Prospective Scholars

Thank you for your interest in Kent State University. In order for our office to create an immigration document that you will need to apply for a U.S. visa, the first step is for you to connect with a Kent State professor to sponsor your visit. The Kent State professor and their department must agree to host you and complete a sponsorship request in the ISSS portal.

After the professor creates a sponsorship request, you will be invited to register in the portal and complete your information. Please be sure to read the form carefully and type the correct information as this will be used to create your immigration documents.

Once the professor and you have completed your forms in the ISSS portal, our office will begin the process to create a DS-2019 for you, which you would then use to apply for a J-1 visa. If you have any dependents, we would need their information at that time.

Please make sure to read the J-1 Scholar Pre-Arrival Checklist.

If you have any questions, please contact International Student and Scholar Services (isss@kent.edu).