Communication with Campus Constituencies
Communicating with campus departments, scholars, other A/ROs about the J
5-Year Rule and, especially, the 2-year bar on repeat participation as a
Research Scholar/Professor (RS/P) may present a challenge.
It is important to communicate accurate information about the restrictions
related to this J-1 category, both to scholars and to the host departments, at
key points, before they make important decisions.
Communication with departments can include memos or training as soon as
possible about the change in the rules, as well as updating information in
handouts and on websites about the various J-1 categories and the rules
attached to them.
Some institutions choose to provide very detailed
information to host departments, so they can choose the best J-1 category
for a visitor.
Other institutions prefer to collect as much information as
possible from a department about a prospective scholar and department
plans, and then the A/RO chooses the best category. In both cases, it may
be appropriate for the A/RO to ask more questions of the department and
make suggestions of alternative categories before issuing the DS-2019.
Communication with scholars should probably take place at three important
times (as well as providing informative handouts and websites). Scholars in
the RS/P category should receive information about the two-year bar on
repeat participation 1) before they travel to the U.S., 2) when they first
arrive (in orientation), and 3) at the end of their visit at your institution. This
will enable them to participate in the choices that will affect their ability to
return to the U.S.
Thanks to the generosity of many of our colleagues across the U.S., a
toolbox follows with materials that you may use and modify to fit your office
and your institution best.
Websites
These websites communicate the new J rule to departments, scholars, and
anyone else who may be interested.
University of Washington-Seattle:
http://depts.washington.edu/uwiso/faculty/12monthbar.shtml
Yale:
http://www.oiss.yale.edu/visa/j5year.htm
Indiana University Bloomington:

http://www.indiana.edu/~intlserv/Content/Faculty__Staff_and_Visitors
/J-1_Status/index.php
PowerPoint presentations
PowerPoint presentations can easily be modified to allow you to speak to
different constituencies on campus. Here are a few examples.
Michigan State University:
http://www.oiss.msu.edu/documents/scholars/ScholarVisaUpdates.ppt
(for campus departments)
Carnegie Mellon:

Changes to J Scholar Regulations (for campus departments) [URL –
CM-changes to J regs-departments]

Changes to J Scholar Regulations (for scholars) [URL – CM-changes to
J regs -scholars]
Memos
Memos for scholars, departments and faculty sponsors are particularly useful
in order to describe a change in policy or new strategies for departments to
consider:
University of Pittsburgh (for departments/faculty)

[URL - Pitt_scholar decision matrix]
(also includes a chart with alternatives to RS/P)
University of Pennsylvania (for departments)

[LURL – Penn_5yr instructions]
Louisiana State University (for scholars)

[URL – LSU-Regulations Unique]

[URL – LSU-FAQ]
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center:

[URL – UTHSC-J rule memo]
Ohio State University

[URL
-
http://www.oie.ohio-state.edu/internationalscholars/New5-
YearRuleforJ-1ResearchersandProfessors.pdf]
Charts
Charts that summarize regulatory information can be very helpful for A/ROs,
scholars and the campus community in “seeing” the consequences of the
various choices:
Michigan State University:
http://www.oiss.msu.edu/documents/scholars/J-1_Restriction_table.pdf
Ohio State University:

[URL – OSU-Program participation restrictions]
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville:

[UTK-When May I Return]
E-mails
E-mail communication is useful, since many people find it easier to grasp
information in written form, and it is easy to save a template as either a
signature file in your e-mail program or a word processing document you can
copy and paste into an e-mail.
Carnegie Mellon:

E-mail to Department Contacts when requesting RS/P category for
short-term program [URL - CM-email template]
Letters
Developing form letters for scholars, in particular, is important, because it
ensures that you send the same information to all scholars without having to
remember to do this each time.
Below is suggested language about the 2-year bar on repeat participation,
which can be pasted into your own form letter for new exchange visitors:
With the approval of your academic department, your permission to stay in the
United States may be extended, provided there is still funding for your program.
It will not, however, be possible to extend your J-1 program beyond five years.
After completing your J-1 program, you may be required to leave the U.S.
for two years before you would be eligible for another J-1 visa, for an H-1B
(working) visa or for Permanent Resident status in the U.S. In many cases,
these two years must be spent in your home country. If you have any questions
or concerns about these regulations, we urge you to contact us before you come to
the U.S.
We encourage you to read the information regarding the 212(e) 2-year home
residency requirement as well as the 2-year bar on repeat participation as a
Research Scholar/Professor posted on our website: [URL here]
And here is a form letter for exchange visitors whose program is ending,
warning them about the 2-year bar on repeat participation:

[URL - J Expiration Reminder]