As a UMD degree seeking student, you will pursue your master or doctorate degree.

A placement specialist at a partner agency will notify UMD Graduate School of a prospective Fulbright student. In turn, the Graduate School will notify the academic department and track your application. The application and admission decisions are for a specific degree at the University of Maryland.

If the Graduate School admits you, it will inform our office. We will email you an International Student & Scholar Services checklist to complete. Our office will ask you to submit your Fulbright DS-2019 so we know the dates of your program.

We will also email you the pre-arrival information and encourage you to attend our orientation and welcome activities.
 

Arrival at UMD

Incoming Fulbright students should review the ISSS pre-arrival information for all new international students at UMD.

If you have any questions related to UMD, you can contact Jody Heckman Bose, 301-314-7742, heckmanj@umd.edu

As a Visiting Scholar, you will work with other faculty members to lecture or conduct research on campus.

The Institute of International Education contacts Lucie Covey in UMD's Office of International Affairs (OIA) to notify them of your interest. Lucie completes and signs the Institutional Reply form (IRF), indicating that UMD will accept you.

Lucie will email Connie Lira in our office to inform us of your acceptance. In turn, we will email you information for pre-arrival and orientation.

Once you arrive on campus, you should follow the J-1 Arrival Procedures

If you have any questions related to UMD, you can contact:  Connie J Jesse Lira, Telephone 301-314-5823, cjl@umd.edu

A visiting student researcher (VSR) is a doctoral student in their home country. They seek to advance their research for a short period of time, usually 6-10 months at a U.S. institution. The research arrangements are self placed and coordinated by the visiting researcher/student. VSRs work full-time and do not take credit-bearing courses or work elsewhere.

As the Fulbright program is both academic and cultural exchange, researchers must live in and engage with the U.S. community of the host institution.

As a VSR, we expect you to start your program during the academic year (August - May). Once your faculty host signs the paperwork needed by the placement agency, it is important you contact our office.

Once you arrive on campus, you should follow the J-1 Arrival Procedures

If you have any questions related to UMD, you can contact:  Connie J Jesse Lira, Telephone 301-314-5823, cjl@umd.edu

We understand that some current Fulbright students may be interested in switching their sponsorship from Fulbright to the University of Maryland. Switching sponsorship may be done in one of two ways; a SEVIS transfer of your current J-1 record to the University of Maryland, or a change of status by travel to the F-1 visa category. If you are interested in switching your sponsorship to UMD, please review the following information and make an appointment to speak with a J-1 advisor at UMD.

Although information is provided below about both options, please note that a transfer from Fulbright may not always be possible or approved by Fulbright. Students who are interested in transferring will need to contact Fulbright and confirm in writing that they will support the transfer. 

Fulbright encourages students to read through a list of their Frequently Asked Questions and to contact foreignstudentadvising@iie.org with additional questions. They encourage you to include your PSID, country, nature of inquiry, and critical date in the Subject Line and strive to be as clear and concise as possible in the email. Please expect delays and refrain from sending multiple emails to follow-up, as it may lead to further delays in receiving a reply.

Transferring to UMD as a J-1 Exchange Visitor

An exchange visitor may transfer between programs as long as:

• The Exchange Visitor (EV) is maintaining J-1 status with current program sponsor;
• The purpose of the transfer is to complete the objective, and is consistent with, the goals for which the EV was admitted to exchange visitor status;
• The EV remains within the same participant program category;
• There can be no gap between the transfer effective date set by the transfer-out program and the new program begin date (for example, the last day at the old school is May 20, the first day at the new school must be May 21;
• The transfer will not extend the exchange visitor's stay beyond the permissible time for EV's J-1 category.
• Have not applied to the U.S. Department of State for a waiver of the two-year home residency requirement, and your waiver has been approved.

Steps for transfer

1.The exchange visitor must contact Fulbright to confirm if they will support a J-1 transfer and discuss the “effective date”. Please get something in writing that confirms that the transfer is supported and the potential “effective date”.

• The effective date of your transfer can not be later than the end date of the DS-2019 issued by your previous sponsor.

2. Schedule an appointment with ISSS to discuss the potential transfer to UMD. The advisor will discuss eligibility requirements and process

• In order to transfer to a UMD DS-2019 you must have funding for all tuition and living expenses.
• You may not change category
• After confirming your eligibility to transfer, the UMD advisor will give you access to provide transfer in documentation. (PP, visa, funding, effective date)

3.  Ask your current J-1 sponsor to process a “transfer out” in SEVIS for you to attend the University of Maryland College Park (program number P-1-00793)

4.  Once your transfer becomes effective, you must immediately report to ISSS.  ISSS Is required to report your participation in SEVIS within 30 days of the program effective date. After the effective date UMD will be able to access your SEVIS Record and prepare a UMD DS-2019.  

• ISSS documents check is required once your DS-2019 is created.
  • Registration in the fall 2025 semester is required to activate your DS-2019
  • Proof of insurance for you and all your dependents is also required (insurance must be effective on day one of the transfer release date)
• On campus employment eligibility is permitted only after your documents check is completed and your DS-2019 is activated.
  • You are required to request on campus employment eligibility prior to engaging in on campus employment.
  • Please provide 3-5 business days to receive employment eligibility from your transfer release date. 

Other considerations:

Academic Training (AT) is not available immediately to a transferred J-1 student. AT is gained at the rate you are on our sponsored DS-2019.

The timing of a SEVIS transfer can be difficult. Change of sponsorship can also be done by traveling outside the US and returning on an initial I-20. 

Change of Status to F-1

Another option to switch your sponsorship to UMD is by changing status to F-1. This can only be accomplished by departing the US, applying for the F-1 visa and entering into the US in F-1 status. A change of status within the US is not possible for J-1 students on the Fulbright program.

One advantage for Fulbright students is that by changing status to F-1, they are able to satisfy the 212(e) home residency requirement during any time spent in their home country. This includes any time spent in their home countries during official school breaks.

Steps to change status to F-1 by travel are outlined on our Change of Status by Travel Page. After reading the information carefully, please schedule an appointment with an advisor by using the Change of Status appointment category on our appointment scheduling page. 

Important Considerations for changing status to F-1

• All students considering a change of status to F-1 should review information about maintaining status  including information about full-time course registration, online course restrictions, and abiding by all F-1 employment regulations regarding work authorization.
• F-1 students are billed for tuition at the out-of-state rate (contact Residency Reclassification Services at reclass@umd.edu for all questions about the change in tuition rates).

The International Student Fee will be charged to the student's account each semester while in F-1 status.