International Visitor Policy and Procedures

Introduction 
International visitors who come to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign provide significant benefits for the members of the College of Education community. Interaction with international visitors allows for mutually beneficial relationships, both on individual and institutional levels. These relationships provide a range of possibilities including research and teaching collaboration, student and faculty exchange, increased international student enrollment, broad institutional linkages, as well as less formalized intellectual and professional benefits afforded through interactions with new colleagues.

Purpose of this Policy
1. Provide clear guidelines for the appropriate protocols to follow when inviting international visitors to the college.
2. Ensure that there is effective and appropriate communication throughout the planning process and the actual hosting period.
3. Clarify how the Office of International Programs will assist in the planning process to ensure successful visits for international visitors.

Rationale
Although the College of Education hosts many international visitors during the course of a year, there is currently no approved policy or protocol for managing the process of inviting and hosting international visitors. Consequently, visits to the college are handled in a non-systematic manner. International visitors are inconsistently provided with the support and resources they need and awareness of their visits is often poorly communicated. Also, faculty who would like to host international visitors are often unaware of the requirements and procedures and may not know where to get the information they need. This policy was developed to help alleviate this problem.

It is important that our international visitors be accorded appropriate courtesy, support, and recognition during their visits. In order to do so, it is essential that these types of visits be well planned and coordinated. It is also important that these visits be highly visible so that we can maximize the mutual benefits to the visitors and members of the college and university community.

Policy
All requests to host international visitors will follow the College’s approved procedural guidelines (below) before an official invitation is provided. The guidelines help ensure that all university legal, policy, and resource commitment concerns are addressed prior to the arrival of international visitors on campus. This policy applies only to international visitors who will receive payment or reimbursement from the University, need assistance with visa processing, or need any of the following resource commitments (computer/Internet access, library access, office or workspace, ID card, living arrangements, health care, access to courses, or an official letter confirming the visit).

College of Education Procedural Guidelines for Inviting and Hosting International Visitors
1. Units or individuals planning to invite international visitors to campus should contact the COE Office of International Programs at international@education.illinois.edu to initiate the proper procedures for each unique visitor.

2. The online Visitor Information Form (https://illinois.edu/fb/sec/7842822) should be completed and submitted electronically as soon as possible. The completed form will be reviewed by staff in the Office of International Programs and forwarded to the relevant unit executive officer for consideration and approval. College approval will also be needed when the visit includes a budget and use of college resources.

3. Staff in the Office of International Programs will meet with the host unit or faculty member to discuss the speific nature of the visit and to determine what university and college protocols need to be followed. Visits to the college by international students and scholars have different purposes (e.g., private visits, sabbaticals, post-doctoral fellowships, shortterm employment, guest speakers, research collaborators, etc.). Each of these types of visits has a different set of legal and administrative requirements and the initial consultation with Office of International Programs staff will identify the proper protocols to follow.

4. Office of International Programs staff, in close collaboration with the host, host unit office staff, and the Office of Budget & Resource Planning will assist in the development and processing of any required paperwork, including letters of invitation, processing of entry visas, and any forms required for payment to be made to the visitor.

5. All commitments for university and college resources will need approval, in writing, from the appropriate unit administrator BEFORE an official letter of invitation is sent.

Recommended Timelines
1. Visitors who will only be on campus for a few days will require fewer college resources and services. In these cases the initial request for approval should occur at least one month prior to the visit.

2. Planning for international visitors who require visa processing should begin at least three months prior to their expected arrival.

3. A more rigorous approval process is required for those visitors who will be paid by the university for the academic services they provide. Because a work visa may be required, initial notification must be submitted at least six months prior to their planned arrival on campus.

Approved by CoDE, April 19, 2011 
Reviewed by CEC, March 29, 2011

Online Visitor Information Form (https://illinois.edu/fb/sec/7842822)