Visiting Scholar Arrival Checklist

Check-In at CISS: Visiting scholars at Storrs campus

Visiting scholars who are based at Storrs campus should visit the ISSS office in CISS, 2019 Hillside Road, to complete your check in process and attend a new scholar orientation.  Check-in and scholar orientations take place on Thursday afternoons at 2 pm.  Bring your DS-2019, passport, visa, and your medical insurance information. If you have accompanying dependents, bring these documents for your dependent as well.

After you complete the new scholar orientation, ISSS staff will assist with your check in.  Review the J-1 Scholar Orientation Slides and prepare any questions for your meeting in advance.

Check-In at ISSS: Visiting scholars not based at Storrs campus

Visiting scholars who are not at the Storrs campus will prepare electronic copies of their immigration documents, and submit your arrival documents online through the ISSS Portal. You must do this within 3 days after arrival to the U.S. Follow the instructions below, and contact international@uconn.edu if you have any problems accessing your ISSS Portal account.

After you submit your arrival documents, your ISSS Advisor will schedule an orientation meeting with you. Review the J-1 Scholar Orientation Slides and prepare any questions for your meeting in advance.

Step One: Download I-94 Admission Record

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will issue all exchange visitors an I-94 Admission Number upon entry to the U.S. Exchange visitors entering by air travel will be issued an electronic I-94 Admission record after passing through immigration/passport control, which can be saved/printed for your records.  Exchange visitors entering from Canada or Mexico by land or sea will receive a white paper card stapled inside their passport.   Your I-94 is very important and indicates the Date of Entry, Class of Admission and the Admit Until date.  For all exchange visitors, your I-94 should indicate Class of Admission = J-1 and Admit Until Date = D/S.  If your I-94 is "Not Found" or if the information on your I-94 is incorrect you may need to have your I-94 Admission corrected by CBP (see below).

Select Get Most Recent I-94 option.

If your I-94 cannot be found, try these tips to locate your record.

  • Enter your information again, slowly to make sure there are no typos.
  • If your name differs on your passport and visa, try using the name as it appears in the passport.
  • Try switching your “Family Name” and “First (Given) Name”.
  • The search is case sensitive. Try all lower case letters.
  • If you have two passports with the valid visa in the old passport, try using each passport number.
  • If you have multiple names, try eliminating the space between them, or removing the last few letters.
  • Try using the machine readable name spelling from your passport (e.g. PMUSALAST<<FIRST<NAME<<<).
  • Try switching the month and day of your Birth Date (e.g. 10/03/1985 and 03/10/1985).
  • Try entering your visa number instead of your passport number.
  •  If you have a Mexican passport, try eliminating the first two digits of the passport number.

If it still cannot be found, or if your I-94 has errors or is incorrect, contact international@uconn.edu, and your ISSS advisor will contact U.S. Customs and Border Protection on  your behalf to find or correct your record.

Step Two: Prepare Immigration Documents

Prepare electronic copies of the following documents (.jpeg or .pdf).  Use your smartphone camera or a scanner to save your files.

  1. Passport (with picture, biographic info and expiration date)
  2. Current J-1 Visa
  3. Entry stamp in your passport
  4. Print-out of your automated I-94 admission record*
  5. Form DS-2019 used to enter the U.S.
  6. Medical Insurance Documentation:
  7. If your dependents have UConn J-2 visas, Please submit items 1-6 above for your J-2 dependents as well.

Step Three: Submit Arrival Documents

J-1 Visiting Research Scholars should complete their check in remotely by following the steps below:

  1. Log into your Scholar Portal account with your email and password (Do NOT use NetID).
  2. Go to the “REQUESTS” tab at the far right of your profile page.
  3. Click on “SUBMIT ARRIVAL DOCUMENTATION”
    1. Please upload your copies (PDF or Jpeg’s are fine) of DS-2019, Passport, Visa, I-94 admission record.
  4. Next, click on “SUBMIT INSURANCE DOCUMENTATION” and enter your J-1 medical insurance coverage information (required).
  5. Finally, follow up with your Sponsoring Department PI/Faculty Supervisor directly to ensure proper university protocol for beginning your J-1 program objectives.

More Arrival Tips

  • If you are on Storrs campus, visit the Lodewick Visitors Center and ask for a campus map.
  • Pick up your Husky One Card from the One Card Office. Bring your UConn offer letter and identification.
  • Attend your orientation meeting with your ISSS advisor.
  • Complete any required trainings for your hosting department.
  • Purchase a local transit pass. If you are in the Storrs area, look for the WRTD pass. Check CT Transit for other cities.
  • Set up a bank account
  • If you have a car, set up your parking pass

What not to do right away:

  • Paid visiting scholars should apply for a U.S. social security number, if you do not already have one. Do not apply for a Social Security Number (SSN) until 10 days have passed since you submitted your arrival documents to ISSS.  UConn will sponsor an event for new students at the Storrs campus to apply for Social Security Numbers.
  • Do not apply for a Connecticut driver's license or non-driver ID card right away. You must first submit your arrival documents and apply to the Social Security Administration for a Social Security Number, or a Social Security denial letter (if you do not work in the U.S.).
  • Do not purchase a car right away. To purchase a car and legally register it for driving, you must have a CT driver's license or non-driver ID card.