Resources for Visiting Scholars and Faculty

From pre-arrival and both specific and general visa information, including an overview of different visa types, to tips for settling in here in North Carolina, this section and its subpages provide Visiting Scholars and Faculty with a number of specific resources to make the transition to life here in the United States smoother and more enjoyable, so you can focus on conducting groundbreaking research, teaching, and other academic activities.

Advising Appointments for Scholars and Faculty

Newly arriving visiting scholars should attend a mandatory orientation/check-in meeting held each Wednesday at 1:00pm in the ISSO, located in the CHHS building, suite 202. Please submit your arrival information in the ISSO Scholar Portal using the original email address affiliated with your account. Also, be sure to upload your I-94 arrival/departure record and your health insurance card.

Continuing visiting scholars and international faculty who have individual questions and would like to meet with an advisor should email intlsso@charlotte.edu to set up an appointment.

An Overview of Different Visa Types

Many of the visitors to this site may be wondering, “What visa type do I need for my time at UNC-Charlotte?” To address this question, we have assembled a general overview of different visa types at the link below. UNC-Charlotte’s ISSO team has decades of expertise advising on visas commonly used in Higher Education settings, including advising for visa types with a finite end date, like J-1 or F-1 with OPT status, or regarding a longer term visa status that allows immigrant intent, such as H-1B. It’s important to note that both short term and long term visits to the U.S. are highly regulated by the U.S. government, so which visa type to be used in a specific case depends on a number of complex factors.