J-1 status is appropriate for visiting researchers and professors coming to Illinois Tech for short to medium durations of time. Those on J-1 status are called J-1 Exchange Visitors.  The Department of State created the J-1 Exchange Visitor category to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchanges.”

Host Department and Supporting Documents

The Illinois Tech host department collects information from the prospective J-1 visitor, accepts them into the university and creates a sponsorship request within the ISSS Portal. Once the scholar gains access to the portal from the Office of Global Services, the scholar will submit all required documents and inform the host department once completed. The department will submit the immigration request to OGS for review and a DS-2019 is produced for the individual.

Learn how to navigate and use the ISSS Portal by watching our recording for scholars: https://tinyurl.com/ISSS-ScholarDemo

Funding

J-1 Exchange Visitors may receive a salary or stipend from various parties. They can receive funding from Illinois Tech, the government, private organizations, their current place of employment (outside the U.S.), or personal funds. The funding must meet the current living expense requirements. This requirement is currently $1,430/month or $17,160/year and does not include the cost of dependents or health care costs.

Health Insurance

According to J-1 Department of State regulations, all Exchange Visitors must maintain sufficient health insurance during the duration of their J-1 status.

J-1 Scholar Categories

Within the J-1 status there are several J-1 scholar categories.  Each category has its own requirements and restrictions. OGS will work with the departments to determine what category best fits the program. J-1 scholars are not eligible for tenure-track positions.