English Language Proficiency for J-1 Scholars
Per U.S. Department of State federal regulations, scholars must have "sufficient proficiency in the English language, as determined by an objective measurement of English language proficiency, successfully to participate in his or her program and to function on a day-to-day basis." [22 CFR 62.10(a)(2)]
Documentation of English Proficiency
Prior to issuing a DS-2019 form, the sponsor (OIS on behalf of NC State), must verify the visitor’s English language proficiency through one of the four documented methods below:
- A documented interview conducted by verified instructional staff of the Intensive English Program at NC State University with a CEFR Score of B-1 or above:
- Scholars who do not have current test scores available and did not attend an English language school or an academic institution where the language of instruction is English may opt to schedule an online oral interview with NC State’s Intensive English Program (IEP) to determine whether the potential visitor has a language proficiency level that reasonably fulfills the U.S. Department of State’s requirements for J-1 Scholars and to support a successful personal and professional experience in the U.S.
- Interview Process:
- The potential Visiting Scholar registers for an online IEP interview via Reporter (sign in using the guest gray Brickyard Login).
- Either the prospective scholar or their NC State department will pay the $50 interview fee via reporter.ncsu.edu.
- Once registered, an IEP staff member will email the scholar a Google calendar invite with a Zoom link for online interviews.
- An informal one-on-one interview will be conducted following OPI best practice. The interview will take between 20-30 minutes and consist of warm-up introductions, general questions related to the scholar’s past research, as well as their intended research at NC State. Candidates may be asked questions about their hometowns, upcoming travel plans and accommodations in the Raleigh area.
- The IEP instructor will record and score the interview based on a rubric that is used for all J-1 interviewees
- IEP will send feedback and score to the prospective scholar via email within 3-5 business days
- Interview Process:
- Scholars who do not have current test scores available and did not attend an English language school or an academic institution where the language of instruction is English may opt to schedule an online oral interview with NC State’s Intensive English Program (IEP) to determine whether the potential visitor has a language proficiency level that reasonably fulfills the U.S. Department of State’s requirements for J-1 Scholars and to support a successful personal and professional experience in the U.S.
- Signed documentation from the scholar’s academic institution where the language of instruction is English or from an English language school
- To satisfy the U.S. Department of State criteria, the certification by an academic institution or an English language school must include the following on school letterhead.
- Name of scholar
- Issue date of letter
- Dates the scholar either attended the institution or is/was employed with the institution
- NOTE: visitor must have been actively affiliated with the institution within the last 2 years to qualify
- Title of school official
- Printed name of school official
- Signature of school official such as a Chair, Professor, Dean, PI, Academic Advisor, or English language instructor
- The following statement, “Per U.S. Code of Federal Regulations section 22 § 62.10 (a)(2), I verify that the above-mentioned scholar possesses sufficient proficiency in the English language, to participate successfully in their J-1 Exchange Visitor program at North Carolina State University, and to function on a day-to-day basis in the U.S.”
- Confirmation that the primary language of instruction is English
- To satisfy the U.S. Department of State criteria, the certification by an academic institution or an English language school must include the following on school letterhead.
- An objective, recognized English language test that is no more than 2 years old
- The following tests and scores are acceptable to fulfill the English proficiency requirement:
- TOEFL iBT: 60 (conversation subscore min. 16)
- TOEFL Essentials Test: 7.5
- DuoLingo: 95
- IELTS: 6.0
- The following tests and scores are acceptable to fulfill the English proficiency requirement:
- A diploma or transcript of a completed degree from an accredited U.S. institution of higher education
Individuals who meet the following criteria are exempt from submitting proof of English proficiency:
Citizens or Nationals of the following countries may upload their passport for their proof of English language proficiency:
- Antigua & Barbuda
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Botswana
- Canada (except Quebec)
- Cayman Islands
- Dominica
- England
- Fiji
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Liberia
- Mauritius
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- Papua New Guinea
- St. Kitts & Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent & the Grenadines
- Sierra Leone
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Turks & Caicos
- Uganda
- United Kingdom
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Current J-1 status holders who are transferring their status to NC State from another institution in the U.S. presumably have met the requirement already.
- J-1 program transfer applicants should upload their current I-94 record as proof of English language proficiency