Welcome to Rice!

The information on this webpage is created to serve as a resource and reference throughout your J-1 program at Rice University. In addition to completing the mandatory immigration check-in and orientation process with OISS, it is important that you review this important information carefully.

Campus Map

Both interactive and printable campus maps are available at https://www.rice.edu/campus-maps!

NetID & Rice Email

You can manage your online account at https://mynetid.rice.edu. Rice OIT also has an online resource to help you navigate your NetID: Complete Guide to NetID.

For more information and resources, please also see https://oit.rice.edu.

iO – Address Updates

iO (https://io.rice.edu) is Rice's administrative system for scholars and you can learn more about it at https://ioevolution.rice.edu.

As part of your onboarding, please take a moment to add your U.S. address and phone number to your iO record immediately. Your U.S. address should be added under "Home Address" and your U.S. phone number under "Primary Personal Mobile Phone."

To update your address, please login to iO, click on Personal Information, and then Contact Info. The address you need to update or add is "Home Address."

When updating your information, pay special attention to the proper address formatting requirements:
Line 1: The street number and name – do not enter the name of your apartment complex, or any other information on this line
Line 2: The apartment or room number – this line can be left blank if you live in a house
City, State and Zip Code must be entered correctly.

To add your phone number, please login to iO, click on Personal Information, and then Contact Info. In the "Communication" section, please add a Primary Personal Mobile Phone and enter your U.S. phone number with just the 10 digits. The first 3 digits should be entered in the "Area Code" section and the remaining 7 under "Number." Please do not include any dashes, other additional characters, or the U.S. country code (+1).

If your address or phone number changes, you must update iO within 10 days. For more information, please see the address update section at https://oiss.rice.edu/maintainingstatus.

Academic Department

Make sure to connect with the department coordinator at your academic department! They are an amazing resource and are here to help you! Your department is also the host of your J-1 program.

Human Resources (for scholars being paid by Rice)

Human Resources (https://people.rice.edu) is located in the Cambridge Office Building. If you are being paid by Rice, you will need to visit them in-person before or on your first day of employment to complete the Form I-9.

Tax Department (for scholars being paid by Rice)

The Rice Tax Office will set up a Sprintax Calculus (Calculus) account for you within one week of your hire date. Calculus will determine your tax residency status and possible tax treaty eligibility. Failure to complete this process may lead to incorrect tax withholding and potential penalties when you file your tax return with the IRS.

The Tax Office can help answer questions about Calculus, your U.S. tax residency status, tax treaties, or tax withholding on your paychecks. If you have questions about your tax status, please contact ForeignNationalTax@rice.edu.

Questions about your pay schedule, payslips, updating your direct deposit information, or other similar questions should be directed to the Payroll Office.

Rice University Police Department (RUPD)

RUPD (https://rupd.rice.edu) is located just inside Entrance #8 (University Blvd at Stockton Street). For emergencies on the Rice campus, call 713-348-6000 (or dial 6000 from a Rice on-campus phone) to request assistance from RUPD or the Rice Emergency Medical Services (REMS).

RUPD will issue your official Rice ID card (https://rupd.rice.edu/id-office/obtain-id-card), and they also offer bicycle and other personal property registration services.

Living in Houston Support

Our website has an entire section dedicated to resources that will help you navigate life in the United States! Click on Menu in the top right corner and select "Living in the U.S." (or visit https://oiss.rice.edu/usliving).

The pages in this section include information about banking, housing, getting a driver's license, getting a U.S. Social Security Number, filing your taxes, and more!

Additional Resources

Here are some more helpful online resources!

Rice University Policies (including Standards of Ethical Conduct)

Office of Information Technology (OIT) & Helpdesk

Rice Parking

Rice Shuttle Bus

Recreation Center

Campus Post Office

Houston Metro Rail and Bus

Maintaining Immigration Status

J-1 Visa Essential Information

J-1 Program Basics

The J-1 Exchange Visitor Program is administered by Rice University in cooperation with the U.S. Department of State (DOS).

A primary purpose of the Exchange Visitor Program is to foster the exchange of academic and cultural ideas between U.S. citizens and international visitors and to stimulate international collaborative teaching and research efforts. The exchange of professors, research scholars, and students promotes interchange, mutual enrichment, and linkages between research and educational institutions in the United States and countries abroad. It does so by providing international professors and research scholars the opportunity to engage in research, teaching, and lecturing with their U.S. colleagues, to participate actively in cross-cultural activities with Americans, and ultimately to share with their fellow citizens the experiences and increased knowledge about the United States and their academic fields.

The J visa is unique in that activities under this program are regulated by the DOS, as opposed to the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS). Compared with the other work visas, the benefits are substantial and the programs are relatively flexible. However, each visa category carries with it privileges as well as obligations and restrictions; the J visa is no exception. Those pertinent to J-1 researchers and scholars at Rice are listed below:
• Individuals may change program sponsors while remaining in the United States.
• Researchers may perform teaching work and lecturers may perform research without having to apply for permission to change programs.
• Permission to remain in the U.S. is conditioned upon the individual continuing to perform those activities for which he or she was admitted into the United States.
• Individuals may have the opportunity to extend their stay at Rice depending on their category.

J Categories Available at Rice

Each of the categories can have different time lengths and requirements.
• Professor
• Research scholar
• Short-term scholar
• Specialist
• Student, degree-seeking (bachelor's, master's, doctorate)
• Student non-degree (exchange and visiting students)

Definitions

Please see https://oiss.rice.edu/glossary for a helpful glossary of terms.

Maintaining J-1 Visa Status

Please see https://oiss.rice.edu/maintainingstatus for detailed information on how to maintain your J-1 visa status during your program at Rice.

Health Insurance

All scholars and students in J-1 or J-2 status are required to maintain a government-mandated minimum level of health insurance for the full duration of their stay in J status. Government regulations stipulate that if J-1 scholars or students willfully fail to maintain the required level of health insurance, their participation in the J-1 program will be subject to termination.

For more information and a list of insurance options accepted at Rice, please see https://oiss.rice.edu/scholarhealthinsurance.

Employment

J-1 scholars can find information regarding the terms of their employment in their offer letter. Scholars will be categorized as either benefits-eligible or as an Academic Visitor (visiting Rice with external funding). For clarification on benefits-eligible and visitor statuses, please contact your Rice University academic department. Benefits-eligible employees can find information on their benefits at https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits-overview. Questions regarding wage deductions should be directed to Payroll (713-348-3410). Academic Visitors are eligible for certain Rice privileges at a cost. Benefits-eligible employees can find information on workers compensation at https://riskmanagement.rice.edu/workers-compensation. Academic Visitors are not eligible for workers compensation.

J-1 scholars must receive written permission from an OISS advisor before engaging in any additional employment. J-1 scholars may provide professional services such as occasional outside lecture or consultation to other organizations with prior approval from an OISS advisor.

Generally, the spouses of J-1 Exchange Visitors on a J-2 visa may request permission to work in the United States. For more information, please see https://oiss.rice.edu/j2work.

212(e) Two-Year Home Country Physical Presence Requirement

The 212(e) Two-Year Home Country Physical Presence Requirement means that certain Exchange Visitors must return to their home country for at least two years after completing their J-1 program before they may apply for certain visa categories to return to the United States.

Who is subject to the 212(e) requirement?

• Exchange Visitors whose educational or cultural exchange program was financed to any extent by the U.S. government or their home government
• Exchange Visitors who have one or more skills which appear on the Exchange Visitor Skills List for their home country
• Exchange Visitors who came to the U.S. to receive graduate medical education or training

Where can I learn more about the 212(e) two-year home country physical presence requirement?

Please visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/exchange.html.

Can the 212(e) requirement be waived?

Exchange Visitors under the 212(e) requirement who wish to stay in the United States after completing their J-1 program or who wish to apply for a change in visa status may apply for a waiver of the 212(e) requirement. Please visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/exchange/waiver-of-the-exchange-visitor.html for the detailed information on this process.

Travel

Before traveling out of the U.S., you and your dependents must obtain a travel endorsement (signature) on your DS-2019 from the OISS in order to be able to return to the U.S. after a temporary absence. You can learn more about this process at https://oiss.rice.edu/travel. Travel signatures are valid for one year and can be used for multiple trips during that validity period. Getting a travel endorsement is not necessary when you are returning home permanently at the end of your program.

J scholars/professors, who travel outside of the U.S. for a period of time exceeding 30 days to participate in an ongoing research project, must request approval from their department and OISS prior to departure.

A DS-2019 is no longer valid for reentry once you complete the program listed on your DS-2019. J visa holders are given a 30-day “grace period” to depart the U.S. after the completion of their program. Even if the DS-2019 has not expired, you only have 30 days after the completion date of your program to leave the U.S. or change your visa status. It is advisable to meet with an OISS advisor to discuss your travel plans.

J-1 Advisor Contacts

Your main J-1 advisor contacts are:
Marjorie Cerejo – Assistant Director for International Undergraduate Student and J-1 Scholar Support; marjorie@rice.edu
Ala Alahmad – Senior International Advisor; aa311@rice.edu
Maria Corcuera – International Advisor; mec3@rice.edu

The Responsible Officer for Rice’s J Program is Kelia Hubbard; Associate Vice Provost for International Education and Director of the Office of International Students & Scholars

Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS): 713-348-6095, oiss@rice.edu
After hours or Weekends emergency: 713-348-6000

Exchange Visitor Program Welcome Brochure – BridgeUSA

Please download and read the U.S. Department of State's Exchange Visitor Program Welcome Brochure at https://j1visa.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/EVP-Welcome-Brochure-2022.pdf (this is a PDF file).

Wilberforce "Know Your Rights" Pamphlet – U.S. Department of State

This important pamphlet from the U.S. Department of State describes your rights as a nonimmigrant visa holder while working in the U.S. and includes contact information for the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

Please download the pamphlet at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/temporary-workers.html.

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Contact Information

“The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs works to build relations between the people of the U. S. and the people of other countries through academic, cultural, sports, and professional exchanges as well as public-private partnerships.” (https://eca.state.gov/about-bureau)

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
U.S. Department of State
State Annex SA-5, Fifth Floor
J-1 Visa Emergency Hotline: 1-866-283-9090
Regular Communications or questions: jvisas@state.gov