Fulbright Pre-Departure What are you getting yourself into?

Fulbright Pre-DepartureWhat are you getting yourself into?

Agenda

• Program history and overview• Administrator roles – Commission, IIE/CIES, US

Department of State• Your role – including responsibilities• Visas – applying, traveling, knowing• US logistics Q&A

Program History

• Senator J. William Fulbright• Over 150 participating countries• Fulbright programs include:

– US & Foreign Student Programs – US & Foreign Scholar Programs– Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants Program

• Over 1,800 new Foreign Fulbright grants awarded annually

Program Goals

• Cultural exchange• Academic development• Leadership development• Personal development• Professional development• Promote mutual understanding between people of the

U.S. and those of other countries

Still Need documents from

• BE/LU Scholars• Thomas Gernay (tgernay@gmail.com): signed terms• Anastassia Vorobieva (anastassia.vorobieva@uclouvain.be): medical form

• BE/LU Students • Alexandre Hublet (frederic.helsen@law.kuleuven.be): funding source• Julie Lemmens (julie.lemmens@hotmail.com): IIE terms (just re-sent today on request)• Frederik Soetaert (frederiksoetaert@gmail.com): both terms• Nicolas Vanderstappen (nicolas.vanderstappen@gmail.com): medical form, both terms,

funding proof

Program Details

• MONEY – director@fulbright.be, accountant@fulbright.be

• Paperwork and details – fulbright@fulbright.be• Experiences – Gateway and Enrichment

seminars, Occassional Lecturer Fund, Academic Training – IIE/CIES program officer

• Sharing your experience – fulbrightbe@gmail.com

www.faab.be

https://alumni.state.gov

Commission History

• 1948- Commission opens• 1968 and 1990- Begin to manage programs for

citizens of Luxembourg and all 28 EU member states, too

• 2014- 2,014 American grants and 2,548 Belgian grants administered

Role of IIE & CIES

• Issue your visa paperwork• Act as your primary contact for all of your personal, academic

and immigration concerns while in the US• Confirm your legal status in the U.S. with USCIS• Travel-validate your DS-2019• Monitor your academic progress• Review requests for work authorization, extensions, 2-year

requirement waivers, etc.

Our Staff

Role of the Commission

• Issue your Terms of Award and collect your visa paperwork

• Prepare you for departure• Administer grant payments• Engage you in our alumni network• Advocate for more educational exchange –

interviews and blogs

Responsibilities

• Timely submission of your paperwork• Return the bank and contact details form upon

arrival• Let us know when you´ll be leaving the country• Write occassional blog posts• Submit mid- and end-year reports• Be active alumni!

Communication is key!

Visa Application Process

1. Receive your DS-2019 and review the start and end dates for accuracy

2. Make an appointment according to the instructions we’ll send you with fee waivers

3. Attend the appointment with your DS-2019, passport, passport photos, proof of financial support

4. Pick up your visa and passport in 1-2 days!

Arrival at U.S. Port of Entry

• You may not arrive EARLIER THAN 30 DAYS BEFORE THE START DATE listed on your DS-2019

• Upon arrival at the port of entry, you must check in at one of theDepartment of Homeland Security stations. You must carry your:

Valid Passport SEVIS Form DS-2019 Evidence of financial resources J-1 Visa – make sure the CBP officer notes this!

• Your visit will generate an electronic I-94 form• Allow 3 hours for this process before any connecting flights

J-Visa Requirements

Alert your IIE Student Services officer of any travel outside the U.S.

Register full-time for each term and provide proof of full-time enrollment which can be requested from the university registrar’s office.

Request work authorization and approval before you can accept any on-campus or off-campus position.

2-year home country post-grant requirement

Work Authorization

• The primary purpose of your participation in the Fulbright Program is to undertake your approved academic program – not to seek employment.

You must check with your IIE Student Services contact prior to seeking employment.

• Your Fulbright grant could be reduced by earned income.

• J-1 regulations limits work authorization to a maximum of 20 hours a week during the academic year and 40 hours a week during summer and holidays.

Academic Training (AT)

• Academic Training is an opportunity to gain professional experience in the U.S. that supplements the academic experience.

• The Fulbright Program and your specific country program have specific policies concerning Academic Training. To determine your eligibility for AT, please consult with your IIE Student Services contact.

• AT can take place during your studies or immediately following your studies.

Visa Extensions, Transfers, and Waivers

• Happens in the spring• Responsible for your own proof of funding• Students up to 3-5 years (depending on

degree); scholars, nearly impossible• Instructions on IIE/CIES website• Alumni advice on blog

J-2 Dependents

• Eligibility: Your spouse and children under the age of 21 may be eligible to apply for J-2 visas depending on country policy

• Funding: You must have additional resources to provide for members of your family (Fulbright grant funds are intended for the recipient only). Please note you will need to verify these funds EVERY year if your grant is renewable.

• Planning: If you have been assigned to a pre-academic program, your dependents cannot accompany you

J-2 Visa Status

• J-2 status is always subject to the J-1 status.

• J-2 dependents may not remain in the U.S. beyond the duration of the program of the J-1.

• J-2 dependents may not remain in the U.S. if the J-1 leaves the country for more than 1 month.

• J-2 dependents are also subject to the two-year Home Residency Requirement.

• J-1must notify IIE of any changes related to J-2 such as health emergencies, legal actions such as divorce or an arrest, or final departure from the U.S.

• Submit proof of health insurance coverage to your IIE Services officer upon arrival to the U.S.

• J-2 dependents are eligible to apply for work authorization after arrival in the U.S. However, there is no guarantee the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will issue work authorization.

• IIE cannot provide assistance in this process, but can refer you the following website: http://www.uscis.gov

J-2 Requirements

Resources to KEEP

• Students: www.foreign.fulbrightonline.org • Scholars: http://cies.org/grantees

Username: Password: • ASPE: http://usdos.sevencorners.com/

ASPE: Points to Know

• Certain network of providers – check on website

• Maximum benefit per injury or illness: $100,000

• Deductible/Co-pay amount per injury or illness: $15

• Many U.S. universities require that students enroll in their health insurance plan because of state laws or ASPE benefits not meeting university requirements for coverage

•Does not cover:• Dependents• Pre-existing conditions• Coverage outside of the U.S.• Alcohol/substance abuse

instances• Dental; only up to $1,000 in

emergency event• Vision issues

Important Items to Bring:

Legal--passport, DS-2019, copy of birth certificate, driver’s license

Medical--immunization & medical records, prescriptions, copy of Fulbright medical report

Academic--Fulbright Terms of Appointment, admission letter, official diplomas/transcripts

Contacts—important telephone numbers, addresses of contacts in your home country, IIE and your U.S. university

US Logistics Q&A

• EmmelieWijckmans– Arranging logistics• Michiel Van Roey– Encountering cultural

differences• Clara Vandeweerdt– US academic life

Arranging Logistics

• Health insurance• Cell phone plans• Transportation• Bank accounts• SSN or ITIN• Housing

Les Salons de Borgerhout: Young Fulbright Alumni. Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund finalist.

“An interactive knowledge and communication platform, which brings together current and young leaders from the arts to the alpha sciences, to promote knowledge spillovers and to create a strong impact on societal change.”

Vigjilenca Abazi (Fulbright The Netherlands, Harvard Law)Hanna Bourgeois (Fulbright Belgium, Harvard Law)Didier Caluwaert (Fulbright Belgium, Harvard Law)Khaled Hamadeh(FulbrightLebanon, GeorgiaTech International Relations)Georg Pohl (FulbrightGermany,Columbia Physics)Kristaq Profkola (FulbrightAlbania, Chicago Law)Glenn Magerman (Fulbright Belgium, Stanford Economics) –Projectleader

Encountering Cultural

Differences

US Academic Life

Questions?

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