Who is a Visiting Graduate Student?
Departments, programs and other academic units of the University of Michigan may invite graduate students from other universities as Visiting Graduate Students. This status is only for graduate students who are invited to pursue a program of research during a limited term of residence. These visitors may have access to some limited services and resources (below). Students visiting under student exchange agreements are not eligible for Visiting Graduate Student status. Current students, staff, and faculty of the University of Michigan are also not eligible for this status.
Visiting Graduate Students are individuals who:
- Are conducting research related to the graduate degree requirements of another university as their primary purpose; and
- Are invited by a department, program or other University academic unit; and
- Will be in residence for not less than one month and not more than two calendar years.
The term of the appointment can be a maximum of one year; a renewal application must be submitted for the second year.
Download information for Visiting Gradutate Students.
Visiting Graduate Student Application Process
Visiting Graduate Students must be sponsored by an academic unit of the University. Only the sponsoring academic unit may initiate the application for Visiting Graduate Student status. The sponsoring University department remains the primary contact is responsible for administering the relationship with the Visiting Graduate Student throughout the duration of the visit.
Sponsoring units make arrangements with their Human Resources administrators for Visiting Graduate Students who will be paid through the University. Note that visitors who are compensated for any services to the University must, as appropriate, either be appointed as employees through University Human Resource Systems or reimbursed as independent contractors. Such persons may not have the status of Visiting Graduate Students.
For international Visiting Graduate Students, the sponsoring unit must contact the International Center to obtain a DS-2019 request for a J-1 exchange visitor visa. In this case, the DS-2019 request process should be completed through the International Center before the creation of the visitor’s identity in M-Community.
| Step |
Responsibility of: |
Procedure |
| 1 |
Visiting Graduate Student |
Provide information to sponsoring U-M academic unit sufficient to allow them to prepare the Visiting Graduate Student Application Form and to assure eligibility for status. Completed application forms are retained in the sponsoring academic unit's files. |
| 2 |
Sponsoring academic unit |
For visiting international graduate students: Obtain DS-2019 request for J-1 exchange academic unit visitor by contacting the International Center |
| 3 |
Sponsoring academic unit |
Review MCommunity sponsorship policies for detailed information regarding the process of becoming an authorized sponsor in M-Community as a “Sponsor Administrator.” Sponsor Administrator: Create a “strong identity” for the visiting graduate student in the M-Community Sponsor system, which will include UMID number and uniquname. Note: Visiting Graduate Students may already have a UMID and/or uniqname from prior U-M affiliation. |
| 4 |
Sponsoring academic unit |
After completing the sponsorship process in M-Community, the sponsoring academic unit should write a letter to the visiting graduate students describing:
- The proposed visitor’s activities and responsibilities
- The start and end dates of the relationship (not less than one month and not more than one year at a time and two years cumulatively)
- Any resources (e.g. access to office space, labs, information technology equipment and privileges, or other facilities; availability of staff support, if any to be provided; and any commitments with respect to assistance with living arrangements
- The amount and rationale for any and all financial support funding from the sponsoring department/unit or other source and the reason for it
Visitors who are to be compensated for services to the University of Michigan of any sort must be appointed as employees through University Human Resource systems, or reimbursed as independent contractors, as appropriate. In either case, such persons are not Visiting Graduate Students. For more information on compensation processes and procedures, contact your unit Human Resources administrator. Likewise enrollment for academic credit in University of Michigan undergraduate or graduate degree or certificate programs is also inconsistent with the purposes of Visiting Graduate Students status. |
| 5 |
Sponsoring academic unit |
Send a copy of the letter to both the visiting graduate student and Academic Human Resources
|
| 6 |
Visiting Graduate Student |
Obtain a University of Michigan photo identification card (Mcard) at one of several ID Issuing Stations on campus. |