J-1 Scholar Employment

Updated December 13, 2024

J-1 Scholars (including Research Scholars, Professors, Short-term Scholars, and Specialists) sponsored by Tufts University's are permitted to be employed only for authorized activities at their primary site of activity at Tufts University. A site of activity is a location at which your J-1 program activities are being carried out. Any activities at other sites, especially sites outside of Tufts, must be authorized in advance.

Employment at Primary Site of Activity at Tufts

If you are a J-1 scholar sponsored by Tufts to work in a teaching or research position, your Form DS-2019 should include your sponsoring Tufts department as your primary site of activity. Your DS-2019 will also indicate any salary or income from Tufts that you are expected to earn for the duration of your J-1 program. You are permitted to engage in employment and paid activities only for the Tufts unit or location indicated as your primary site of activity. Your primary site of activity must remain the same throughout your J-1 program. If your site of activity will change to another location, please contact the International Center in advance to discuss specific details.

Occasional or Incidental Employment at Other Sites

Per 22 CFR 62.20(g)(i), J-1 scholars are permitted to engage in occasional lectures and consultations at outside locations with the prior approval of their Tufts department and the International Center. These types of lectures and consultations must be "incidental" in nature, i.e., limited in scope and duration rather than ongoing. More specifically, the activities must be:

• Be directly related to the objectives of your J-1 program at Tufts
• Be incidental to your primary program activity at Tufts
• Not delay the completion of your J-1 program at Tufts

To accept payment for occasional lectures and short-term consultations, you must obtain prior written authorization from the International Center before engaging in the activity. In addition, the outside organization paying you must confirm that you will be treated as an independent contractor providing limited, short-term services, and that you will not be an employee of the organization.

To request authorization for an occasional lecture or consultation, you must complete the online J-1 Occasional Lecture/Consultation Approval Request on the International Center portal at least ten business days before the start of your activity. When completing the request, you must submit:

• An offer letter from the outside organization providing details about the lecture or consultation, including the dates, duration, number of hours, a description of the activity, the location(s) where the activity will take place, and the amount and nature of compensation (if any); and confirming that you will be an independent contractor of the organization
• A written recommendation from your Tufts supervisor or sponsor that provides the following:
  • confirmation that the proposed activity is directly related to your principal activity at Tufts
  • confirmation that the activity is incidental to your principal activity and will not delay completion of your J-1 program at Tufts
  • an explanation of how the proposed activity would enhance your exchange visitor program at Tufts
  • a recommendation that the proposed activity be allowed.

Upon receipt and review of the application for  an occasional lecture/short-term consultation, the International Center will determine if the activity qualifies for employment authorization. If it does, the International Center will update your SEVIS record with the new site of activity and issue a letter authorizing you to engage in the occasional or incidental activity.

Other Employment Situations

If the J-1 scholar is offered employment with an outside organization that involves more than short-term, occasional, or incidental consultations, then approval may be granted only in limited circumstances. In general, employment with an outside organization that requires longer-term, sustained engagement and activity (e.g., teaching a semester or year-long class, working as a researcher or scientist, etc.) is permitted only for special situations in which Tufts itself has an investment or relationship with the outside organization. Examples include situations such as: the department or faculty sponsor has a relationship with the organization in the form of a cooperative agreement or joint research project; the outside organization is another college or university which has cross-registration agreements with Tufts; or the outside organization has other kinds of academic, programmatic, or research affiliations with Tufts.

To request authorization for other employment situations,  a complete application for  Long-Term Employment with an Outside Organization must be submitted via the International Center Portal by an active J-1 Scholar or Department Administrator at least ten business days before the start of the activity. The request must be accompanied by:

• An offer letter from the outside organization providing details about the long-term teaching, research or consulting activities, including the dates, duration, number of hours, a description of the activity, the location(s) where the activity will take place, and the amount and nature of compensation (if any).
• A detailed letter from the Tufts faculty sponsor confirming that:
  • The proposed activity is integral to the scholar's primary activity at Tufts, and explaining how the activity would help to facilitate the J-1 scholar's involvement in a collaborative arrangement or relationship involving Tufts
  • The proposed activity will not interfere with or delay the scholar's ability to complete their primary activity at Tufts

Upon receipt and review of the application for  long-term employment with an outside organization, the International Center will determine if the activity qualifies for employment authorization. If it does, the International Center will update the J-1 scholar SEVIS record with the a secondary site of activity.