Click on a question below to view the answer.

If you have a question not listed here and you are currently a Purdue faculty or staff, please email iss@purdue.edu.

Otherwise, if you are not currently Purdue faculty or staff, please contact the ISS liaison in the Purdue department you will visit or have interest in. A list of ISS liaisons can be found at this website.

Can a Purdue department invite an international visitor to come as a tourist (B-2 or WT status) or business visitor (B-1 or WB status)?

For such visitors, the following questions must be asked about their activities here:

Will they be given an official appointment at Purdue?
Will they be given keys to department buildings and/or labs?
Will they be given research space at Purdue?
Will they be given electronic access at Purdue (that is, email, library, and other faculty/staff privileges)?

If the answers to the above questions are all "no," then it would be appropriate for a department to invite such a visitor to campus as a tourist or business visitor.

In addition, if Purdue will pay them, this question must be asked:

Will any compensation be given to the visitor for reasonable expenses they incur for a visit to Purdue of more than 10 days? (See this Human Resource website and this site for more information on this issue.)

If the answer to this question is also "no," then it is still appropriate to invite an international visitor as a tourist or business visitor. If any of these questions are "yes," then please work with the ISS liaison in your department to help the visitor obtain the appropriate status. For a list of ISS liaisons, go to this website: http://www.iss.purdue.edu/IntraPurdue/ISSLiaisons/

Can visitors to Purdue in tourist or business visitor status in the US be given appointments at Purdue?

Our office does not advise departments to offer appointments to tourists or business visitors for liability reasons. There are no legal controls for these visitors to require health insurance for them. If an accident were to occur on the work site and this visitor had no health insurance or way to pay the medical evacuation to their home country, this situation would be a big liability for the department and the university.

In addition, upon arriving in the US, this visitor will need to show the port-of-entry officer some proof of a legitimate reason to enter the US. Given the documents presented it will be up to the officer to admit the visitor into the country and in what status he will be admitted. If the officer believes that the visitor has different intentions than what is presented to him, the visitor may be denied entry and sent home.

What if a visitor arrives at Purdue already in tourist or business visitor status: what are they allowed to do?

They are allowed to visit the campus as any other campus visitor to Purdue would be allowed to do. They may discuss contracts and research plans with the department, attend conferences, and be given tours of the department and its facilities. Basically, whatever a visiting alumni or student parent would be allowed to do, they may also do. Any privileges reserved for Purdue faculty and staff would not be available to them.

What if the US consulate tells the visitor that it is okay to do research in the US on tourist or business visitor status?

Unfortunately, in such cases, one government "arm" may work independently of the other government "arm." While they can visit Purdue as a B-1, they must be a J-1 to be officially appointed as research scholars or professors.

The Department of State (DOS) has traditionally only been responsible for deciding if a person can enter the US. This department governs US embassies and consulates, which grants US visas. If DOS approves a visa application, then they grant the individual a visa stamp for entry into the US.

At the port-of-entry to the US another department, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), decides what an individual can legally do in the US. The DHS officer will admit the individual in a designated visa status for a designated period of time based on the documents presented to him.

What if the department wants to pay the tourist/visitor for his travel and/or living expenses or to pay an honorarium to the visitor?

As explained earlier, refer to this Human Resource website and this site

The Human Resource office makes such compensation decisions, bringing together immigration and labor laws in such cases.

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Home Search Online Documents Undergraduate Admissions Graduate Admissions Current Students Faculty and Staff J-1 Faculty & Staff Change of Status Dependent Information Employment Information Extension of Stay Maintaining Legal Status Off-Campus Consultations & Lectures Reinstatement Information School Transfer Travel Procedures Waive Two Year Home Residence Requirement Frequently Asked Questions H-1B Faculty & Staff US Permanent Residency Government & Agency Resources ISS Liaisons University Life ISS Prepaid International Long Distance Programs IntraPurdue Services ISS Office ISS Prepaid International Long Distance	J-1: Frequently Asked Questions Click on a question below to view the answer. If you have a question not listed here and you are currently a Purdue faculty or staff, please email iss@purdue.edu. Otherwise, if you are not currently Purdue faculty or staff, please contact the ISS liaison in the Purdue department you will visit or have interest in. A list of ISS liaisons can be found at this website. Can a Purdue department invite an international visitor to come as a tourist (B-2 or WT status) or business visitor (B-1 or WB status)? For such visitors, the following questions must be asked about their activities here: Will they be given an official appointment at Purdue? Will they be given keys to department buildings and/or labs? Will they be given research space at Purdue? Will they be given electronic access at Purdue (that is, email, library, and other faculty/staff privileges)? If the answers to the above questions are all "no," then it would be appropriate for a department to invite such a visitor to campus as a tourist or business visitor. In addition, if Purdue will pay them, this question must be asked: Will any compensation be given to the visitor for reasonable expenses they incur for a visit to Purdue of more than 10 days? (See this Human Resource website and this site for more information on this issue.) If the answer to this question is also "no," then it is still appropriate to invite an international visitor as a tourist or business visitor. If any of these questions are "yes," then please work with the ISS liaison in your department to help the visitor obtain the appropriate status. For a list of ISS liaisons, go to this website: http://www.iss.purdue.edu/IntraPurdue/ISSLiaisons/ Can visitors to Purdue in tourist or business visitor status in the US be given appointments at Purdue? Our office does not advise departments to offer appointments to tourists or business visitors for liability reasons. There are no legal controls for these visitors to require health insurance for them. If an accident were to occur on the work site and this visitor had no health insurance or way to pay the medical evacuation to their home country, this situation would be a big liability for the department and the university. In addition, upon arriving in the US, this visitor will need to show the port-of-entry officer some proof of a legitimate reason to enter the US. Given the documents presented it will be up to the officer to admit the visitor into the country and in what status he will be admitted. If the officer believes that the visitor has different intentions than what is presented to him, the visitor may be denied entry and sent home. What if a visitor arrives at Purdue already in tourist or business visitor status: what are they allowed to do? They are allowed to visit the campus as any other campus visitor to Purdue would be allowed to do. They may discuss contracts and research plans with the department, attend conferences, and be given tours of the department and its facilities. Basically, whatever a visiting alumni or student parent would be allowed to do, they may also do. Any privileges reserved for Purdue faculty and staff would not be available to them. What if the US consulate tells the visitor that it is okay to do research in the US on tourist or business visitor status? Unfortunately, in such cases, one government "arm" may work independently of the other government "arm." While they can visit Purdue as a B-1, they must be a J-1 to be officially appointed as research scholars or professors. The Department of State (DOS) has traditionally only been responsible for deciding if a person can enter the US. This department governs US embassies and consulates, which grants US visas. If DOS approves a visa application, then they grant the individual a visa stamp for entry into the US. At the port-of-entry to the US another department, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), decides what an individual can legally do in the US. The DHS officer will admit the individual in a designated visa status for a designated period of time based on the documents presented to him. What if the department wants to pay the tourist/visitor for his travel and/or living expenses or to pay an honorarium to the visitor? As explained earlier, refer to this Human Resource website and this site The Human Resource office makes such compensation decisions, bringing together immigration and labor laws in such cases.
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