The Exchange Visitor Program -- managed by the U.S. Department of State -- implements the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act (the Fulbright-Hayes Act) of 1961 to “foster global understanding through educational and cultural exchanges.” In addition to setting all Exchange Visitor Program policy and issuing visas for exchange visitors to use to enter the U.S. to particiapte in the Program, the DOS also certifies Exchange Program sponsors (such as Marquette University) to administer the Program on a local campus by hosting exchange visitors in designated Program categories.

The U.S. visa for participation in the Exchange Visitor Program is called a J visa. At Marquette, select staff in the Office of International Education (OIE) are designated Responsible Officers with the Department of State. The Responsible Officers help Marquette departments who wish to host J-1 Exchange Visitors and also monitor and enforce departmental and Exchange Visitor compliance with the J-1 regulations that structure the Exchange Visitor Program. 

Faculty considering hosting an exchange visitor assume the primary responsibility for using the information on the "Visitor Categories" and the "How to Host" pages here to determine which designated program category may be appropriate for their prospective exchange visitor.  They also assume responbilitity for submitting to OIE the materials necessary for OIE to review the materials and issue visa application paperwork as appropriate as well as for support the exchange visitor with their arrival process as well as all non-regulatory issues throughout their program.  

Special Note: The Exchange Visitor Program may not be used for the sole purpose of employment, or for work that is completely independent with no relationship to Marquette. Cross cultural exchange activities are a mandatory part of the Exchange Visitor Program, and Marquette faculty/departmental hosts are required to submit plans for cross cultural exchange opportunities for their exchange visitors as part of their request to OIE to host an Exchange Visitor as well as to provide a summary of those plans to OIE at the end of an Exchange Visitor's program.

For information about employment visas for university employees who do not qualify as an exchange visitor, contact Marquette Human Resources or the Marquette Office of the General Counsel.

 

 

---

 J-1 Exchange Visitor Categories →

---