The J-1 Exchange Visitor Program is administered by the Department of State (DOS).  As a J-1 professor or research scholar, you are permitted to participate in occasional lectures and short-term consultations, with permission from the HIO and your Harvard faculty sponsor. The permission must be obtained prior to undertaking the activity.

The lectures or short-term consultations must be directly related to the objectives of your program, must be incidental to your primary program activities, and must not delay the completion date of your program at Harvard.

If the activity is an occasional lecture or consultation, you will be granted authorization in the form of a letter. You must present the letter to the outside entity as proof of your authorization to be paid or to receive reimbursement. You must be paid as an "independent contractor" which means that you do not have a sustained employer-employee relationship with the entity for which you are working. You do not complete an I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification Form, with that entity.

If the activity is of a more sustained nature such as teaching one course at another institution that will last a whole semester, HIO will provide you with an amended DS-2019 that will include the funding from the additional entity and update your site of activity.  The amended DS-2019, I-94 printout, and proof of identity could be used to complete an I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification Form, with that entity.

In order to receive the authorization letter from the HIO, you must work with your Harvard faculty sponsor and the entity in which you will participate in occasional or short term employment to complete the authorization application form. Please email the completed application form to your HIO advisor. If the work is deemed to be in accordance with the J-1 regulations and meet the criteria above, an authorization letter will be provided to you.