Each visiting scholar is required to have a faculty academic host. It is important that you submit all five parts of the application to enable the Center for International Education and Development and department chairpersons to request a faculty host. Please do not contact faculty directly.

If you are accepted, you will receive an official letter of invitation. This letter will include instructions for the next steps of the process. 

Your appointment as a visiting scholar does not provide compensation or financial assistance through IU. We do however provide full access to the Indiana University Libraries system and all its resources.

You must provide proof of your financial support. The Office of International Services at Indiana University requires at a minimum the following figures to issue a J-1 visa certification: $1,200 per month for the J-1 Scholar, $500 per month for the first J-2 dependent, and $300 per month for each additional J-2 dependent.

The length of your stay depends on your funding and the release time from your current university. Generally, the length of time visiting scholars spend at Indiana University is from six months to one year. Once we have agreed to host you as a visiting scholar, the school will request a visa certification (Form DS-2019) on your behalf to allow you to apply for the J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa. Note that your accompanying dependents must apply for the J-2 Visa.

English Language Proficiency Requirement

Potential J-1 Exchange visitors must provide documentation of sufficient proficiency in English to participate in their program and to function on a day-to-day basis. Supporting documentation should be dated and less than one year old. The following measurements can be used to document English language proficiency:

• Recognized English language test such as TOEFL, IELTS or MELAB
• Signed documentation from an academic institution or English language school confirming language proficiency level
• A documented interview conducted by the sponsoring department, either in-person or by videoconference—a telephone interview is acceptable if videoconferencing is not available
• Confirmation that the exchange visitor’s native language is English.

Please visit the Office of International Services for resources to assist you in planning your visit to Bloomington.