is important to remember that usually the earlier an application is begun, the less chance there is that a department and a prospective scholar will be disappointed by a delayed employment start date. Four months is not too early to begin any type of visa application. Who is the international scholar?Throughout the U.S., an international scholar is usually considered to be an individual not enrolled in a formal degree program, who holds a temporary, non-immigrant visa, and who engages in scholarly activities including teaching, research, and/or training at a university, research institute, or hospital. At WU, international scholars may be faculty members, research associates, postdoctoral research fellows, visiting scholars, or physicians. What responsibility does WU bear in bringing international scholars to the U.S.?First, the sponsoring department must make the appropriate arrangements for an individual’s university appointment. If the appointment is a non-salaried one, the department should confirm that sufficient funding is available for the scholar. Please bear in mind that not all visa types allow for unpaid positions. Secondly, the department needs to consult the OISS in a timely manner to begin the initial paperwork necessary for processing a document or petition for a particular type of visa. The department and the prospective international employee must remember that the turn around time for some visas may be as short as 10 working days or as long as 6 months. The link below provides information on immigration issues pertaining to the various visa types handled by the OISS as well as helpful government websites. Immigration information for International students and scholarsThe following section links briefly describe the various visa types for which the OISS offers advice, issues visa documents, and processes petitions to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).
J-1 Exchange Visitor
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