Professor and Research Scholar
J-1 BridgeUSA Program application/Visiting Scholar and Researchers
Short-Term Scholar:
Professors, research scholars, and other individuals with similar education or accomplishments travel to the United States on a short-term visit to lecture, observe, consult, train or demonstrate special skills at research institutions, museums, libraries, post-secondary accredited academic institutions, or similar types of institutions. The maximum allowable stay is six months.
Professor:
The professor category is for a foreign national who enters the United States for the primary purpose of teaching, lecturing, observing, or consulting at accredited post-secondary academic institutions, museums, libraries, or similar types of institutions. A professor may also conduct research unless disallowed by the sponsoring organization. The maximum allowable stay is five years.
Research Scholar:
This category is for a foreign national who enters the United States for the primary purpose of conducting research, observing or consulting in connection with research projects at research institutions, corporate research facilities, museums, libraries, post-secondary accredited academic institutions, or similar types of institutions. A research scholar may also teach or lecture unless disallowed by the sponsor.
The research scholar’s appointment to a position shall be temporary, even if the position itself is permanent.
Incidental lectures or short-term consultations are permitted with the approval of the responsible officer so long as they are directly related to the objectives of the participant’s program, and do not delay the exchange program’s completion date.
The maximum allowable stay is five years.
Professors and Research Scholars are bound to the following stipulations:
1. Not be a candidate for a tenure track position;
2. Not have participated in and completed a research scholar program within the last 24 months preceding the beginning date of their new program’s commencement;
3. Not have participated in a J-Visa program for all or part of the 12-month period immediately preceding the start date of a research scholar program unless they meet one of the following exceptions:
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The participant is currently in a research scholar program and is transferring to another institution in the United States to continue their current J-1 program;
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The participant’s prior physical presence in the U.S. on a J-visa program was less than six months in duration; and