International Scholars and Professionals

Students in discussion, outside of building. UCF Global, Barbara Ying Center

UCF Global is committed to facilitating research and scholarly activities both domestically and internationally. We serve as primary hub for departments wishing to host international visitors and employees.

Once a faculty member or department has identified a foreign national they would like to host at the University of Central Florida, they must determine which visa type best suites the collaboration, the future plans of the visitor, and the goals of the host department. Below is a comparison chart which provides side-by-side information which can help a host department make that determination.

Step-by-step guides to invite your foreign national visiting scholar or employee:

J-1 Exchange Visitors
H-1B & International Employees

Important Questions and Answers

Hosting any foreign national in any visa type can have potential export control implications to the United States and the University of Central Florida. The UCF Office of Export Controls Compliance is a critical partner in hosting foreign nationals at UCF. As part of the visa process, visa petitions for new employees and/or visiting scholars are routed to the Office of Export Controls Compliance for a detailed compliance review. Part of this review also includes reviewing visa petitions for affiliations with Denied Entities and High Risk Entities.

Does the individual you are looking to hire/host have an affiliation with a denied entity?

The U.S. Government prohibits U.S. entities from engaging in activities with parties that are identified on the U.S. Denied Parties Lists (Denied Entities).

At this time, UCF will not hire new employees and/or host visiting scholars that have a current affiliation with a Denied Entity or have had an affiliation with a Denied Entity in the last 10 years.

For more information on Denied Entities, please see: https://www.trade.gov/consolidated-screening-list.

As part of the visa process, visa petitions for new employees and/or visiting scholars are routed to the Office of Export Controls Compliance for a detailed compliance review. Part of this review also includes reviewing visa petitions for affiliations with Denied Entities. For questions, please contact the Associate Director for the Office of Export Controls Compliance, Ashley Guritza at: Ashley.Guritza@ucf.edu.

Do you engage in work that is export controlled?

If you engage in work that is export controlled, certain foreign persons may not be permitted to engage in your export-controlled research activities. In some cases, UCF can seek written authorization from the U.S. Government (i.e. an export control license) to permit foreign persons to engage in export-controlled research activities. On average, the licensing process takes two to six months and should be started as soon as possible. There is never a guarantee that the U.S. Government will grant an export control license, but UCF is happy to assist faculty with the export control licensing process. The UCF Office of Export Controls Compliance is the only UCF unit authorized to submit export control licenses on behalf of UCF and UCF personnel.

For more information, please see: https://www.research.ucf.edu/ExportControl/I-129.html.

Visa petitions for new employees and/or visiting scholars are routed to the Office of Export Controls Compliance for a detailed compliance review. Part of this review includes identifying individual research activities that may require a license. For questions, please contact the Associate Director for the Office of Export Controls Compliance, Ashley Guritza at: Ashley.Guritza@ucf.edu.

internships

Visa Comparison Chart

H-1B J-1 O-1 TN B1/B2 or Visa Waiver
PURPOSE Temporary Employment:
Specialty Occupation		 Educational and Cultural Exchange Temporary Employment:
Extraordinary Ability/Achievement		 Temporary Employment:
NAFTA Professional		 Tourism / Conference Attendance
 REQUIREMENTS Position must require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a specific field of study English Proficiency &                       Adequate Funding Demonstrated proof of extraordinary ability/achievement Citizenship of Canada or Mexico
Position must be a listed NAFTA profession		 none
PROCESSING TIME Expedited: 6 months
Standard: 12 months		 2-4 months Expedited: 2 months
Standard: 8 months		 Border Crossing: Immediate
Change of Status: 8-12 months		 2-4 months for B1/B2
2-4 weeks for ESTA (Visa Waiver)
FEES
(italics = optional)		 Form I-129 filing: $555 USD
Anti-fraud: $500 USD
Legal Rush Fee: $900 USD
USCIS Premium Processing: $2,500 USD		 SEVIS I-901: $220 USD
DS-160 Visa Application: $160 USD		 Form I-129 filing: $705 USD
Legal Processing: $5,500 USD
Legal Rush Fee: $2,000 USD
USCIS Premium Processing: $2,500 USD		 Border Crossing: $50 USD
-or-
Form I-129 filing: $695 USD
Legal Rush Fee: $900 USD
USCIS Premium Processing: $1,440 USD		 DS-160 Visa Application: $160 USD
-or-
Visa Waiver Application: $14 USD
LEGAL COUNSEL Fragomen Worldwide n/a Fragomen Worldwide Fragomen Worldwide n/a
MAXIMUM DURATION 6 years
(3-year initial approval)		 5 years
(less for certain J-1 categories)		 3 years
(1-year subsequent renewals optional)		 3 years
(3-year subsequent renewals optional)		 n/a
SALARY REQUIREMENTS ≥ Actual wage or prevailing wage, whichever is greater No minimum requirements No minimum requirements ≥ Federal or State minimum wage, whichever is greater n/a
DEPENDENTS Employment: No
Study: Part Time or Full Time		 Employment: Yes w/ EAD
Study: Part Time or Full Time		 Employment: No
Study: Part Time or Full Time		 Employment: No
Study: Part Time or Full Time		 Employment: No
Study: No
ADVANTAGES Path to permanent residency Quick processing
Often funded externally		 No home residency requirement
Typically faster than H-1B processing		 Quick processing
Border crossing presents low cost		 35+ countries participate in VWP
Visitor may have B1/B2 visa in passport
DISADVANTAGES High fees
Long processing times
Minimum wage requirements		 Barred from repeat participation
Possible home residency requirement
No tenure-track positions
No path to permanent residency		 High fees
Renewals of only 1-year increments		 Limited to citizens of Canada or Mexico
No path to permanent residency
Not all positions are eligible		 No employment options
No institutional access
Limited scope of activity on campus

Notes: This chart does not constitute legal advice. All sponsorships are employer and position specific. Fees and processing times are subject to change without notice.
Please consult with UCF Global for additional guidance on which visa type may be most appropriate for a visitor or prospective employee.