What are the responsibilities of the agency or university when it is attempting to sponsor a J-1 visitor?
The employer is responsible for ascertaining that the international scholar has the appropriate academic credentials, including English language proficiency, to be appointed and to benefit from an academic affiliation with the agency or university. The employer is required by federal regulations to obtain evidence of adequate financial support and health insurance coverage for the scholar and any accompanying dependents. The intent of the appointment must be temporary and the visitor must plan to return home upon completion of the educational objective. The maximum duration of the J-1 researcher and professor status is three years, including the time spent in other exchange visitor programs in the U.S. The exchange visitor may only perform duties limited to the pre-established educational objectives as stated on the DS-2019 form. Any additional employment must be incidental to the visitor’s primary program activities, must be directly related to his or her original objectives and must
