Please read through our latest International Center Newsletter for Faculty and Staff!
Updates regarding International visitors, zoom info sessions, recruiting challenges and study abroad information.
International Center News for Faculty and Staff
June 2023
Update
International Center Hours Monday through Friday 8 am to 4:00 pm
Drop-In Hours are Tuesday – Thursday 2 pm to 3 pm
Appointments can be scheduled through Handshake. The URL for Handshake is:
https://clarkson.joinhandshake.com/edu
Search for Global Opportunities in CU Global at this link:
https://clarkson-horizons.symplicity.com/https://clarkson-horizons.symplicity.com/
The International Center is offering Zoom Open Hours for new International Students! Please Encourage your students to attend! These sessions will assist them with pre arrival questions. When? Even Wednesdays from 9-10 am
Summer Highlights
Travel is back to normal and students are on the move? Undergraduates participating in summer Global Opportunities:
- Summer Programs with Partner Universities = 13
- Australia Global Business Program = 20
- Croatia Global Business Program = 20
- Iceland / Germany Global Business Program = 27
- Scotland / Netherlands Global Business Program = 20
- Southeast Asia Global Business Program = 20
- Doctors without Borders Program = 9
- Sustainability & Environmental Conservation in Kenya = 10
For a total of 139 students participating!
Image from Reh Goes to Scotland & Netherlands Facebook Group.
International Visitors: The Process
The International Center assists departments and faculty sponsors with hiring or hosting international faculty, staff and scholars under the J Exchange Visitor Program. This includes:
- assistance with immigration document preparation
- arrival guide for J Scholars
- general scholar advising to those on J visa status
Clarkson can issue documents under the following categories:
- J Professor / Research Scholar: Individual whose primary duties are teaching or research. These categories commingle. Length of stay is 3-weeks to 5-years
- J1 Short-Term Scholar: A professor, research scholar or person with similar education or accomplishments coming to the US on a short-term visit for the purpose of lecturing, observing, training or demonstrating special skills. Length of stay is up to 6-months.
- J Student Intern: Student pursuing a degree outside the US where the internship is fulfilling the education objective for his/her degree at home institution. Special conditions do apply. Length of stay is 3-weeks to 1-year.
Please visit the International Center intranet to view the ‘Steps to host a J-1 Scholar’.
Important Note: Please allow at least 2 – 3 months processing prior to the start of the J program. This allows enough time for International Center staff to review and process the visa paperwork, visa processing – and – travel to Clarkson University.
Please email internationalcenter@clarkson.edu with any questions or requests.
Visa Application Updates
As the graduate recruiting season continues in full force please be mindful that students from certain countries may encounter delays in visa processing. Please encourage students to be patient and visit the US Consulate website daily to see if appointments have become available.
It is important to understand that when students apply for their student visas, they are required to answer three basic questions:
- What is the reason for your travel to the United States?
- How do you plan to pay for your educational expenses?
- Prove strong ties to your home country
Challenges once these questions have been answered:
- Overcoming the US Consular Officers’ perception of immigrant
- intent. The applicant must prove strong ties to their home country.
- Visa appointment shortages.
- Global/political challenges – Some countries are currently going through some political turmoil which impacts the US Consulates availability to provide regular visa services. In some instances, that makes the US Consular Officer sensitive to the applicant’s intent to travel to the US. Natural disasters are also causing delays.
- The applicant’s previous visa application history. If a student has been denied more than two times, this may have an impact on their visa application.
The US Department of State continues to make student visa applications a priority.
Fulbright Scholar Liaison Update – June 2023
Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program 2024-25 Competition is open: https://fulbrightscholars.org/us-scholar-awards
The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program’s 2024-25 competition is open, featuring over 400 awards offered in more than 135 countries. Fulbright U.S. Scholar Awards allow academics, professionals and artists who are U.S. citizens to teach, research, and carry out professional projects abroad.
We accept applications until September 15, 2023.
Curious where your Fulbright journey could take you?
Visit our Webinar Schedule: https://apply.iie.org/portal/scholar_webinars
for details about events throughout the competition, featuring specific countries, regions and disciplines. We look forward to seeing you (virtually) in webinars throughout the year.
Watch for our next issue coming in July!