INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AND SCHOLAR SERVICES

• WISP (Whitewater International Student Portal) is where international/exchange students submit/report required immigration compliance materials and request approval for various immigration benefits.
• Canvas has valuable instructions, updates, and information for international / exchange students and scholars. Log in with your UWW NetID and password.
• WINS is UW-Whitewater’s portal for academic, director, and billing purposes.

• UW-Whitewater offers several housing and dining options
• The HawkCard is an essential form of identification for students when they arrive on campus and throughout their time at UW-Whitewater. International and exchange students will receive an e-mail with instructions before as part of preparation to study at UW-Whitewater so the card is ready when they arrive.
• UW Credit Union is conveniently located on campus in the University Center for students looking to open a bank account in the U.S.
• UW-Whitewater’s cashier’s office is very helpful in explaining your university bill and processing payments. For specific information on international payments, please review Flywire.
• Find an on-campus job through Handshake. International and exchange students are typically allowed to work up to 20 hours per week while classes are in session. Off-campus employment is typically a violation of immigration regulations unless it meets specific regulatory requirements — an example may be an approved credit-bearing internship in the student’s field of study.
• Find out more about UW-Whitewater’s clubs and organizations and how you can get involved.
• UW-Whitewater’s Career Services office offers guidance on career opportunities, resume reviews, interviewing tips and practice, and job preparation.
• UW-Whitewater’s Center for Students with Disabilities provides support, accommodation, and guidance for students with both seen and unseen disabilities to support student success.
• Tutorial Services provides free tutoring for many courses along with study skills, time management tips, supplemental instruction, and other educational support for free to UW-Whitewater students.

• UW-Whitewater is in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Outside of campus, the community of Whitewater has many fun services and activities to offer.
• The Community Space is open to all and shares food, clothing, and other resources with community members. It is also a space to hang out and engage with the Whitewater community.
• The Whitewater Chamber of Commerce highlights the local businesses that provide unique food and beverage offerings, including local favorites Sweet Spot Café, Cat Café, TeaLux (Boba Tea), Fanatico, La Piazza, and more! Whitewater is also home to a movie theatre that shows popular movies.

• The Warhawk Shuttle is a great option for free transportation to and from Janesville, Wisconsin, while classes are in session. From Janesville, students can take the bus to Chicago airports, train stations, and other places of interest.
• ISSS partners with UW-Whitewater’s sustainability office on a bike share program that provides bikes to students during warm seasons.
• Buses:
  • Chicago to/from Janesville
  • Janesville to/from Whitewater
• Ride share services include:
  • Uber
  • Lyft
• Hotels in Whitewater:
  • Fairfield Inn and Suites
  • Baymont by Wyndham Whitewater

The Universities of Wisconsin requires all international and exchange students to have Affordable Care Act compliant health insurance. UW-Whitewater enrolls international and exchange students in the policy each semester and the fees are on each student’s bill.
Learn more about information the Universities of Wisconsin's health insurance policy »

International and exchange students are required to submit tax materials for the period they study in the U.S. The following resources are available:

• VITA: UW-Whitewater’s accounting department offers a free service that assists in tax preparation for qualified candidates
• Sprintax is an online software service that helps non-residents file taxes

Are you interested in studying at UW-Whitewater? We encourage you to visit the international admissions page and contact our international admissions officer at intladmission@uww.edu.

The purpose of the J-1 visa is to promote the exchange of ideas, research, mutual enrichment and linkages between research and academic institutions in the U.S. and foreign countries. Professors and research scholars travel to the United States to lecture, observe, consult, train or demonstrate special skills at research institutions, museums, libraries, post-secondary accredited academic institutions or similar types of institutions. All requirements must be met regardless of the scholars/professors funding sources(s).

Eligibility: To qualify for the J-1 Research Scholar or Professor sponsorship (please see definitions below), the individual must be offered a non-tenure track, full-time, in-person, academic appointment at UW-Whitewater. Department of State regulations require international scholars on the J-1 visa to have either a fully in person or hybrid schedule (with a maximum of 40% or 2 days per week remote along with following institutional remote work policy/approval processes). The work of the Scholar/Professor must benefit UW-Whitewater. Independent work is not eligible for J-1 sponsorship.

Definition of Professor: The professor category is for a foreign national who enters the United States for the primary purpose of teaching, lecturing, observing or consulting at accredited post-secondary academic institutions, museums, libraries or similar types of institutions. A professor may also conduct research, unless disallowed by the sponsoring organization.

Definition of Research Scholar: This category is for a foreign national who enters the United States for the primary purpose of conducting research, observing or consulting in connection with research projects at research institutions, corporate research facilities, museums, libraries, post-secondary accredited academic institutions, or similar types of institutions. A research scholar may also teach or lecture, unless disallowed by the sponsor. The research scholar’s appointment to a position shall be temporary, even if the position itself is permanent.

Academic Appointments: A sponsoring department must ensure that an individual has a confirmed academic appointment with the college/department at UW-Whitewater and that the individual has the credentials to qualify for that appointment.

The sponsoring department must make the appropriate arrangements for an academic appointment, including HR processes and approvals, criminal background checks, thorough position description, onboarding, office space, etc.

In addition to the academic appointment, the department must ensure that proof of the following is provided to the Center for Global Education:

• The scholar/professor is cleared by export controls
• Provide proof of English proficiency of one of the following: TOEFL score of 79, IELTS of 6.0, or Duolingo of 110
• Proof of financial support covering the full cost of their time in the United States
• Detailed position description
• CV of the intended scholar

Funding: For the J-1 sponsorship, scholars/professors must demonstrate that they will have sufficient funding to support themselves while in the United States. Funding is based on MIT’s living wage calculator and will be determined by CGE based on the length of the academic appointment.

If the academic appointment is an unpaid one, the department must confirm (and documentation provided to CGE) that sufficient funding is available for the scholar (and family members, if applicable) for the full duration of their appointment. This can be proven through third party fellowships or sponsorship, funding from a home institution, or, in some cases, a scholar’s personal funding. Before making a formal offer of a position to a scholar, the department must work out the amount and source(s) of the funding to make sure that it complies with the policy of the school.

A J-1 scholar can have one source of financial support, multiple sources of financial support, or have sources of financial support change over time. Examples of financial support can be J-1 scholar/professor’s salary from UW-Whitewater, salary from abroad, personal bank statements, letters regarding scholarships, or fellowships. The J-1 scholar must always show proof of the required financial support which must meet or exceed the amounts required.

Appointment Dates and Details: The department must confirm the dates of the appointment with the scholar before requesting visa sponsorship. The visa sponsorship documents that CGE generates need to match the dates that the scholar intends to be in the U.S. and the dates of the academic appointment. Scholars may enter the United States up to 30 days before their program start date.

The department must also confirm that the scholar will have an on-campus presence. J-1 visa regulations require international scholars on the J-1 visa to have either a fully in person or hybrid schedule. Scholars cannot be fully remote on the J-1 visa and is limited to maximum 40% (or two days per week) of remote work. All remote work must be approved through UW-Whitewater and Universities of Wisconsin employee policies.

The department must submit the request for visa sponsorship to the CGE at least 3 months prior to an individual’s start date in the U.S.

Additional Hosting Departmental Responsibilities:

• Providing and documenting cultural programming (as required by the J-1 visa program) to be submitted to CGE before June 1 each year to be included as part of the J-1 annual report to US Department of State. Recommended: at least one cultural activity per month.
• Keeing accurate documentation of timesheets, remote work authorization, employee records, performance evaluations, etc. to be provided to CGE upon request of US Department of State.
• Arranging airport pick up, transportation, living accommodations, settling in, and move-in assistance for the first few days. Return transportation to the airport at the completion of appointment.
• Providing orientation to UW-Whitewater campus, the Whitewater community, department/college; ensure the scholar/professor meets all UW-Whitewater employee onboarding requirements including any required employee training, timesheet reporting, etc.
• Scheduling a one-hour immigration orientation and health insurance meeting between CGE and the scholar/professor within 5 days of scholar/professor’s arrival to UWW.
• Reporting any violations of the exchange visitor’s appointment or any incidences
• CGE is required to report any “serious incident or controversy” involving a J-1 scholar/professor to the U.S. Department of State within one business day of learning about the incident. If you learn of any incident involving a J-1 exchange visitor that fits into the categories below or might otherwise qualify, you must email CGE. Review the list of incidences »

Insurance: J-1 scholars/professors are required to be enrolled in the Universities of Wisconsin SHIP Health Insurance policy which includes evacuation and repatriation to meet their J-1 visa requirements. Scholars/professors will be provided with instructions to self-enroll and must provide proof of enrollment at the immigration orientation.