The Catholic University of America

Fulbright Scholars or Visiting Scholars not requiring CUA Immigration Sponsorship

Request Form for Letter of Invitation from CUA Sample letter of invitation Bringing visiting scholars who need CUA immigration sponsorship

CUA is part of a vibrant, active global intellectual community. Academic exchanges and collaborations happen all the time with the exchange of ideas and concepts in both the electronic and real-word environments. Universities and institutions around the world have acquired a wealth of resources that are invaluable in academic scholarship and they make these resources available in the interests of advancing scholarly knowledge and academic exchange. It is not uncommon for CUA faculty and researchers to visit another institution, to consult their experts, and use their resources to support their own academic research. Likewise, international scholars often make use of CUA's valuable collections.

The information that follows is intended to provide guidance to CUA professors, departments, and Schools when approached by either an individual seeking to affiliate with CUA for purposes of securing a Fulbright scholarship or who need a letter of invitation in order to apply for a visitor's visa. Individuals requiring CUA to sponsor their immigration status should review the guidelines for CUA J-1 sponsorship and complete and submit the appropriate request forms.

Who doesn't need CUA sponsorshp for a J-1 visa as a visiting scholar?

Not everyone who plans to come to CUA to conduct research needs to have their immigration status sponsored by CUA. CUA does not need to sponsor a person for J-1 visa if he/she is coming to conduct his own, independent research, will not be paid by CUA for services, and meets one of the following criteria:

  • Individuals who will be sponsored by another organization, such as Fulbright
  • Individuals who will come to the U.S. as a visitor on a B-1 or B-1 visa or on a WB or WT if they come from a country eligible for the visa waiver program

Individuals applying for fellowships from organization (such as Fulbright) and individuals applying for a visitor's visa to conduct scholarly research will need a letter of invitation from the academic institution where they will conduct their research.

Obtaining a CUA Letter of Invitation (for individuals not needing CUA Immigration Sponsorship)

The process for inviting an international Visiting Scholar to CUA is fairly simple:

The Visiting Scholar: completes Section One of the Visiting International Scholar Request for Letter of Invitation for Short-Term Scholarly Research. This Form is used for visiting scholars who will not need CUA immigration Sponsorship and will not be paid by CUA. Once completed, the potential visiting scholar sends it to the CUA academic department with which he/she wishes to affiliate, along with the following required attachments:

  • Copy of CV
  • A brief description of the proposed research

The CUA Department/School: reviews the request. It's important to fully understand the scope of what is being asked. The department should keep the following in mind:

  • Is the scholar's plans consistent with research/programs/goals that already exist at CUA?
  • Is there someone available to serve as an academic mentor/advisor for the individual?
  • Is there space on campus for the scholar to carry out the planned research/activity?
  • what, if anything, can the department offer in terms of office, desk, computer, phone, email access?
  • what institutional resources can the individual access? Library, computer labs, experts?
  • In addition to his/her research, does the scholar intend to enroll in classes?
  • When will the individual come and for how long?

Once the School agrees to host the scholar, the department/School:

  • completes Section Two of the Request form sent them by the visiting scholar
  • Generates a letter of invitation. A letter of invitation is a fairly simple matter in that it invites the individual to come to CUA as a visiting scholar. The letter should give some idea of the scope of the intended research/affiliation (what will the individual do at CUA) and what the individual can expect from CUA in terms of the considerations listed above. (See sample)
  • Obtains the signature of both the department chair (if there is one) and the Dean of the host school
  • Sends the form with the letter and the scholar's attachments to the Center for Global Education (111 McMahon Hall)

The Center for Global Education, which is charged with coordinating the University's international activities, will review the request prior to sending it to the Provost for final approval. Upon the approval of the Provost, the Letter of invitation will be returned to the host department to be sent to the visitng scholar.

The scholar will use the letter of invitation as supporting documentation both for the application for Fulbright sponsorship and for the visa application at the U.S. consulate abroad.

Immigration Papers

Fulbright handles the issuance of all immigration papers for individuals sponsored by them. These individuals come in J-1 Exchange Visitor Status for the period of time specified. These individuals are expected to return home when their program is completed, therefore long-range plans for these individuals are discouraged.

Role of International Student and Scholar Services

It is important to know that Fulbright, not CUA is legally responsible for their immigration status. However, the staff of International Student and Scholar Services is always available to provide general information regarding their immigration status and has a handbook for international scholars that provides useful information about settling in to life in the U.S. Fulbright scholars are encouraged to make appointments to have an orientation with one of ISSS' staff members.