Instructions for Requesting Documents for a J Exchange Visitor Using issLink

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• Instructions for Requesting Documents for a J Exchange Visitor Using issLink

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What is ISSLink?

ISSLink is a web browser based interface that allows users to electronically submit data to the International Students & Scholars Office’s online database. This eliminates the need for paper forms and ensures that only accurate, relevant information is added to our database.

Among other purposes, ISSLink allows departments to submit applications for J-1 scholars and perform functions regarding H-1B employees, and it provides scholars the ability to access and update their information as needed.

Using ISSLink, it is easy and straightforward to submit eForms for review by ISS staff. This documentation seeks to explain this paperless process to J-1 scholars and associated departments.

How to Get Started:

Requesting Department Level Access

For ISSLink departmental users (i.e., hosting faculty, administrative staff, etc.), the first step in using ISSLink is to request department level access. If you are already an authorized ISSLink user, skip to the section, “Adding a Scholar to ISSLink.”

1. Navigate to http://isslink.uark.edu
2. Click on “Login” (see Figure 1):

3. This will bring up the login screen (see Figure 2):

   

   Figure 2

4. Enter your UARK username and password and select “Next”.
5. Once you have successfully logged in to ISSLink you will see a page similar to Figure 3, and then Figure 4 once "Department" is selected and the "Request Account" button clicked. The Access Request screen is what you will need to complete in order to be granted access to ISSLink.

   

   Figure 3

   

   Figure 4

6. Complete this request screen using your UARK log-in information, selecting “Department” as the type of user log in. On the following Department Access Request Form (see figure 4 above), and fill in the name of your department, that your campus is “University of Arkansas” and other required information. If your submission is successful, you will see a line declaring “Access Pending" and you will be emailed when it is approved and then you'll have access to begin submitting departmental requests at the top of the page.
7. Select the “logout of ISSLink” button. Your request is being processed by the ISS Office and you will receive an email when access is granted.

Adding a Scholar to ISSLink

Once you receive departmental access to ISSLink you are ready to request Form DS-2019 to invite a J-1 scholar in ISSLink. If the visitor has never been to UARK before, you first add the scholar/applicant that you wish to invite into the ISSLink database.

What Do I Need?

• To submit your J-1 request you will need the following information at hand:
• Your department’s invitation letter to the prospective visitor.
• Your prospective visitor’s full name (preferably from their passport).
• Your prospective visitor’s date-of-birth.
• Your prospective visitor’s email address.
• The source and amount of your prospective visitor’s financial support/funding.
• Proof of your prospective visitor’s English proficiency.
  • As of January, 2015, the U.S. Department of State requires all J-1 exchange visitors including short-term scholars, research scholars, professors, specialists, and student interns to possess sufficient English proficiency “successfully to participate in his or her program and to function on a day-to-day basis” [22 CFR 62.10 (a)(2)].
  • Faculty at the University of Arkansas wishing to host a J-1 exchange visitor in their department must verify an applicant’s English language proficiency through at least one of the following means:
    • A recognized English language test (i.e. TOEFL, IELTS, etc.)
    • Signed documentation from an academic institution or English language school
    • A documented interview conducted by the sponsor either in person or by videoconferencing, or by telephone if videoconferencing is not a viable option
  • If conducting an interview to assess English proficiency for a prospective J-1 exchange visitor, departments must complete an assessment report and submit the completed report to International Students and Scholars as part of the J-1 request (a minimum of two interviewers are required; each interviewer must complete an assessment sheet).

If you do not have all of these items already at hand you can still begin working on the J-1 request process in ISSLink (you may submit certain forms and save others as drafts); however, you will not be able to complete the process until you have entered all of the required information.

Beginning The Request Process

1. Expand the Departmental Services menu if it is not already expanded.
2. Select “Add New Person” (see Figure 5).

   

   Figure 5

3. Complete the information.
   • The email address does not have to be an official university address.
   • If you do not know the birth date of the individual you are adding, enter a noticeably fake birth date, such as January 1, 2000. You will be able to adjust this information at a later time, or allow the applicant access to make changes on his/her own. Be certain to tell the visitor what birth date you have entered as he/she must use that date to access ISSLink and make changes.
   • The “institutional university ID” refers to a UARK ID number. If the individual has been issued one, you will be asked to enter that number. If you select “no”, ISSLink will assign a temporary ID number starting with “TEMP” to the record.
   • The “network ID” refers to the UARK Network Username (the text before his or her @uark.edu email address).
4. Select “Add New Person”.

After adding a new person to the ISSLink database, the system will display a page entitled “Work on an Application” menu that lists the e-forms you can submit for this case (see Figure 6).

Figure 6

You can also access "My Current Cases," "My Department's Current Cases" and "My Department's Employees & Scholars" when you log-in to ISSLink, and then click "Departmental Services" to then find a list that contains the scholar you wish to submit an application for.

To request a DS-2019, select the name of the individual and then select “J-1 Scholar Application” (see Figure 7). The “My Current Cases” list contains applications submitted in the last 90 days.

Figure 7

Clicking on a name of one of these cases will show a list of applications available for that case (see Figure 8).

J-1 Application For A New Exchange Visitor (DS-2019)

At this point you will be on the main page for the J-1 application. Proceed through each of the following sections: providing information as prompted.

Completing the Application

The following section will give you further instruction and helpful tips regarding the completion of each section of the J-1 DS-2019 application. Please see the “What Do I Need?” section above for a complete list of the information you will be asked to provide. 

Giving The Client Access

• As part of the request process you will grant access to your prospective visitor so they can view and complete certain sections of the application. To do this, click the underlined portion of the section entitled, “J-1 Applicant Information.” The section will open and display a link at the top of the page entitled “Give the client access to complete this section.” You will be prompted to enter the visitor’s email address and click on the “send e-mail” box. The visitor will receive an e-mail message with a link to the section, instructing him/her to enter immigration history, biographical and occupational history, and information regarding dependents. You will be notified via email of all changes made by the visitor and will be able to monitor their responses.
• Click on the “Main Page” link at the top of the page, that also has their university I.D. and name, to then navigate back to the application's group of e-forms.

J-1 Applicant Information

Add New Dependents

• This section is optional, as many J-1 scholars choose to travel without dependents. However, this section must be completed if any dependents will accompany the scholar to the United States. A separate dependent form should be filed for each dependent accompanying the scholar; therefore: this page may be completed multiple times.

J-1 Program Information

•  “Exchange Visitor Category”: select the type of J-1 that corresponds to the purpose of the visit.

The University of Arkansas is authorized to host visitors only in the following categories:

• Professor: primary duty is teaching, requires at least a BS degree, maximum 5 year stay
• Research Scholar: primary duty is research, requires at least a BS degree, maximum 5 year stay
• Short-Term Scholar: collaboration or observation, requires at least a BS degree, 6 month maximum stay
• Specialist: expert exhibiting special skills, 1 year maximum stay
• Student Intern: for visiting students who will remain enrolled at their home institution while at the University of Arkansas, maximum 1 year stay

Two-Year Bar for Repeat Participation as a J-1 Research Scholar and J-1 Professor: Exchange visitors who enter the U.S. as a professor or research scholar are not eligible for participation as a professor or research scholar for a period of two years following the end date of the J program.

One-Year Bar for Return as J-1 Research Scholar of J-1 Professor: If an individual was in the U.S. in J status (J-1 or J-2) for six months or longer, and departed from the U.S. after completing his/her program, he/she may not return to the U.S. as a J-1 Research Scholar or Professor until twelve months from the date he/she departed the U.S.

This bar applies to all categories of the J program.

• The Program Start Date is the date on which you wish the visitor to begin his/her activity at the University of Arkansas (J-1s are permitted to enter the U.S. up to 30 days in advance of the Program Start Date).
• Use for the Program End Date the date on which the visitor will finish his/her activity at the University of Arkansas. (J-1s may remain as visitors in the U.S. for 30 days after the Program End Date, but cannot conduct professional activities or engage in employment during this “grace period.”)

J-1 Financial Information

• For a single visiting scholar, the University of Arkansas requires funding to cover living expenses plus medical insurance. Enter funding as a total amount over the entire period of the J-1 program. Minimum required funding amounts are reflected in the J-1 application in ISSLink.
• Funding information provided on this page must also cover the expenses of both the scholar and dependents, if applicable.
• All funding from non-University of Arkansas sources must be in English and accompanied by documentation on an institutional letterhead. If personal funds, or other non- University of Arkansas sources, will be used to support the exchange visitor’s stay, a personal bank statement can be provided to show proof of the availability of funds (the visitor may upload these documents in the section they complete). Please note all personal funds must be liquid (i.e., no stocks, bonds, credit cards, etc.).
• If the scholar is to be paid on the University of Arkansas payroll, attach a copy of the offer letter.

Health Insurance Compliance

• U.S. Department of State and the University of Arkansas mandate health insurance meeting certain minimum requirements for all J-1 visiting scholars and their dependents.

Departmental J-1 Compiance Certification

• The information provided in this section corresponds to the head of the department that will host the visiting scholar. Once you enter and submit their contact information, they will receive an email asking them to review the submitted information and approve it. If they do not approve any of the submitted information, you may need to log back in to ISSLink and make corrections.
• This is the final step in completing the application. When the Department Head approves and submits this final section, ISS receives an alert and reviews the application. After review, ISS will notify you if any additional information or documents are needed. Once ISS has received all necessary documents and information: please allow up to ten business days for your request to be processed.

Shipping Documents to Your Visitor

• Once the DS-2019 has been issued, ISS will ship the visa document packet directly to your visitor using the billing method you provided in the request process.
• Upon shipment, ISS will upload a copy of the shipping label or airbill, which you may download for accounting purposes.

Glossary of Terms

Binational Commission

An educational and cultural commission established through an agreement between the United States and either a foreign government or an international organization, providing funding for students, scholars, teachers and professionals. The most common of these is The Fulbright Program.

Dependent(s)

A spouse or unmarried child (under the age of 21) of the J-1 Exchange Visitor. The J-1 Exchange Visitor may be eligible to apply for J-2 visa so that dependent(s) may reside in the United States during the J-1 scholar's program.

DS-2019

The Form DS-2019 or “Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status” is the basic document used in the administration of the exchange visitor program. This form permits a prospective exchange visitor to seek an interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate in order to obtain a J visa to enter the United States. The Form DS-2019 identifies the exchange visitor and their designated sponsor and provides a brief description of the exchange visitor’s program, including the start and end date, category of exchange, and an estimate of the cost of the exchange program. Read the detailed description of the Form DS-2019.

ISSLink

The online database on which the International Students and Scholars Office maintains records of all past and present international applicants, students, scholars, and employees.

J-1

The Exchange Visitor (J) non-immigrant category is for individuals approved to participate in work and study based exchange visitor programs, which enable foreign nationals to visit the United States in order to experience life in the US. Before individuals can apply at a US embassy or consulate for a J visa, they must first apply, meet the requirements, and be accepted to an exchange visitor program through a designated sponsor organization. The Bureau of Consular Affairs has additional information about the Exchange Visitor (J) visa. The International Students and Scholars Office manages Iowa State University’s J-1 Exchange Visitor Program.

J-2

The J-2 is a nonimmigrant status which allows the dependents (spouses and unmarried children under 21) of J-1 student visa holders to enter into the US.

Non-immigrant Status

Non-immigrant status is granted by USCIS when a foreign national arrives in the United States. The status matches the classification of visa the bearer has been granted by the U.S. Department of State, categorized according to the principal purpose for the visit. With few exceptions, while in the US, non-immigrants are restricted to the activity for which their visa was issued. Examples of non-immigrant statuses include J-1 (exchange student or scholar), F-1 (student), H-1B (temporary worker), etc. For more information, see Temporary Visitors to the U.S.

SEVIS

SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) is an Internet-based system that provides tracking and monitoring functionality, with access to accurate and current information on nonimmigrant students (F and M visa) and exchange visitors (J visa), and their dependents (F-2, M-2, and J-2). SEVIS enables schools and program sponsors to transmit required information and event notifications, via the Internet, to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Department of State throughout a student's or exchange visitor's stay in the United States. Read a detailed description of SEVIS.

SEVIS fee

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security assesses a fee to supplement federal government expenses incurred in the maintenance and administration of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). All J-1 exchange visitors applying for a J-1 visa from a US embassy or consulate abroad for initial participation in a J-1 exchange visitor program must pay this fee. J-2 dependents are exempt from the SEVIS fee.