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Hosting a visiting international scholar

Hosting a visiting international scholar is a mutual rewarding experience for everyone involved.

Hosting a visiting international scholar is a mutual rewarding experience for everyone involved. In addition, it can provide various advantages for your faculty, staff and students, such as:

Enhancing engagement and interest in international topics by sharing different cultural and technical perspectives.

Internationalizing the curriculum through the interaction with international faculty and cultural experiences.

Developing potential professional opportunities abroad for UW-Eau Claire faculty, staff and students.

The Center for International Education is excited to work with you as you welcome your international visiting scholar to UW –Eau Claire! The goal of the J visa program is to promote mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Please keep this in mind as you introduce your visiting scholar to your department, UW –Eau Claire, and the Eau Claire community. In addition to advising your visiting scholar on immigration and insurance issues, the Center of International Education will provide opportunities for your visiting scholar to connect with other visiting scholars on campus through monthly luncheons and field trips during the academic year. We have created a checklist to help you plan for your scholar's arrival.

Hosting Department Responsibilities:

Inviting a Scholar to Your Department

1.Complete Hosting Department application, Volunteer Letter, and ensure Scholar completes the scholar application requirements.

Volunteer Letter to be completed by department:
https://www.uwec.edu/CIE/divisions/services/scholars/upload/Volunteer-Letter-and-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Visiting Scholar Application Process:
https://www.uwec.edu/CIE/divisions/services/scholars/international-visiting-scholar-application-process.htm
Scholar Application Form:
https://www.uwec.edu/CIE/divisions/services/scholars/upload/2018-International-Scholar-Application-Instrustion-Form.pdf
Appoint departmental counterpart to be responsible for the scholar while the scholar is at UW - Eau Claire (including making the following arrangements). The departmental counterpart may also be the chair.
Once all departmental and scholar application materials are complete. The host department packet will be forwarded to Human Resources for a letter of appointment to be signed by the Provost.
After receipt of the signed letter of appointment, immigration documents will be issued and acceptance packet will be sent.
Before the visiting scholar arrives, the hosting department should make the following arrangements:

Arrange housing and furnishings for the scholar (include dependents).Arrange office space and computer access
No on-campus housing is available.
Off campus housing resources are available at:
UW-Eau Claire Housing &Residence Life off-campus resources:
http://www.uwec.edu/housing/Services/OffCampus/index.htm
Chippewa Valley Rental Connection:
http://www.apartmentconnextion.com/ecm/p-ecm/ecm-east-1.htm
Arrange office space and computer access for the scholar (the host department is responsible for picking up the scholar)
Schedule a one-hour Immigration Registration &Health Insurance meeting for the scholar (and all dependents) to meet with CIE within the first week of arrival. Call 715-836-4411 to make the appointment.
Send CIE flight information for the scholar. The hosting department is responsible for pick up and transportation
Send CIE the physical address of where the scholar will be living in the United States and every physical address change so she can report to the U.S. Department of State.
When the visiting scholar arrives, the hosting department should make the following arrangements:

Airport pick up, transportation, settling-in, and move in assistance for the first few days
Assist the scholar and dependents in arranging accommodations and obtaining furnishings for their accommodations
Provide orientation to UW-Eau Claire campus, the Eau Claire community, and your department
Make official introduction(s) at departmental meetings and invite the scholar to attend departmental meetings and activities
Assist scholar in obtaining a Blugold Card
Assist scholar in setting up UWEC email account
Assist scholar in setting up bank account
Ensure that the scholar completes the criminal background check online form upon arrival;CIE will initiate the background check
Send CIE the physical address of where the scholar will be living in the United States and every physical address change so she can report to the U.S. Department of State
Work with the scholar in providing a public presentation to share his/her topic of interest with the UW –Eau Claire community and publicize the event.
Direct visiting scholar to the Immigration Registration &Health Insurance meeting with Jodi Simek at the Center for International Education. Scholar and all dependents must bring:
Passport
Visa
DS-2019
I-94
Check to pay for UW System Health Insurance Premium
Check to pay for UW Eau Claire Scholar Fee
$500 per scholar per semester (6 months and less is considered one semester; 6 - 12 months is two semesters)
$250 per dependent per semester
Work with the scholar in providing a public presentation to share his/her topic of interest with the UW –Eau Claire community and publicize the event.
After the scholar has:

Paid all fees
Successful completed criminal background check
Been registered with the US Department of Homeland Security / US Department of State
The hosting department will receive a $250 per semester (6 months or less is considered one semester) hosting stipend to offset costs of hosting the scholar (per scholar).

Center for International Education Responsibilities:

Determine scholar eligibility with J visa requirements
Review J visa required materials submitted by the scholar
Issues immigration documents (DS-2019)
Send acceptance packet to scholar
Provide immigration orientation session soon after the scholar arrives (as required by J visa program)
Validates the scholar and dependents with the US Department of State
Provides J visa immigration advising to the scholar and hosting department
Arranges monthly luncheons and periodic field trips for scholars
Enroll the scholar and dependents in UW System required accident and health insurance (scholar pays this fee)
Initiate UW –Eau Claire required criminal background check

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