New
J-1 Scholar Orientation
Mondays
11:00-12:30 – ISSO
Thursdays
10:30-12:00 – MED Campus
All
scholars sponsored by Boston University in J-1 classification (as
a Professor, Research Scholar, Short-Term Scholar or Specialist)
are required by U.S. Department of State regulation to report to
the ISSO and attend a New Scholar Orientation upon arrival in the
U.S.
The
ISSO offers two New J-1 Scholar Orientation sessions weekly, one
at the ISSO and another at the Medical Campus:
Mondays
11:00-12:30 – ISSO, 888 Commonwealth
Avenue , 2nd Floor
Thursdays
10:30-12:00 – MED Campus Office
of Human Resources,
801 Massachusetts
Ave, Suite 400
Scholars
may attend an orientation session on either campus and no registration
is required.
Scholars attending orientation
should bring all pertinent immigration documents (Form DS-2019,
passport, visa, I-94) for themselves and any dependent family members.
Scholars should also bring information about their health insurance
coverage in order to complete the required ISSO check-in.
During the orientation
session ISSO staff will provide information regarding:
Immigration
rights and responsibilities of J-1 scholar status
Mandatory
insurance coverage
Obtaining
BU identification card and email
Nonimmigrant
taxation responsibilities
Immigration
documents required for travel
Dependent
spouses and children
Arrival
and adjustment to the Boston area
For scholars who are employed by Boston
University, ISSO staff will also complete the Form
I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification and discuss the
procedure for obtaining a Social Security Number.
Scholars should attend
orientation as soon as possible after entering the U.S. and no
later than 30 days after
the start date specified on their SEVIS Form DS-2019 .
Information collected from scholars during New Scholar Orientation
enables ISSO staff to “validate” their program participation in
their electronic immigration record, which is maintained through
the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Failure
to report to the ISSO and complete SEVIS validation within 30 days
of the expected program start date, causes the SEVIS immigration
record to become inactive and automatically reports a violation
of status to the USCIS and U.S. Department of State.
|