All new J-1 scholars on a Rice-sponsored visa status are required to complete a check-in and orientation with OISS, preferably before or on their first day of employment at Rice University, but no later than within their first week.

All new H-1B and O-1 scholars are also encouraged to complete the OISS check-in process through OISS Portal. After we have received the documents, scholars in H-1B or O-1 status will be asked to schedule an individual check-in appointment with an OISS advisor.

STEP 1: Rice J-1 Scholar Orientation Course in Homebase

Homebase is a platform where we can provide easy access to online courses that will educate you on important immigration processes. The Rice J-1 Scholar Orientation course is a mandatory part of your immigration check-in process. In addition to covering important information about your J-1 status and how to maintain it, it also provides valuable pre-arrival guidance to best prepare you for your arrival.

If you have not yet done so, click here to start your Homebase registration to access the Rice J-1 Scholar Orientation course.

A Certificate of Completion for the Rice J-1 Scholar Orientation course must be uploaded to your OISS Portal account as part of your immigration check-in process.

STEP 2: OISS Portal

You will receive an invitation to set up an OISS Portal account 1-2 weeks before your program start date.

When activating your OISS Portal account, you must use the specific email address to which you receive the OISS Portal invitation. This is typically not your Rice U email address.

In addition, make sure to enter your Last Name, Date of Birth, and Country of Citizenship exactly as they are listed on your DS-2019 Form.

Access your OISS Portal account at https://oissportal.rice.edu. You will need an invitation email from OISS in order to activate your account. If you need to complete a check-in appointment and have not received an invitation to set up an OISS Portal account, please contact OISS.

STEP 1: Personal Information and Emergency Contact

U.S. Address: Enter your local Houston address where you intend to live. Using a temporary address where you will stay upon initial arrival is fine, but make sure to update your address in iO (or ESTHER, if you are a Visiting International Undergraduate Researcher) as needed.

Emergency Contact: Enter at least 1 emergency contact as part of your immigration check-in process.

Travel Credentials:
• I-94 Information: Enter the I-94 Admission Number and Date Issued (i.e., arrival date to the U.S.). For J-1 visa holders the expiration date (i.e., the Admit Until Date) should read D/S, in which case you should leave the I-94 Expiration Date field blank. If your I-94 record is issued with an actual Admit Until Date, please contact OISS immediately.
• Passport: Enter your Passport Number, Expiration Date, and issuing Country.
• Visa Information: Enter your Visa Expiration Date and Visa Issue Date.

Under STEP 2, you will see a data field where OISS can provide feedback on any items missing in this section. Once all the required Personal Information and Emergency Contact data has been received, this section will be closed as Completed.

STEP 2: Upload Supporting Documents

Find the items titled "Post-Arrival E-Check-in" and upload all required documents that are not yet marked as Complete. If you have already uploaded some documents, check for comments informing you of any remaining issues. Please allow 24-48 hours for the review process. When uploading documents, make sure to click "Submit for Approval," which will change the Requirement Status for the Requirement Type from "Needs Submission" to "Needs Review." Otherwise, OISS will not be notified of your uploaded documents.

Required Post-Arrival E-Check-in documents include:

0. J-1 Scholar Orientation course certificate: Complete the Rice J-1 Scholar Orientation course in Homebase and upload the certificate of completion.
1. Check-in Form: Complete the form at https://oiss.rice.edu/E-check-in, and upload a copy of the email you receive with your responses.
2. Passport pages: Upload a copy of your passport ID page and a copy of your visa (unless you are a Canadian citizen).
3. I-94 record: You should be able to access your I-94 at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home after entering the United States. Please note that we require the Most Recent I-94, we do not require your travel history. If you have changed or extended your status inside the U.S. since your last entry, the I-94 is available at the bottom of your I-797A Approval Notice from USCIS.
4. Signed DS-2019: Please make sure you have signed the first page before uploading the copy.
5. Dependent documents: Required only if you have J-2 dependents. Please do not upload duplicates of your own documents under this section. If you do not have dependents, we will close this section for you automatically when reviewing your other documents.
6. Proof of insurance: Please see https://oiss.rice.edu/scholarhealthinsurance for more information on accepted documents.

STEP 3: Address Update

All scholars must update their account in iO** with their local address where they reside as soon as possible after arrival. Please see https://oiss.rice.edu/scholar-onboarding for instructions.

**Visiting International Undergraduate Researchers are issued a Rice Student ID number and update their address information in ESTHER instead of iO.

STEP 4: Attend J-1 Scholar Social Hour

To best support you while at Rice, OISS hosts a monthly gathering of J-1 scholars. This is a great opportunity for new scholars to meet with OISS, current J-1 scholars, and occasionally other campus partners.

The program takes place on the first Thursday of every month, 11:30am - 12:30pm. Come by the OISS office in Lovett Hall, entrance A, to join!

If you need to complete a check-in appointment and have not received an invitation to set up an OISS Portal account, please contact OISS. If you are having difficulty activating your account, please see https://oiss.rice.edu/oissportaltips.

Please also see our Onboarding webpage at https://oiss.rice.edu/scholar-onboarding.