J-1 Categories

Eligibility Requirements:

• The Scholar has a Bachelor’s degree (which aligns with their research objectives at NC State) in hand at the time of application. If there is a question as to whether the Exchange Visitor’s degree is the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree, a third-party credentials evaluation may be necessary.
• The Scholar can provide proof of sufficient funding for the duration of their stay ($2,000 per month, $900 per month for the first dependent, $500 per month for each additional dependent.) The funding may be personal, third party, or come from NC State University.
• The Scholar must have and maintain U.S. health insurance for themselves and all accompanying family members for the entire duration of their DS-2019. More information about the specific policy requirements is available here.
• The Scholar has an NC State Faculty supervisor for the entire duration of their stay.
• The Scholar is eligible for a full time (minimum of 30 hours per week) HR appointment, which must be temporary in nature, within the department (non tenure or tenure-track)The Scholar’s English language skills have been  objectively assessed  as sufficient for the Scholar to interact with English speakers and conduct research at a U.S. university.
• The activity must be temporary with an emphasis on research, observation, or consultation, and may include teaching responsibilities

Length of Stay:
A J-1 Research Scholar program can last anywhere from 3 weeks to up to 5 years. There is no possibility for an extension beyond this 5 year maximum.

Eligibility for Repeat Participation: Once an Exchange Visitor ends their J-1 Research Scholar or Professor category program they are automatically subjected to a 24-month (two year) bar from participating in another J-1 Research Scholar or Professor program. This rule extends to any J-2 dependents who accompanied their J-1 family member in a Research Scholar or Professor program. The 24-month bar does not apply when a Research Scholar transfers an on-going J-1 program from one  institution to another within the U.S.

See J-1 Short-Term and Research Scholar Request Procedures for information on initiating a J-1 Research Scholar request with OIS.

Eligibility Requirements:

• The Scholar has a Bachelor’s degree (which matches their research objectives at NC State) in hand at the time of application. If there is a question as to whether the Exchange Visitor’s degree is the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree, a third-party credentials evaluation may be necessary.
• The Scholar can provide proof of sufficient funding for the duration of their stay ($2,000 per month, $900 per month for the first dependent, $500 per month for each additional dependent). The funding may be personal, third party, or come from NC State University.
• The Scholar must have and maintain U.S. health insurance for themselves and all accompanying family members for the entire duration of their DS-2019. More information  about the specific policy requirements for health insurance is available here.
• The Scholar has an NC State Faculty supervisor for the entire duration of their stay.
• The Scholar is eligible for a full time (minimum of 30 hours per week) HR appointment, which must be temporary in nature, within the department (non tenure or tenure-track)
• The Scholar’s English language skills have been assessed by the hosting faculty sponsor as sufficient for the scholar to interact with English speakers and conduct research at a U.S. university.
• The activity must be temporary with an emphasis on research, observation, or consultation, and may include teaching responsibilities.

Length of Stay:
A J-1 Short-Term Scholar program can last anywhere from 1 day to up to 6 months. There is no possibility of extension beyond this 6 month maximum.

Eligibility for Repeat Participation: Regulations do not prohibit an Exchange Visitor who has participated as a J-1 Short-Term Scholar from making future visits to the U.S. in J-1 status to engage in a new program or activity. Departments that invite Exchange Visitors for 6 months or less but anticipate extending their stay beyond 6 months should request either the Professor or Research Scholar category instead of the Short-Term Scholar category. Departments that invite Exchange Visitors for 6 months or less and do not plan to extend them beyond 6 months should request the Short-Term Scholar category, especially if future visits to the U.S. in J-1 visa status are anticipated within the next two years.

See J-1 Short-Term and Research Scholar Request Procedures for information on initiating a J-1 Short-Term Scholar request with OIS

The J-1 Student Intern category facilitates temporary, full-time internship opportunities for international students who are studying at one of our overseas partner universities or are invited to do an internship on campus with an NC State faculty supervisor. The J-1 Student Intern category is often a good option when a prospective visitor is in the midst of their undergraduate program as they do not meet the degree requirements for J-1 Research Scholar or J-1 Short-Term Scholar.

At this time, NC State is only accepting applications for on-campus internships. See the J-1 Student Intern page for more information on eligibility and application.

Length of stay: Internships can last anywhere from 2 to 12 months. 12 months is the maximum duration of stay for this category.

Eligibility Requirements:

The applicant must demonstrate that they meet all of the following:

• Currently enrolled in a degree program at an accredited post-secondary academic institution outside the United States.
• In good academic standing at the home university.
• Recommended by a faculty advisor at the student’s home academic institution.
• Will return to the academic institution abroad in which they are enrolled to fulfill and obtain the degree after completion of the internship.
• Has verifiable English skills sufficient to function on a day-to-day basis in the internship environment (English proficiency according to Undergraduate International Admission requirements).
• Invited by an NC State faculty member.
• Is primarily coming to the U.S. to engage in an internship program rather than to engage in employment.
• Has sufficient finances to support themself and any accompanying dependents during the internship period.  The minimum funding requirement is as follows: $2,000 per month, $900 per month for the first dependent, $500 per month for each additional dependent.

The internship itself must meet all of the following criteria:

• Is integral to the student’s academic program and will fulfill educational objectives for the student’s degree program abroad.
• Exposes the student intern to American technologies, methodologies, and techniques and expands upon the student intern’s existing knowledge and skills.
• Be full time (minimum of 32 hours per week).
• Be evaluated by the intern and supervisor periodically.

Length of Stay:

A J-1 Student Intern program can last anywhere from 2 months to up to 12 months. There is no possibility for an extension beyond this 12 months maximum.

Eligibility for repeat participation: 

A Student Intern who is in the U.S. for more than 6 months, is automatically subject to a12-month bar on participating in a subsequent J-1 Research Scholar or Professor category program. This bar does not apply to J-1 Student Intern programs that were 6 months or less. See J-1 Student Intern Request Procedures  for information on initiating a J-1 Student Intern request with OIS..