Visitor Resources

CLIC accepts a limited number of visitors per quarter. Applications are reviewed after the application deadline and acceptance decisions will be sent by email within two weeks. If you have unusual funding circumstances that will affect your application, please let us know ahead of sending your application at: cbergen [at] ucla [dot] edu

Applications for visits beginning during the:

Fall Quarter are due by February 15

Winter Quarter are due by May 15

Spring Quarter are due by August 15

Summer are due by November 15

Before preparing your application materials, we ask that you first secure endorsement from a CLIC Faculty Sponsor. Any member of the CLIC Executive Board may serve as your faculty sponsor (http://clic.ss.ucla.edu/faculty/). We suggest that you contact your potential faculty sponsor over email at least one month before the application deadline. However, please note that securing endorsement from a faculty sponsor does not guarantee acceptance to the program.

(1) Letter of recommendation. We require one letter of recommendation from an advisor/colleague who is able to provide an evaluation of your academic background and ongoing research.

(2) Research plan. Please provide a project description that outlines the original research project you plan to pursue while at UCLA. The project description should be 1-2 pages and should include a project title. Please also indicate the courses that you plan to audit and the names of the CLIC faculty with whom you intend to interact. Please see our list of CLIC-affiliated labs & courses offered in the coming year.

(3) Curriculum vitae. Please prepare an up-to-date curriculum vitae.

(4) Statement of commitment. We require a signed and scanned statement of commitment to come to UCLA for at least one full quarter.

Applications may be sent electronically via email to our CLIC Coordinator Clara Bergen or in paper form to:

Center for Language, Interaction and Culture

UCLA Department of Sociology

264 Haines Hall, 375 Portola Plaza,

Los Angeles, CA 90095-1551

While we cover the fees associated with the processing of your materials with UCLA’s International Center, the visitor must cover other university and embassy fees. These fees will depend on the visitor’s status.

If you are accepted into the program as a Visiting Graduate Researcher (VGR), the following Graduate Division fees will apply, which you will be prompted to pay by email: https://grad.ucla.edu/gss/postdoc/vgrfees.htm

Regardless of your designation as VR, VPS or VGR, you should be aware that UCLA and the US Department of State have strict regulations regarding health insurance coverage for International Exchange Visitors (EVs) and their dependents. Often, visitors’ existing health insurance is deemed insufficient by UCLA, and visitors must either purchase UCLA’s VSISP Health Insurance Policy or a comparable plan. The VSISP Insurance Policy and options for waving that policy are explained in further detail below (see “Visa Information: Health Insurance Requirement”). VSISP Insurance Policy is estimated to cost $1034 per quarter for an EV without accompanying dependents.

Again, regardless of your designation as VR, VPS or VGR, EVs will encounter visa-processing fees. This includes the SEVIS Fee, a one-time $180 fee. the SEVIS Fee is outlined in detail below, under “J-1 Visa Appointment.”

If you have been accepted as a CLIC Visitor from the United States or Canada, please email the CLIC Coordinator for specific instructions. Because CLIC Visitors almost always qualify as international scholars, the deadlines listed below are those for International Exchange Visitors (EVs).

Please note:

Changing official appointment dates is very challenging and sometimes impossible after the DS-2019 form has been submitted, so please consider carefully the dates you choose.

You will be required to sign important paperwork at the UCLA campus on your appointment start date. Therefore, please choose an appointment start date about which you are (a) fully confident that you will be in Los Angeles; and (b) certain that our staff will be available to meet with you (i.e., do not choose holidays or weekends). At the same time, it is best for you to choose a date as near as is reasonable to your expected flight date. Often, visitors choose to set their start date for the official start date of the quarter.

By laws set forth by the US Department of State, you are allowed a maximum of 30 days after your appointment end date to exit the United States, however it is preferred that visitors choose an end date as near as is reasonable to their expected flight date. Ultimately, the length of your appointment should be only slightly less than the length of your expected stay in the United States.

So that our staff may confirm the appropriateness of your start and end dates, please also send us your expected dates of entry to and exit from the United States (i.e., your flight dates) prior to booking the flight.

Ideally, your appointment dates will span three months or more; if your appointment is less than three months, you may not qualify for some campus services (https://grad.ucla.edu/gss/postdoc/vgrpriv.htm).

Your appointment dates should not span longer than one calendar year, if you plan to stay in the United States for longer than one year, please contact the CLIC Coordinator at cbergen [at] ucla [dot] edu for special instructions.

You will be required to provide a copy of the picture page of your passport, including expiration date, as part of the DS-2019 Packet. If dependents are accompanying, also provide copies of the picture pages of their passports, as this will allow you to apply for simultaneous J-2 Visas for your dependents. J-2 Dependents are defined as a legal spouse and legal minor unmarried children under the age of 21.

Please be sure that all passports are valid for the full expected period of travel to the United States.

The DS-2019 Request Form can be found here:

http://www.internationalcenter.ucla.edu/Content/files/j1/DS2019.pdf

Please be sure to also read the UCLA International Center’s DS-2019 Instructions, found here:

http://www.internationalcenter.ucla.edu/Content/files/j1/DS2019-Instructions.pdf

Below, we have provided CLIC-specific instructions for filling out the DS-2019 Request Form.

• Under “Section B: US Address” please write: 264 Haines Hall, 375 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, California, 90095-1551

• Under “Section C: UCLA Department Name” please write: Sociology

• Under “Section C: Primary Activity” please tick: “Research Scholar” if you hold a PhD and a faculty, post-doctorate, or research position at your home institution; or “Non-Degree Student” if you do not hold a PhD (however, you may hold an MA/MS or equivalent) and are currently enrolled in a PhD program in your home university.

• Under “Section C: Appointment Title” please tick: “Other” if you ticked “Research Scholar” above; or “Visiting Graduate Researcher” if you ticked “Non-Degree Student” above.

• Under “Section C: Medical Insurance” please tick: “VSISP (enroll/waive)”. This is a confirmation that you will either enroll in or waive the VSISP Insurance Plan before you arrive to the United States (outlined in more detail below). CLIC Visitors are not eligible for the other insurance plan options.

• Under “Section C: UCLA Funds” please tick: “No”. However, please also note that CLIC will pay the $300 co-payment mentioned here.

• Under “Section F: UCLA Department” please write: “None”. This is because you will not be on payroll at UCLA.

• Under “Section F: Exchange Visitor’s Government” please write the dollar amount that you plan to receive from any government-sponsored grant that may be used to pay for your travel and living expenses. If you are not traveling under a government-sponsored grant, write “None.”

• Under “Section F: Other Organizations” please write the dollar amount that you plan to receive from any government-external grant or funding source (e.g., home university fellowship or sabbatical pay) that may be directly used to pay your travel and living expenses.

• Under “Section F: Personal Funds” please write the dollar amount you have access to in personal funds for the duration of your stay, if you plan to rely in part or whole on personal funds. Please note that for VGRs, 51% of required funds must come from non-personal sources (e.g., scholarships, grants). For all visitors, please be sure to read the UCLA International Center’s DS-2019 Instructions regarding minimum necessary funds.

• Under “Section G: Dependent Information” note that dependents are defined as a legal spouse and legal minor unmarried children under the age of 21. If you plan to travel with dependents, please fill this section out in full, as it will allow you to apply for J-2 Visas for your dependents simultaneously with your J-1 Visa.

• Please leave Sections H-J blank. The CLIC Coordinator will secure these required original signatures once your DS-2019 Request Form has been received.

• For more information regarding the English Language Certification by the Sponsoring Professor (Page 4), please see the tab “(5) DS-2019 Certification of English Language Proficiency”.

You are asked to provide documentary evidence of financial support, in English. Please note: 51% of required funds must come from non-personal sources (e.g. scholarships, grants) for Visiting Graduate Researchers. See DS-2019 Request Form: Instructions Form for funds chart. Acceptable financial documents include:

Personal Funds: A recent bank statement no older than 3 months verifying the required amount of money. ATM receipts are not acceptable documents.

Family Funds from Abroad: Bank statements, sponsorship letter, and/or bankletters verifying that the exchange visitor will receive the required amount of money from their family during the term.

Government or Other Sponsoring Agency: A signed copy of the scholarship or award letter in official letterhead which states the amount and duration of the award.

Home Country Institution/Employer: Copy of signed letter from employer on official letterhead indicating the amount and continuation of salary payments during program participation.

See Page 4 of the DS-2019 Request Form for a list of acceptable certification documents.

If you choose Box 3, “Certification by the Sponsoring Professor”, you will need to contact your sponsor to request a 20-minute videoconference meeting within four weeks of receiving your admission letter. Your DS-2019 Request Form cannot be processed until you have completed the videoconference with your sponsor. This requirement holds regardless of whether you have previously met and interacted with your sponsor. The videoconference can be a good opportunity to ask your sponsor questions regarding your upcoming visit, as well as discuss your research plans. Upon sending our staff the completed DS-2019 Request Form, please tick the box “Certification by Sponsoring Professor” but leave the rest of Page 4 blank. Once we receive your completed DS-2019 Request Form, the CLIC Coordinator will meet with your sponsor to secure the signature and interviewer notes required on Page 4.

For Visiting Graduate Researchers (VGRs), please expect a notice of fees due within one week of submitting your DS-2019 & J-1 Visa Packet. Please pay these fees promptly using the online payment system outlined in the notice. Your paperwork cannot be processed further until fees have been paid.

Expected processing time for the DS-2019 at UCLA DCISS is three weeks. You will be notified of completion via email, and then the finished DS-2019 will be sent via Fed-Ex to your address. CLIC will pay this postage. Please be sure to email your preferred shipping address to cbergen [at] ucla.edu.

Unfortunately, we cannot legally send you a digital copy of the DS-2019. However, we can email you the SEVIS number as soon as the DS-2019 has been finalized (your local US Embassy will require a SEVIS number for you to schedule a J-1 Visa Appointment). You will also find the SEVIS number printed on your finalized DS-2019, when you receive it in the mail.

Please schedule a J-1 Visa Interview appointment with your local US Embassy as soon your DS-2019 is processed and finished. If you are simultaneously applying for J-2 Visas for dependents, please be sure to inform the embassy representative, and ask what additional documentation you will need to bring to your appointment. Ideally, your visa appointment will be made for the nearest available date after the (expected) arrival of your finalized DS-2019 in the mail. You must bring the original signed copy of your DS-2019 to the J-1 Visa Interview.

At least three days prior to the visa appointment, Exchange Visitors are required to pay a mandatory one-time SEVIS Fee online (https://www.fmjfee.com/i901fee/desktop/index.jsp?view= desktop) to the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). You must print out and retain a copy of your SEVIS Fee payment receipt and present proof of payment at the J-1 Visa Interview. Please inquire with your local embassy regarding additional documentation needed for your interview.

Please email the CLIC Coordinator at once you have secured your J-1 Visa, so that we know that the visa process is on track. For additional information regarding UCLA J-1 Visa regulations, please see:

http://www.internationalcenter.ucla.edu/Content/files/j1/ExchangeVisitor-J-1-RegulationsHandbook.pdf

Once you are ready to book your flight, please send us your tentative flight dates, so that we can confirm that they are in compliance with your visa requirements.

The US Federal Government and UCLA have strict regulations surrounding health insurance coverage for Exchange Visitors. All J-1 visitors at UCLA are required to enroll or waive the Visiting Scholar Injury and Sickness Insurance Plan (VSISP) through Garnett-Powers & Associates. All J-2 dependents must also either enroll or waive of the VSISP. If you choose to waive the VSISP, you must enroll in an equivalent travel insurance and complete the VSISP waiver process. For information about your VSISP medical insurance plan options, as well as enrollment information, please see the Garnett-Powers VSISP website: https://www.garnett-powers.com/academics/ucla/ For information about waiving the VSISP for an equivalent travel insurance, please see the following PDF: https://www.garnett-powers.com/academics/ucla/UCLA_Waiver_Request_Form_2016.pdf

As you plan for your travel to the United States, you have three options:

(1) Enroll in UCLA VSISP for the full duration of your stay. If you choose this option, you should plan to enroll yourself and all J-2 dependents in a UCLA VSISP plan about one month prior to your flight date. You will need to purchase coverage for the full duration of your stay in the United States (from when your flight touches down in the United States to when your flight takes off to return home). If your flight dates are within the same month as your appointment start and end dates (e.g., flight date of January 1 and appointment start date of January 4) you will automatically be enrolled in VSISP for the full duration of your stay in the United States. This is because VSISP enrollment always begins on the first day of the month of your appointment start date and ends on the last day of the month of your appointment end date, and these months cannot be pro-rated. If your flight dates are not within the same month as your appointment start and end dates (e.g., flight date of December 25 and appointment start date of January 4) you will need to purchase a one-month extension of the VSISP after filling out the initial enrollment form. In the example provided above, you would request an extension to be covered for the month of December. Due to issues previous visitors have had in securing basic medical care with Plan B and Plan C of VSISP, the CLIC Coordinator cannot recommend these plans at this time. The cost of Plan A is 1034 USD per quarter, as of June 2016.

(2) Enroll in UCLA VSISP for the duration of your UCLA appointment, and purchase an additional short-term travel insurance to cover the period between the flight dates and appointment dates. Returning to the previous example, a visitor may choose a flight date of December 25 and an appointment start date of January 4. If this is the case, the visitor may not want to purchase a full additional month of VSISP Insurance for December due to cost. This visitor would have the option to purchase VSISP Insurance only for their appointment dates, and supplement this with a short-term travel insurance purchased for the final six days of December. Then, the visitor could enroll in the VSISP Insurance beginning January 1st. If you plan to purchase supplemental short-term travel insurance, UCLA requires that you enroll in the VSISP within 30 days of your appointment start date. Your supplemental travel insurance will need to provide the following minimum benefits in the United States:

Medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness
Repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000
Expenses associated with the medical evacuation of the exchange visitor to his or her home country in the amount of $50,000
A deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness.

(3) Waive the VSISP and enroll in another equivalent insurance plan for the full duration of your stay. If you hope to opt out of the VSISP, we suggest submitting your waiver application as soon as possible, because some visitors are denied a waver and must research options for purchasing supplemental health insurance or enroll in the VSISP. If your waiver application is denied, this means that UCLA does not deem your current health insurance sufficient coverage for your travel to the United States. In order to waive the VSISP and enroll in another health insurance plan, UCLA requires that you and your J-2 dependents are insured by a plan with the following minimum coverage:

• $100,000 per accident & illness in medical coverage
• Deductible cannot exceed $500 per accident or illness
• Coinsurance cannot exceed 25%
• Medical evacuation coverage must be at least $50,000
• Repatriation coverage must be at least $25,000
• Pre-existing conditions must be covered with a waiting period no longer than 12 months
• Carrier must be at least A- rated or backed by the full faith and credit of the Exchange Visitor’s government.

Please be sure to provide as much information as possible regarding your requested insurance plan when applying for the VSISP Waiver. Many previous CLIC Visitors have successfully waived the VSISP Plan after discussing long-term travel insurance options with an insurance broker in their home country. With questions, please feel free to email the CLIC Coordinator at cbergen [at] ucla [dot] edu.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have recently increased security measures at all U.S. ports of entry. Please anticipate delays passing through U.S. Customs and plan accordingly if you will have any domestic connecting flights before reaching your final U.S. destination.  Please make sure to have the following documents ready when entering the U.S. to facilitate your admission to the U.S.:

(1) Valid UCLA DS-2019

(2) Valid J-1 Visa (except Canadian Citizens)

(3) Valid Passport (valid for at least 6 months into the future)

You will receive further information regarding Validation of Arrival at your entrance appointment with Clara Bergen. However, please be sure to read the information below PRIOR to your arrival, to be sure that you have access to the following documents upon your arrival, and that you bring the correct documentation to your entrance appointment.

As a newly admitted UCLA J-1 scholar/student, your arrival must be updated in SEVIS. This process is called ‘validation’ and must be completed within 30 days after the appointment date stated on Box #3 on the DS-2019 form. In order to do this, you are required to check-in with the Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars (DCISS) upon arrival to UCLA. You are required to bring the following documents to DCISS:

(1) Copy of DS-2019 (Page 1)

(2) Copy of I-94 Admission Record (access at www.cbp.gov/i94) *

(3) Copy of J-1 Visa (except Canadian citizens)

(4) Copy of Passport Photo Page

(5) Copy of Proof of Medical Insurance **

(6) Original Passport and DS-2019

* Print your I-94 Admission Record only after arrival to the U.S. If you receive a paper I-94 card instead, make a copy of both front and back sides of the card.

** VSISP enrollment confirmation will be sent to you by email. Print and bring for check-in. For those approved for the waiver, bring waiver confirmation email and proof of medical insurance used to waive. J-1 visitors exempt from the VSISP plan must provide proof of medical insurance.

Please note: Copies of documents listed above must be made AFTER arrival to the United States but before arrival at DCISS (no copy machine is available there). You may choose to make copies at a local print shop, or the CLIC Coordinator can make copies in the CLIC Office.

DCISS address and phone number can be found here: http://www.internationalcenter.ucla.edu/home/about/17/24/contact

To better accommodate all J-1 scholars/students the following time slots have been designated for the visa check-in:

Monday:                         9:00 am-12:00 pm; 2:00 pm-4:00 pm

Tuesday:                         9:00 am-12:00 pm; 2:00 pm-4:00 pm

Wednesday:                   9:00 am-10:00 am; 2:00 pm-4:00 pm

Thursday:                       9:00 am-12:00 pm; 2:00 pm-4:00 pm

Friday:                             9:00 am-12:00 pm; 2:00 pm-4:00 pm