Visiting Professor

What is a Visiting Professor?

A foreign national whose primary purpose is to teach, lecture, observe, or consult at Eastern Michigan University. A professor may also conduct research along with their teaching responsibilities.

Eligibility

  • The prospective J-1 Professor must have previous education, experience, and background with the subject that they will be asked to teach
  • Meet the minimum English language requirement, all exchange visitors must complete an oral interview with the ESL Department ([email protected]) or submit an English test score that at least meets the graduate school minimum 
  • Show enough financial funding to cover their time while teaching in the program. 
    • Minimum $25,000 a year or $2,100 per month if program length is less than a year
    • If the department will provide funding, they will need to provide the details and amount of the funding on a letter, signed by the department head, and written on official letterhead
    • If the professor will be accompanied by any dependents they will need to show additional funding in the form of $10,000 for spouses, and $7,000 for each child
  • The professor has approval from the faculty sponsor, Department Head, Dean, Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research, and the Provost to engage in the program
  • Professor enrolls in proper health insurance coverage

Documents Required to Apply

  • Invitation Letter from the host department written on department letterhead - must include details of the teaching duties
  • Resume/CV of the visiting professor
  • Completed and signed Academic Campus Visitor Form
  • Passport Picture Page (plus dependents if applicable)
  • Proof of Funding (see Proof of Financial Resources Page)
  • ESL Oral Interview Report or English Language Test Results 
  • Fill out and submit the J-1 Scholar/Student Intern Request Form

Participation Lengths and Extensions

 A visiting professor can participate in the Exchange Visitor Program for a minimum of 3 weeks, but no more than 5 years per the EV program regulations. Both the department and the exchange visitor should carefully monitor the amount of time needed to complete the required teaching. 

Extensions may be granted provided the department and exchange visitor properly report the need for an extension to our office at least 3 weeks prior to the end date on the DS-2019. Extensions beyond 5 years are not possible and will not be granted. If an extension will be required, the professor will need to submit a Scholar Update request. 

Transfer of the DS-2019 to Another School

An EV Professor can transfer to another program sponsor as long as they plan to complete the objective for which they were admitted into the exchange visitor status, and remain in the same Professor category with the new sponsor. The hosting department at EMU will also need to agree to the transfer before OISS will consider the request. 

The EV Professor will need to submit the J-1 Transfer Out Form and provide additional documentation:

  • Official offer letter from new sponsor that specifically addresses the job duties and goals at the new program, as well as the intended transfer date
  • Most Recent I-94
  • Copy of passport
  • EMU Department Transfer Release Form

Reporting Out of Country Travel

Visiting professors who plan to travel outside the U.S. for more than 30 days for either personal or job-related reasons will be required to report this information to OISS at least 2 weeks before their expected travel. Departments will need to write an official letter verifying the dates and purpose of the extended travel and that they approve of the time away. The exchange visitor will submit the travel information along with the department letter to OISS via our Scholar Out-of-Country form. If the scholar will be out of the country for longer than the original reported dates, they should contact OISS. 

Upon reentry visiting professors should ensure that their passports are valid for at least 6 months into the future, have a valid J-1 visa, and a valid DS-2019 that has been signed for re-entry by the RO/ARO. 

End of the Program 

After the DS-2019 end date, the visiting professor will have a 30-day grace period during which they can prepare to leave the U.S. If the exchange visitor leaves before the 30 days, the grace period will automatically end, and the professor will not be able to re-enter the country with the EMU DS-2019. 

If the visiting professor has completed their program earlier than intended, the exchange visitor should submit a Scholar Update request, so that the DS-2019 and SEVIS record are properly updated and accurate. 

Note on “Remote” Participation

Per the U.S. State Department, exchange visitors can work no more than 40% of the time remotely or in a hybrid capacity. EMU departments should ensure that they are able to meet this requirement and offer the J-1 Exchange Visitor a primarily in-person work environment.