Office of International Education |
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The University welcomes international scholars and staff. We have had numerous professors, researchers, lecturers, artists, and staff from all over the world coming to Richmond for various academic and cultural activities. This page contains profiles of current international scholars and important information on immigration and employment issues for international scholars on F-1, J-1, H1-B, and B-1 visas. It also provides tips on housing, schools, and other practical information for scholars and their families. Profiles of Current International Scholars For 2007-08, we are pleased to have the following international scholars:
Volker Grzimek (Germany, Economics) Jai Hun Jung (South Korea, Law) Youyi Liu
(China, Psychology) Hari Luitel (Nepal, Economics) Raul Maneyro
(Uruguay, Biology) Timothy Ross (UK, Physics) Tomaz Salamun
(Slovenia, English) Meenakshi Thapan (India, Sociology)*
*Meenakshi Thapan is the Spring 2008 Visiting International Scholar sponsored by the Office of International Education and the Sociology Department. She is a Professor in the Department of Sociology at the Delhi School of Economics. She will be teaching Gender, Migration and Identity and Women in Indian Society in the Sociology Department at Richmond. The
Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program provides
one-year placements at U.S. colleges and universities for teaching
assistants in Arabic, Swahili, Turkish, Hindi, and other strategic
languages. This year we have 1 Arabic TA through this program, Ms. Nohayer
Lotfy from Egypt. TFLTAs are teachers in their home countries and
are here to conduct research, audit courses, and observe American teaching
methodologies. As part of their program requirements, they are expected to
give talks on their home countries and cultures and meet with faculty and
students. At Richmond, they will be teaching credit and non-credit Arabic courses through the
Department of Modern
Literatures and Cultures and the School of Continuing Studies. There are several steps involved in your arrival to Richmond. To assist you, we have prepared the following guidelines: Visa Categories Once your contract or agreement has been signed with the University, a copy will be forwarded to the International Scholar Advisor informing the Advisor of your arrival to Richmond. The International Scholar Advisor is responsible for advising the scholar on appropriate visa categories and issuing immigration documents necessary for the scholar and their family members to apply for visas to the U.S. If you will be teaching a course as a visiting professor or conducting research as a visiting fellow, the J-1 exchange visitor category is the most appropriate visa type. Scholars requiring a J-1 visa should complete the DS-2019 Authorization Form. If you are transferring your J-1 status from another U.S. institution, you must also complete the F1/J1 Transfer Request Form. UR hiring departments should submit documentation from the Departmental Checklist for Hiring Visiting International Scholars. If you will have a tenure-track academic appointment or administrative staff position, the H1-B visa for a temporary worker in a specialty occupation is the most appropriate visa type. Scholars or staff requiring an H1B visa and the UR hiring department should complete the Checklist for Hiring International Scholars and Staff for Long-Term Positions with all appropriate documentation. Scholars or staff must also submit documents from the McGuire Woods LLP Visa Petition Checklist. If you will be conducting short-term activities such as lectures, demonstrations, or conferences for 9 days or less, you should apply for a B tourist visa. You should inquire with the nearest U.S. consulate or embassy in your home country about procedures for applying for this visa type. You should provide a copy of the contract or agreement with the University and proof of finances for you and your family members for the duration of your stay in the U.S. For more information about the differences among these visa types and other visa categories, visit the Visa Types for International Faculty/Staff webpage. Please apply for your visa as soon as possible. Immigration Process for New J-1 Exchange Visitors New J exchange visitors need to apply for a J-1 visa and are subject to a SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) fee, which requires additional steps in the visa application process. Please take the following steps to ensure that you apply for and receive your visa in a timely manner:
--The DS-2019 form is necessary to apply for the J-1 exchange visitors visa. Sign at the bottom of the DS-2019 form immediately upon receipt.
--Using the SEVIS ID number on your DS-2019, you will have to pay a $100 SEVIS fee if you are enrolling in a US institution or participating in a Department of State Exchange Visitor Program for the first time. For online fee and payment information, visit the web at https://www.fmjfee.com/index.jhtml.
--Once you have a receipt of the SEVIS fee payment, you will need to make an appointment for a visa interview at the US consulate or embassy that has jurisdiction over your residence. You can check the visa wait times on the Web at http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_wait.php.
--Take the DS-2019, receipt of the SEVIS fee payment, and your passport to the US consulate or embassy. You will also be required to show that you do not intend to abandon your home country and have proof of financial support, i.e., a certified bank statement, acceptance letter from the University, and proof of family ties in your home country. Additionally, the consular officer may want to know what activities you plan to pursue in the US.
If your visa application is approved, a visa stamp will be placed in your passport. The consular officer will then return your DS-2019 and passport. Upon entry to the United States, you will need to present to the immigration officer your passport, DS-2019 and proof of financial support. The officer will return the DS-2019 and issue an I-94 arrival/departure card. Both items should be kept in your passport at all times.
PLEASE READ the Arrival Procedures for Students and Exchange Visitors about what to expect when you arrive at a U.S. port of entry.
For more information about the visa application process, visit the Department of State’s website at http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/. For a list of online resources for checking the status of your U.S. visa application, visit our visa inquiries page. If you have any questions regarding your visa status, you should consult the International Scholar Advisor.
You can contact the Exchange Visitor Program Services at:
United States Department of State Immigration Process for Current J-1 Exchange Visitors Transferring to Richmond from another U.S. Institution Please complete the F-1/J-1 Transfer Request Form and submit it to the International Scholar Advisor at Richmond. Upon receipt, we will transfer your DS-2019 from your current institution on the requested transfer date and issue you a new DS-2019 from Richmond. Honoraria Payment to Foreign Faculty & Staff The following information is a guide to payment procedures and appropriate visa categories for hiring foreign nationals. In order to comply with IRS regulations, the University has payment guidelines that must be followed for payments to foreign visitors. Please review carefully the information on the Controller's Office website, since there is important tax and payroll information, and a compliance statement that needs to be completed by some visitors. If you have questions, please contact Nancy Colon in the Office of International Taxation. Social Security Number If you do not have a Social Security number, you will need to apply for a Social Security card as soon as you arrive in the U.S. A social security application can only be made after you have been in the U.S. for at least 10 days and have reported to the International Scholar Advisor. The actual start date of the job can be no more than 30 days from the date of your social security application. It normally takes 2-3 weeks to receive the number and you must make an application in person in the U.S. More information can be found on the official Social Security Administration's website. Health Insurance As a J-1 scholar, you are required by the U.S. Department of State to have health insurance. A copy of the J-1 regulations can be found on its website. If your contract letter states that the University will cover the cost of your health insurance, the Office of International Education will enroll you in their group international student and scholars plan as this insurance meets the requirements of the exchange visitors program. If you have not been offered health insurance coverage in your University contract, please notify Krittika Onsanit the Office of International Education so you can be enrolled in the group international student and scholars plan at your own expense. If you wish to use an existing health insurance plan that meets these regulations for you and your family members, please provide proof of insurance by emailing or faxing a copy of your policy and enrollment information to 1-804-289-8904 or konsanit@richmond.edu. Bringing Your Spouse and Children Nonimmigrant visa holders have the option of bringing spouses and unmarried children as dependents. Dependants of F-1 or J-1 visa holders can apply for F-2 or J-2 visas and their status is dependent on the principal J-1 visa holder. If they are only coming to visit for a short period of time, such as one or two weeks, they may want to apply for a tourist visa. Financial documentation is required for dependents. Please refer to the webpage below for more information: http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/international/Intstudents/Immigration/spouse.html Off-Campus Housing The campus is in a residential area of the city, so transportation to and from wherever you live is a critical issue to consider, especially if you will not be using an automobile to get around. Although there is public bus transportation, only one bus line runs directly to campus. On the direct bus line, it would take not more than 30 minutes to get to campus. If you live on other bus lines, where you would need to change to the bus that goes to the UR campus, it would take at least an hour’s transport time. In considering where to live while in Richmond, please pay attention to this issue. Accessibility to the bus line is indicated on the apartment listing we have compiled to assist visitors. When looking for a place to live, you will have the option of furnished and unfurnished rentals. It is far less expensive to rent an unfurnished apartment and then lease the furniture from a rental agency on a month-to-month basis. Furnished apartments, usually called “corporate apartments,” are available but very expensive and can be 2 to 3 times more expensive than renting an unfurnished apartment and leasing furniture. For information about room rentals in private homes, contact Beverly Warner. Transportation You may drive with your home country driver's license for no more than 6 months. If your home country driver's license is not written in English, you should obtain an international driver's license to use with your home country driver's license. Information about driver's licenses can be found on the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicle's website.
You may
consider renting or purchasing a car in Richmond, which has limited public
transportation.
Most car rental agencies allow you to drive on an international driver’s
license. Below are listings for rental agencies:
Dollar Car Rental • CarsDirect new and used cars online at www.carsdirect.com • AutoTrader new and used cars online at http://autotrader.com
In our past experience, renting from a private individual is not a good
option due to problems with insurance.
Shopping
Target Store
www.target.com
www.kmart.com
Stony Point Fashion Park, Regency Square, and Short Pump Town Center
These upscale malls have retail stores for men and women's shoes, clothing, and accessories, home furnishing stores, and restaurants.
http://www.shopstonypoint.com/
http://www.shopregencysqmall.com/
Richmond Area Schools
If you are planning to bring school-age children with you, you have the option of enrolling them in Richmond area public schools for free. Depending on where you live, your children will attend Richmond City or Henrico County public schools. To inquire about the school for your area, call (804) 780-7811. For a list of schools by city or country, click on the website below:
For information about bus routes, call (804) 321-0850.
For other important information such as enrollment requirements, visit the Virginia Department of Education's website for parents at http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Parents/index.html Visitor's Usage of University Services and Facilities Visiting scholars and their immediate family members will have access to University libraries, dining facilities, museums, and cultural activities and performances with their faculty/staff University ID card. This card can be obtained upon arrival from the One-Card Services office located on the 3rd floor of the Tyler Haynes Commons. The Weinstein Center for Recreation and Wellness has
a $50 per month membership fee for part-time faculty and courtesy
appointments. Visiting International Scholars through the Office of
International Education will have this fee paid for by the Office for 4
months. All other international scholars will have to pay on their own
if they wish to use the Center. The University has Boatwright, Science, Music, Media Resource Center, Business, and Law libraries on campus. Boatwright is the main library and is open 24 hours. The new Faculty Study in Boatwright Library is available for faculty use on the library's B1 level. The Faculty Study is a quiet space for reading, research, and writing and offers a mix of soft seating and work areas. Bring your laptop or borrow a laptop from the library. Present your UR faculty ID card and ask for the door's keypad combination at the library's main service desk. The study is available for day use. If you need to store research materials, please come to the library's Administration office on the second floor to obtain a library locker. The University's Modlin Center offers music, dance, and theatrical performances throughout the year. Discounts are available for University faculty and staff. University of Richmond Museums The University offers free admission to the public to the Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art, Joel and Lila Harnett Print Study Center, and Lora Robins Gallery of Design from Nature. Weinstein Center for Recreation and Wellness The Weinstein Center offers programs, fitness and nutrition assessments, screenings, and education about a variety of health topics. The Center also has fitness facilities including a weight room, exercise machines, pool, and racquetball and squash courts. The School of Continuing Studies offers a variety of non-credit courses for personal enrichment and professional development. Information about Richmond
This is Richmond's alternative weekly for news, arts, culture, and opinion.
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Office of International Education | University of Richmond VA 23173 | Phone 804-289-8836 | Fax 804-289-8904 |
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