Occasional Lectures & Short Term Consultations for J-1 Scholars
BU sponsored J-1 exchange visitors who are in the “professor,” “research scholar,” or “short-term scholar” categories may obtain permission to engage in and receive payment for “occasional lectures and short-term consultations” outside of their primary program at BU. This activity must be pre-approved by the ISSO and must support (and not interfere with) your original J program activity.
Parameters of the requested activity:
- Must be directly related to the objectives of your J program at BU
- Must be incidental to your primary program activities at BU (e.g. your teaching, research, etc.)
- May not be on-going (must have a specific start date & end date)
- Must not delay the completion of your BU program
- You must act as an independent contractor (not an employee) in the activity
- You must obtain a letter of authorization from the ISSO in order to receive payment
Required paperwork to request ISSO authorization for the activity
Please obtain the following documents and submit them both to your ISSO Scholar Advisor:
- Letter from the institution, company (on letterhead) stating the terms and conditions of the offer, including:
- duration (specific start and end dates) of activity
- number of hours expected to complete the activity
- field or subject of activity
- amount of compensation
- description of activity
- Letter from your BU faculty host or department chair that recommends the activity and explains how it will enhance your J program at BU. The letter must also state that the activity will NOT interfere with your BU research, teaching, or other program activities.
Upon receipt of the request, your ISSO Scholar Advisor will review the paperwork to determine if the requested activity meets is warranted and satisfies the requirements outlined by the Department of State. If the activity is permissible, the ISSO will issue a letter authorizing the activity. Please plan accordingly and allow 10 business days for ISSO processing.
