International Scholars

Eligibility

In order to be considered for a J-1 Scholar position, the visitor must:

• Be sponsored by a Radford University University faculty member/department.
• Have an equivalent of at least a U.S. Bachelor's degree.
• Demonstrate English proficiency skills via a standardized test (ex: TOEFL, IELTS, etc.) or an interview.
• Enroll in Radford University's International Health Insurance Plan managed by CISI.
• Provide proof of sufficient funding to cover estimated living expenses for themselves as well as any dependents during their stay.

Related Information

• J-1 Scholars are temporary positions and cannot exceed 5 years.
• J-1 Scholars cannot be tenure-track.
• May be subject to a re-entry bar for 12 or 24 months. 
• Although highly discouraged, the J-1 Scholar may only work remotely up to 40% of their time during their time at Radford University (2 out of 5 days per week).

Academic Department Steps

To request a J-1 Scholar, the academic department must:

• Complete the J-1 Scholar Request Form. During this online request process, please indicate the correct category you are requesting:
  • Research Scholars: Will primarily conduct research but may also teach.
    (Maximum duration: 5 years)
  • Professors: Will primarily teach but may also conduct research.
    (Maximum duration: 5 years)
  • Short Term Scholars: May engage in research or teaching.
    (Maximum duration: 6 months)
• Submit a memo from the Dean of the collegeauthorizing the invitation of the J-1 Scholar to globaled@radford.edu

J-1 Scholar Visitor Steps

The J-1 Scholar will need to complete the J-1 Scholar Visitor Form and submit the following documents within the form: 

1. 1. Copy of the biographical page of the passport (and any dependents).
   2. Curriculum Vitae.
   3. Bank Statement
      1. USD $1,500 per month for the J-1 Scholar.
      2. USD $1,000 per month for each dependent.
      3. All financial documents must be in English or accompanied by a certified translation.
      4. Bank statement(s) must clearly state the name of the bank, name of the account holder, currency, date, and available balance. 

Health Insurance

In accordance to U.S. regulations, all J-1 Scholars and their dependents are required to enroll in health insurance. As such, Radford University will enroll all J-1 Scholars and their dependents in the Radford University International Health Insurance Plan managed by CISI. This is mandatory and cannot be waived. The cost of the insurance is the responsibility of the J-1 Scholar, or it may be paid by the Academic Department. 

Orientation

In accordance to U.S. regulations, all J-1 Scholars are required to participate in an orientation. The date and time of the orientation will be agreed upon between the J-1 Scholar and the McGlothlin Center for Global Education and Engagement. Dependents are not required to participate in the orientation but are welcome to attend if desired.

Taxes and Social Security Numbers

If the J-1 Scholar will receive any type of monetary compensation from Radford University, they will need to apply for a Social Security number. The McGlothlin Center for Global Education and Engagement will provide guidance on this process. Furthermore, all J-1 Scholars and their dependents are required to file taxes every year they spend in the United States, regardless if they earned monetary compensation or not. 

J-1 Scholar Visitors and their dependents who have previously spent time in the U.S. in a J-1 status may be ineligible to return to the U.S. as a Research Scholar or Professor under the 12- and 24-month bars on repeat participation. These bars do not apply to Short-Term Scholars.

The 12- and 24-month bars only apply to individuals who wish to begin a new J-1 program under the Research Scholar or Professor categories.  It is not possible to get a waiver for the 12 or 24 month bar but the foreign national may wait the required amount of time anywhere.  The 12 and 24 month bars are different from the 2 year home residency bar. 

12-Month Bar

The 12-month bar states that a foreign national is not eligible for a J-1 program as a Research Scholar or Professor if they have been physically present in the United States  under any J status for all or part of the twelve-month period immediately preceding the start date on the DS-2019. There are four exceptions to this rule:

1. J-1 Transfers: The 12-month bar does not apply for foreign national  transferring to another institution in the U.S. to continue a current J-1 program.
2. Presence in J-status for less than 6 months:  The 12-month bar does not apply if the duration of foreign national’s prior physical presence in the U.S. while in J status was less than 6 months.
3. Short Term Scholars: The 12 month bar does not apply to the foreign nationals who were previously in the U.S. as a Short-Term Scholar.
4. 24-month bar: The 12-month bar does not apply if a person is already subject to the 24 month bar.

24-Month Bar

The 24-month bar is applied to those J-1 Scholars who participated (for a few months or as long as 5 years duration) or completed a J-1 program as a Research Scholar or Professor. This bar makes those J-1 Scholars ineligible to participate in a J-1 program as a Research Scholar or Professor again for a period of two years following the end date of such program participation as identified in their DS-2019.  This bar does not affect eligibility to apply to other J-1 categories ,such as Short Term Scholar, nor does it prevent a foreign national from returning to the U.S. under any other visa status.

The 2-year home residency requirement applies to foreign nationals in J-1 status and their dependents if:

• The foreign national’s J-1 program was fully or partially funded by a government agency in the U.S. or visitor's home government.
• The foreign national’s J-1 program's field is included in the U.S. Department of State "Skills List" for that foreign national's home country.
• The foreign national came to the U.S. under a a J-1 visa to receive graduate medical education or training.

If a J-1 Scholar is unsure if they are subject to the 2-year home residency requirement, they can request an advisory opinion with the U.S. Department of State to determine whether the requirement applies. 

Restrictions of the 2-Year Home Residency Bar

If a foreign national is subject to the 2-year home residency bar, they become ineligible to apply for employment visas (such as H-1, L-1, permanent residency, etc.) or apply for a change of status to any visa category in the U.S. until they fulfill the requirement or obtain a waiver.

Fulfilling the Requirement

One way to remove the restrictions is to fulfill the bar’s requirements by residing in one’s home country for a period of two years following the end of the J-1 program.  Furthermore, the requirement can be fulfilled over the course of several years as long as the foreign national accumulates at least 2 years total.

Obtaining a Waiver

To apply for a waiver, please visit the U.S. Department of State's waiver page. Please note that it is not possible to process a J-1 Scholar program extension after submitting a waiver application. Traveling is also difficult, so planning ahead is essential.