The International Office serves the Wabash community in a variety of ways. Its primary mission is to assist international students and those who study off-campus in successfully accomplishing their goals.  In addition, the Office is expanding our support to the overall international effort at Wabash by helping departments bring increased numbers of foreign nationals to our campus for short or long term participation in our educational mission.  We appreciate the global reach of so many of the departments at Wabash College, and we are here to assist you in the multi-faceted task of bringing professors and researchers to the United States for appointments or lectures.

Wabash College has now received designation as a sponsor within the U.S. Department of State's Exchange Visitor Program.  Faculty and staff of the College can now invite colleagues and other international persons to campus for lengths of time ranging from a few days to several years. Visitors have always been able to come, of course, but the difference now is that Wabash is able to compensate them, and we are no longer dependent upon third party organizations or institutions for immigration/visa assistance.  This participation can be for a workshop or seminar presentation lasting for a few days, or for a semester or year-long period of study, research, or teaching. The program also allows Wabash students to exchange with students from overseas institutions.

We are now authorized to host Students, Professors, Research Scholars, Short Term Scholars, and Specialists.

A short description of the Wabash Exchange Visitor Categories

    Specialists are experts in a field of specialized knowledge or skill, who come to the United States to observe, consult, or demonstrate special skills. Some examples of fields represented include mass media communication, environmental science, youth leadership, international educational exchange, museum exhibitions, labor law, public administration, and library science.  The purpose of the specialist category is to facilitate exchange among experts at scientific institutions, government agencies, museums, corporations, libraries, and similar types of institutions. The maximum duration of this category is one year.

     A short-term scholar is a professor, research scholar, or person with similar education or accomplishments who visits the United States to lecture, observe, consult, train, or demonstrate special skills at research institutions, museums, libraries, post-secondary accredited educational institutions, or similar types of institutions.  The duration of the program is the time needed to complete the objective, up to a maximum of six months. The minimum program duration of 3 weeks for any Exchange Visitor Program category is waived for participants in this category. Extensions are not permitted.  Short-term scholars may participate in conferences, workshops, and seminars,  or lecture or consult at institutions if the Wabash responsible officer issues a written authorization for such activity.

     As participants in these program categories, foreign professors, and research scholars engage in research, teaching, and lecturing with their American colleagues.  The eligible participant shall not be a candidate for a tenure track position.  Professors may freely engage in research and research scholars may freely engage in teaching and lecturing; this will not be considered a change of category. Incidental lectures or short-term consultations are permitted with the approval of the responsible officer so long as they are directly related to the objectives of the participant's program, and do not delay its completion date.  The maximum duration for both categories is three years. The responsible officer may extend a participant's program for up to six months to allow the research scholar or professor to complete a specific project or research activity. Extensions for a period longer than six months must be approved in writing by the Department of State.     

This category provides foreign students the opportunity to study at a degree-granting post-secondary accredited educational institution. Students may participate in degree and non-degree programs for up to 24 months.  Foreign students are eligible to participate in this category if at any time during their college studies in the United States they or their program are financed directly or indirectly by the United States Government, the government of their home country, or an international organization of which the United States is a member by treaty or statute, or if they are supported substantially by funding from any source other than personal or family funds. Students are also eligible if their program is carried out pursuant to an agreement between the United States Government and a foreign government, or pursuant to written agreement between American and foreign educational institutions, an American educational institution and a foreign government, or a state or local government in the United States and a foreign government.

You may learn more about the possibilities of each of the categories of visitor here.

The most important factor for departments and faculty to bear in mind is to plan ahead.  As the links below will explain in more detail, bringing exchange visitors in various fields to Wabash is more complicated than making flight arrangements. As questions arise, please contact our office.

How to bring exchange visitors to Wabash

Program details

Maintaining immigration status

Visa types

Two year residency requirement

Faculty International ID Cards are available in the Wabash Bookstore.

Citizenship & Immigration Services