5. Proceed to complete the required fields and sections.
J-1 Visa Requests
The International Center is transitioning to a new Scholar Portal. We are gradually working to provide access to Department administrators. Please contact us if you need access to submit a J-1 visa request.
Visa Sponsorship Request for J-1 Scholars
After reviewing the eligibility criteria for sponsoring J-1 scholars, Department administrators should proceed to submit a J-1 visa request through the J-1 Scholar Portal.
Initial J-1 visa requests for scholars outside the US should be submitted at least 60 days in advance of the desired start date. Department must contact their designated International Scholar Advisor if the start date is less than 60 days away from the request date.
J-1 visa extension requests may be submitted at any time the need for an extension is identified by the scholar and approved by the host department. However, extension requests should be submitted to the International Center no later than two weeks prior to the expiration of the scholar's current DS-2019.
New J-1 Scholar Visa Request
Submit a New J-1 Scholar Visa Request (Initial or Transfer-ins)
General Process
To sponsor a J-1 scholar to come to Tufts, the host or hiring department must submit a request for a New J-1 Scholar to the International Center using our J-1 Scholar Portal. Once the department submits the request in the Portal, the Portal will send an email to the prospective scholar, asking the scholar to submit additional information that may be required.
Upon receiving a complete request from both the department as well as the prospective scholar, the International Center will issue a Form DS-2019 visa certificate to the scholar. The DS-2019 is then used by the scholar to apply for a J-1 Exchange Visitor visa and enter the US as a J-1 scholar.
Preliminary Preparation. Before submitting a Department Request for New J-1 Scholar, the department must gather the information listed below:
- Scholar's email address and legal name
- Appointment information including start and end date, source of funding, field of research and faculty sponsor. (Note: the funding must meet the Annual Estimate of Expenses. Find it here.)
- Confirmation of English language proficiency including screening method and date, as applicable
- Required documents for uploading: Appointment or invitation letter, School or HR approval letter as applicable
For additional information, please use the guide below:
New J-1 Scholar Preparation Guide for Administrators
Special Instructions for J-1 Scholars Transferring to Tufts
If the department is inviting or hiring a J-1 scholar currently at another US institution of higher education, the International Center can arrange for a transfer of the scholar's J-1 sponsorship to Tufts University provided the scholar will be engaged in similar activities across both sponsors and other J-1 Scholar Transfer requirements are met. Because the transfer of J-1 visa sponsorship can be a complex process, it usually requires close coordination between all parties. Departments and prospective scholars are invited to talk to their International Center scholar advisor about their individual situations.
Once a decision has been made to invite or appoint a scholar who is currently in J-1 status at another institution, the department should initiate a Department Request for a New J-1 Scholar following the instructions outlined above. However, the scholar should also be provided a J-1 Scholar Transfer Form (link below) to present to their advisor at their current sponsor. Once the Transfer Form is completed, the scholar will be prompted to upload the form into the International Center Portal.
Required J-1 Scholar Fee
The International Center assesses a processing fee to issue a Form DS-2019 visa certificate to a J-1 scholar. The fee is currently $650.
Fee Responsibility: The processing fee must paid by the department for any J-1 scholar who will be appointed by Tufts to a paid teaching or research position. For J-1 scholars who are self-funded (not employed by Tufts), the fee may be paid by either the host department or the individual scholar using Flywire (for new requests).
For self-funded visiting scholars, the host department is obligated to inform any invited J-1 scholar of any additional fees or costs the department may assess to support their visit.
Other Costs and Fees: The International Center processing fee does NOT include the following:
- The I-901 SEVIS fee that must be paid by the J-1 scholar prior to the initial visa application and/or initial entry to the US in J-1 status
- The visa application fee paid at the time of a visa application at US consulate (Note: Canadian citizens are not required to have visas prior to entering the US)
- Other incidental charges and fees, such as passport fees, charges for transcript copies or translations, or other incidental charges
- Health insurance or travel insurance fees
- Fees relating to the immigration status or ongoing maintenance of accompanying dependent family members
Ready to initiate the request?
Refer to the J-1 Scholar Portal Instructions section below for guidance on creating the online request. Standard processing times are within 5-7 business days.
J-1 Scholar Portal Instructions for New Scholars
Download the J-1 Scholar Portal Guide or review instructions below:
Log into the J-1 Scholar Portal
**Access to the International Center Portal is only available to department managers or administrators authorized by their respective units and schools to submit J-1 visa sponsorship on behalf of their hiring managers and faculty sponsors.
Send an email to internationalcenter@tufts.edu to request access to the Portal if you do not already have so.
Invite a New J-1 Scholar
- Upon accessing the portal, you will see a list of profiles of scholars hosted by your department.
- Proceed to click on the +Create button to create a new profile and invite a scholar.
3. Select the Visa Type from the dropdown menu:
4. Select a Request Form from the dropdown menu
5. Proceed to complete the required fields and sections.
Once a complete request is submitted by the department, an automatic invitation will be sent to the invitee's e-mail address. The invited scholar will complete the remaining information necessary for International Center staff to produce J-1 visa documents.
J-1 Scholar Portal Instructions for Returning Scholars
Download the J-1 Scholar Portal Guide or review instructions below:
Log into the J-1 Scholar Portal
**Access to the International Center Portal is only available to department managers or administrators authorized by their respective units and schools to submit J-1 visa sponsorship on behalf of their hiring managers and faculty sponsors.
Send an email to internationalcenter@tufts.edu to request access to the Portal if you do not already have so.
Invite a Returning Scholar
Use this option if you are re-inviting a scholar previously sponsored for a J-1 visa at Tufts.
To re-invite a scholar, use their previous profile to create a new J-1 scholar visa request. **If you cannot find the scholar's profile, please contact the International Center for assistance. Do not create a duplicate profile.
- Click on the Action button to open the tab "+Add New Visa to an Existing Profile".
2. Click on the +Add New Visa to an Existing Profile"
3. Select Visa Type from the dropdown menu.
4. Select the Request Form you would like to submit from the drop down menu. 
Once a complete request is submitted by the department, an automatic invitation will be sent to the invitee's e-mail address. The invited scholar will complete the remaining information necessary for International Center staff to produce J-1 visa documents.
J-1 Scholar Visa Extension Request
Submit a J-1 Scholar Visa Extension Request (Current Scholars)
International scholars are responsible for maintaining their immigration status, including knowing when their J-1 status is due to expire, and making timely requests for extensions to their departments. To extend the J-1 status of a J-1 scholar at Tufts, the host or hiring department must submit a Request for J-1 Visa Extension to the International Center via the J-1 Scholar Portal. Upon receiving a complete request, the International Center will issue an updated Form DS-2019 visa certificate extending the J-1 scholar's stay. Extension requests must be submitted at least 60 days prior and no later than 2 weeks before the status expiration date.
Before submitting a Visa Document Request, the department must gathered the information listed below:
- Funding Information
- Appointment Information including extension dates, updates to titles, site of activity, etc.
- Approval letters as applicable the School/Department
You must refer to the J-1 Extension Request Preparation Guide for School specific requirements:
J-1 Extension Preparation Guide for Administrators
Required J-1 Extension Fee
The International Center assesses a processing fee to issue a Form DS-2019 visa certificate to a J-1 scholar. The current extension fee is $350.
Fee Responsibility: The processing fee must paid by the department for any J-1 scholar who will be appointed by Tufts to a paid teaching or research position. For J-1 scholars who are self-funded (not employed by Tufts), the fee may be paid by either the host department or the individual scholar using the Tufts Marketplace.
For self-funded visiting scholars, the host department is obligated to inform any invited J-1 scholar of any additional fees or costs the department may assess to support their visit.
Other Costs and Fees: The International Center processing fee does NOT include the following:
- Visa renewals fees paid to a US Embassy
- Other incidental charges and fees, such as passport fees, charges for transcript copies or translations, or other incidental charges
- Health insurance or travel insurance fees
- Fees relating to the immigration status or ongoing maintenance of accompanying dependent family members
Ready to initiate the extension request?
Log into the J-1 Scholar Portal
Following receipt of the J-1 Visa Extension Request, the International Center will arrange to deliver the Form DS-2019 visa certificate to the individual J-1 scholar within 5-7 business days.
J-1 Scholar Portal Instructions for Extensions
Download the J-1 Scholar Portal Guide or review instructions below:
Log into the J-1 Scholar Portal
**Access to the International Center Portal is only available to department managers or administrators authorized by their respective units and schools to submit J-1 visa sponsorship on behalf of their hiring managers and faculty sponsors.
Send an email to internationalcenter@tufts.edu to request access to the Portal if you do not already have so.
Request a J-1 Visa Extension
Use this option to extend the J-1 status of current Tufts University scholars.
- Upon accessing the portal, find the name of the scholar listed in your profiles list. If you cannot find the scholar's profile, please contact the International Center. Do not create a duplicate profile.
- Open the scholar's profile and click on the Request Tab to see more options.
3. Click on the +Create Request button
4. Select J-1 Visa Extension from the dropdown menu
5. Proceed to complete the required fields and sections.
Once a complete request is submitted by the department, an automatic notification will be sent to the scholar's email address on file. The scholar will complete the remaining information necessary for International Center staff to produce updated J-1 visa documents.