Fulbright Pre-Departure
What are you getting yourself into?
Agenda
• Program history and overview
• Administrator roles – Commission, IIE/CIES, US
Department of State
• Your role – including responsibilities
• Visas – applying, traveling, knowing
• US logistics Q&A
Program History
• Senator J. William Fulbright
• Over 150 participating countries
• Fulbright programs include:
– US & Foreign Student Programs
– US & Foreign Scholar Programs
– Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants Program
• Over 1,800 new Foreign Fulbright grants awarded
annually
Program Goals
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Cultural exchange
Academic development
Leadership development
Personal development
Professional development
Promote mutual understanding between people of the
U.S. and those of other countries
Still Need documents from
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BE/LU Scholars
Thomas Gernay (tgernay@gmail.com): signed terms
Anastassia Vorobieva (anastassia.vorobieva@uclouvain.be): medical form
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BE/LU Students
Alexandre Hublet (frederic.helsen@law.kuleuven.be): funding source
Julie Lemmens (julie.lemmens@hotmail.com): IIE terms (just re-sent today on request)
Frederik Soetaert (frederiksoetaert@gmail.com): both terms
Nicolas Vanderstappen (nicolas.vanderstappen@gmail.com): medical form, both terms,
funding proof
Program Details
• MONEY – director@fulbright.be,
accountant@fulbright.be
• Paperwork and details – fulbright@fulbright.be
• Experiences – Gateway and Enrichment seminars,
Occassional Lecturer Fund, Academic Training –
IIE/CIES program officer
• Sharing your experience –
fulbrightbe@gmail.com
www.faab.be
https://alumni.state.gov
Commission History
• 1948- Commission opens
• 1968 and 1990- Begin to manage programs for
citizens of Luxembourg and all 28 EU member
states, too
• 2014- 2,014 American grants and 2,548
Belgian grants administered
Role of IIE & CIES
• Issue your visa paperwork
• Act as your primary contact for all of your personal, academic
and immigration concerns while in the US
• Confirm your legal status in the U.S. with USCIS
• Travel-validate your DS-2019
• Monitor your academic progress
• Review requests for work authorization, extensions, 2-year
requirement waivers, etc.
Our Staff
Role of the Commission
• Issue your Terms of Award and collect your
visa paperwork
• Prepare you for departure
• Administer grant payments
• Engage you in our alumni network
• Advocate for more educational exchange –
interviews and blogs
Responsibilities
• Timely submission of your paperwork
• Return the bank and contact details form upon
arrival
• Let us know when you´ll be leaving the country
• Write occassional blog posts
• Submit mid- and end-year reports
• Be active alumni!
Communication is key!
Visa Application Process
1. Receive your DS-2019 and review the start and
end dates for accuracy
2. Make an appointment according to the
instructions we’ll send you with fee waivers
3. Attend the appointment with your DS-2019,
passport, passport photos, proof of financial
support
4. Pick up your visa and passport in 1-2 days!
Arrival at U.S. Port of Entry
• You may not arrive EARLIER THAN 30 DAYS BEFORE THE START DATE listed on
your DS-2019
• Upon arrival at the port of entry, you must check in at one of the
Department of Homeland Security stations. You must carry your:
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Valid Passport
SEVIS Form DS-2019
Evidence of financial resources
J-1 Visa – make sure the CBP officer notes this!
• Your visit will generate an electronic I-94 form
• Allow 3 hours for this process before any connecting flights
J-Visa Requirements
 Alert your IIE Student Services officer of any travel
outside the U.S.
 Register full-time for each term and provide proof of
full-time enrollment which can be requested from
the university registrar’s office.
 Request work authorization and approval before you
can accept any on-campus or off-campus position.
 2-year home country post-grant requirement
Work Authorization
• The primary purpose of your participation in the Fulbright
Program is to undertake your approved academic program –
not to seek employment.
You must check with your IIE Student Services contact
prior to seeking employment.
• Your Fulbright grant could be reduced by earned income.
• J-1 regulations limits work authorization to a maximum of 20
hours a week during the academic year and 40 hours a week
during summer and holidays.
Academic Training (AT)
• Academic Training is an opportunity to gain professional
experience in the U.S. that supplements the academic
experience.
• The Fulbright Program and your specific country
program have specific policies concerning Academic
Training. To determine your eligibility for AT, please
consult with your IIE Student Services contact.
• AT can take place during your studies or immediately
following your studies.
Visa Extensions, Transfers, and Waivers
• Happens in the spring
• Responsible for your own proof of funding
• Students up to 3-5 years (depending on
degree); scholars, nearly impossible
• Instructions on IIE/CIES website
• Alumni advice on blog
J-2 Dependents
• Eligibility: Your spouse and children under the age of
21 may be eligible to apply for J-2 visas depending on
country policy
• Funding: You must have additional resources to
provide for members of your family (Fulbright grant
funds are intended for the recipient only). Please note
you will need to verify these funds EVERY year if your
grant is renewable.
• Planning: If you have been assigned to a pre-academic
program, your dependents cannot accompany you
J-2 Visa Status
• J-2 status is always subject to the J-1 status.
• J-2 dependents may not remain in the U.S. beyond the duration of the
program of the J-1.
• J-2 dependents may not remain in the U.S. if the J-1 leaves the country for
more than 1 month.
• J-2 dependents are also subject to the two-year Home Residency
Requirement.
• J-1must notify IIE of any changes related to J-2 such as health emergencies,
legal actions such as divorce or an arrest, or final departure from the U.S.
J-2 Requirements
• Submit proof of health insurance coverage to your IIE Services
officer upon arrival to the U.S.
• J-2 dependents are eligible to apply for work authorization after
arrival in the U.S. However, there is no guarantee the United
States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will issue
work authorization.
• IIE cannot provide assistance in this process, but can refer you the
following website: http://www.uscis.gov
Resources to KEEP
• Students: www.foreign.fulbrightonline.org
• Scholars: http://cies.org/grantees
Username:
Password:
• ASPE: http://usdos.sevencorners.com/
ASPE: Points to Know
• Certain network of providers –
check on website
• Maximum benefit per injury or
illness: $100,000
• Deductible/Co-pay amount per
injury or illness: $15
• Many U.S. universities require that
students enroll in their health
insurance plan because of state
laws or ASPE benefits not meeting
university requirements for
coverage
•Does not cover:
•Dependents
•Pre-existing conditions
•Coverage outside of the U.S.
•Alcohol/substance abuse
instances
•Dental; only up to $1,000 in
emergency event
•Vision issues
Important Items to Bring:
 Legal--passport, DS-2019, copy of birth certificate, driver’s
license
 Medical--immunization & medical records, prescriptions, copy
of Fulbright medical report
 Academic--Fulbright Terms of Appointment, admission letter,
official diplomas/transcripts
 Contacts—important telephone numbers, addresses of
contacts in your home country, IIE and your U.S. university
US Logistics Q&A
• EmmelieWijckmans– Arranging logistics
• Michiel Van Roey– Encountering cultural
differences
• Clara Vandeweerdt– US academic life
Arranging Logistics
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Health insurance
Cell phone plans
Transportation
Bank accounts
SSN or ITIN
Housing
Les Salons de Borgerhout: Young Fulbright Alumni.
Alumni Engagement
Innovation Fund finalist.
“An interactive knowledge and
communication platform, which brings
together current and young leaders
from the arts to the alpha sciences, to
promote knowledge spillovers and to
create a strong impact on societal
change.”
Vigjilenca Abazi (Fulbright The Netherlands, Harvard Law)
Hanna Bourgeois (Fulbright Belgium, Harvard Law)
Didier
Caluwaert (Fulbright Belgium, Harvard Law)
Khaled Hamadeh(FulbrightLebanon, GeorgiaTech International Relations)
Georg
Pohl
(FulbrightGermany, Columbia Physics)
Kristaq Profkola (FulbrightAlbania, Chicago Law)
Glenn
Magerman (Fulbright Belgium, Stanford Economics) –Projectleader
Encountering
Cultural
Differences
US Academic Life
Questions?
www.facebook.com/Fulbright.Belgium
@FulbrightBE
www.youtube.com/fulbrightbe
Fulbright Belgium
Connect with us!