International Scholar Visit - FAQs

What is the difference between a Scholar and a Visitor?

The Policy provides these definitions. International Scholars means individuals who are coming to UF on a J-1 visa sponsored by UF. This includes all J-1 visa applicants designated as Professor, Research Scholar, or Short-Term Scholars. International Scholars do not include undergraduate or graduate students.

International Visitors means individuals who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents, who do not meet the definition of International Scholars, and are coming to UF for a period of thirty (30) or more days. International Visitors do not include undergraduate or graduate students.

Is UF RISC approval required for a Letter of Invitation?

Yes. Per the Policy, the Sponsoring Department may not move forward with extending an Invitation until it receives written approval from UF RISC through the International Scholars Review Portal. Draft Letters of Invitation may be included in a request for review through the UF RISC portal, however they should not be issued to an International Scholar or International Visitor prior to UF RISC review of the International Scholar or International Visitor.

What information do I need to submit to the Review portal?

Needed Information:

First and Last name
Email address of the visitor
UF Sponsoring Department ID (if you do not know the department ID, review the Department ID Directive on the UF Controller website)
Anticipated Visit Dates
Country of Citizenship (if multiple, enter the most recent)
Country of Residency (as defined in BOG 9.012 guidance to mean “for purposes of this guidance document, domicile is defined as a physical presence in a foreign country of concern with an intent to return thereto. Intent is demonstrated by an absence of seeking citizenship in the United States.”)
Current Position Title and Institution/Entity
International Visitor Type
- Professor: An individual primarily engaged in teaching, lecturing, observing, or
  consulting. A professor may also conduct research, as long as research is not the
  primary objective of their program the visitor cannot be a candidate for a
  tenure-accruing position. Maximum duration: five (5) years.
- Research Scholar: An individual primarily engaged in conducting research,
  observing, or consulting in connection with a research program. A research
  scholar may also teach or lecture as long as teaching or lecturing is not the
  primary objective of their program. Maximum duration: five (5) years.
- Short-Term Scholar: An individual primarily engaged in conducting research,
  observing, consulting, teaching, training, or lecturing for a short-term program.
  Maximum duration: six (6) months.
- Other: An individual who does not fall under the professor, research scholar,
  short-term scholar or student intern J-1 categories. This may include individuals
  on an F-1 OPT visa. This does not include graduate or undergraduate students
  or U.S. Citizens.
Funding Source and Description. Enter the appropriate category and numerical code.
- UF Sponsored Research: This includes all UF proposals, agreements, awards,
  and projects that are funded by an internal or external sponsor, i.e. funding
  support routed through the Division of Sponsored Programs and housed in
  UFIRST. For example: P00012345, AWD1526, PRO0002222, AGR00098756
- UF Internally Funded Research: This includes overhead funds, start-up funds,
  seed funds, Internal Support Programs, departmental (E&G) funds, etc. This
  research is funded by UF and not by an external sponsor. This account code or
  chart field will not be 201, 209, 214. For additional information on chart fields,
  please visit: Required-Chartfield-by-Fund.xlsx (live.com)
- Other Research: This includes research the scholar/visitor is bringing with them
  as part of a research project from their home institution or as part of their
  degree program. This research is not funded by UF and UF is not receiving any
  funds from these projects.
Research Involvement. If the scholar/visitor will be engaged in research or support of
research, regardless of monetary support, position title or allocation, answer “yes”. This
does not include general teaching or instruction duties.
- Type of Research
- Supervisor UFID
- Research Project Numbers (UFIRST). Please provide the UFIRST project number(s) of the UF Sponsored Research the scholar/visitor will be engaged in, regardless of whether the individual is funded directly from the source or not. If the UFIRST project is unknown, please provide the PXXX, AWD, AGR or PRO number. UF Internally Funded Research generally will not have a UFIRST project number.
- Technology Control Plan for Supervisor. This question should be marked “yes, the sponsoring faculty member does have a Technology Control Plan” if the sponsoring or alternate supervisor is involved in a TCP, regardless of whether the scholar/visitor will be involved in the TCP or not.
- UF Lab space
Complete CV (Must be in English)
Research Abstract/Description of Duties
- This section should provide an overview of the scholar/visitor’s research portfolio,
  anticipated work and/or research scope. The department is not required to send documentation already included in UFIRST such as a solicitation or Request for Funding
  (RFP) nor a full UF Sponsored Project scope of work.
Funding Document (if available)

What documents should I submit through the Review portal?

– Submit –

– Don’t Submit –

Full CV: A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a brief summary of a person’s career, qualifications, and post-secondary education. A CV should include all publications from post-secondary education. A CV should also include all professional appointments/engagements from post-secondary education. It may not include any gaps in history over six months. Please verify the entirety of the CV is in English before submitting.

Sponsorship Documents and Source of Funding: Examples include a Sponsorship Form, or local or government confirmation of scholarship (e.g., CAPES, HEC of Pakistan).

Description of UF activities: Submitting departments should provide details of duties that the International Scholars will perform during the visit. If involved in research, please include details about the research, including the research funder, the scope of work, and potential deliverables.

Do not submit documents detailing protected personal information, such as:
Proof of Vaccination
Social Security Number
Passport Number
Personal Bank Statements (documentation is not required to be uploaded if an individual is self-funded using personal funds)
Driver’s License
Individual Tax or Citizen Number

Is UF RISC approval required for a Letter of Intent?

No, a Letter of Intent does not require UF RISC approval. You can submit the Letter of Intent to the potential International Scholar or International Visitor prior to submitting your request through the International Scholars and International Visitors portal, as the Letter of Intent will not need to be vetted by UF RISC prior to issuance to the International Scholar or International Visitor. A Letter of Intent is only signed by the Unit/Department/College Leadership and is not countersigned by the International Scholar or International Visitor. The letter must include language indicating that UF RISC approval is required prior to a formal Invitation Letter. An approved template Letter of Intent is available here.

What happens after submission of a review request?

The submitting department will be provided with a case number to assist with tracking the visit review. UF RISC will review the request and submitted materials and make a determination. The submitting department will receive a written determination upon completion of the UF RISC review. This determination and all related communications will always reference the case number.

What if I have a question about my submission?

Please contact UF RISC at 352-392-9174 or international@research.ufl.edu and reference the case number if you have questions or forgot to submit pertinent information.

When can a Letter of Invitation be issued?

Per the Policy, a Letter of Invitation may be issued only after the visit has been approved by UF RISC.

How far in advance can a J-1 review request be submitted?

A review request for a J-1 International Scholar can submitted through the International Scholar and International Visitors Portal no more than 6 months prior to start date. Additionally, approvals are only good for 6 months following the date of UF RISC Determination Notice.

How will I know when a request is approved?

UF RISC will notify the submitting department through email.

How long should I expect the RISC approval process to take?

UF Policy allows up to 30 days for UF RISC review of an International Visitor or International Scholar through the portal. Additional deadlines for submission are required by UFIC prior to their issuance of a DS-2019 for visa applications.

When is a new review required for a Scholar already at UF?

A new review is required for changes in scope of work, including assignment on Technology Control Plan (TCP)-related research, supervisor, and/or sources of non-UF funding. J-1 extensions with no additional changes do not require UF RISC approval. These reviews do not have to meet the thirty (30) day requirement.

If a postdoc is hired and then needs a J-1 visa, will they require screening?

Yes, please route postdoctoral associates needing a J-1 visa through the International Scholars and International Visitors Portal. The submitting department will receive a written determination upon completion of the UF RISC review.

If a Scholar is funded by a program with a bench fee, is UFIRST involved?

Yes, once the International Scholar or International Visitor is approved through the International Scholars and International Visitors Portal, you will likely need to route the visit through UFIRST as well. Please contact Division of Sponsored Programs for assistance.

How do Funding Source and Description differ from Type of Research?

The “Funding Source of Visit” and “Description of Funding” sections must be filled out for the type and source of financial support the individual will receive to visit UF. This may be internal or external financial support, such as personal funds or a support from the individual’s home institution.

Alternatively, “Type of Research at UF” is limited to financial support provided through UF financial systems. For example, UF Internally funded research may include department funds or start-up. If Other Researcher is the option selected, this may include a scholarship or other financial support which flows through UF specifically for the individual, such as CAPES funding or a personal dissertation scholarship.

When an individual is employed at UF, these may be the same source of funds, however, when the individual is providing their own source of financial support or has their own research grant from an international organization, they will be different.

What is a Technology Control Plan (TCP)?

A Technology Control Plan (TCP) is an internal document between the UF RISC Export Control Team and a Researcher or PI designed to lay out the plan to appropriately comply with export control regulations and contract terms related to a specific research project or export controlled article.

How do I know if a faculty member or supervisor has a TCP?

The individual or UF RISC can provide this information to you. UF Research administrators at the college level may also be of assistance. If you are still unsure, please send a question to UF RISC using the online contact form: https://uf.tfaforms.net/f/risc-contact.

Is UF RISC part of the UF International Center (UFIC)?

No. UF RISC reports to the Vice President for Research. UF RISC partners closely with UFIC to ensure that visa review & processing follows federal and state laws and UF Policy. UF RISC reviews scholars/visitors for compliance with federal and state export control and research security laws, regulations, and statutes. UFIC processes and provides scholars/visitors with the documentation required to apply for a visit and supports scholars/visitors after their arrival to UF.

When should I submit a new request for a scholar currently at UF?

The UF Policy on Hosting International Visitors and International Scholars requires department submit requests for scholars/visitor 30 days in advance of all UFIC processing deadlines. Graduate and undergraduate students do not meet the definition of an International Visitor or International Scholar and should not be submitted for RISC review.

A request must be submitted for an individual on a visa sponsored by UF, even if approval to hire the individual is granted through a Researcher/Research Support review in the Human Resources PageUp system. Scholar/visitor request with an expected arrival date of more than six months in the future will not be reviewed unless the individual is visiting UF as a Fulbright Scholar.

Is a new request required for a scholar previously approved who did not visit during their intended dates?

Yes. If an International Visitor or Scholar was previously approved by UF RISC and was delayed over six (6) months in their arrival date, a new approval is required prior to arrival.

International Scholar Visit – FAQs