Visiting Student Interns

WHO ARE VISITING STUDENT INTERNS (VSI)?

^{Students who are enrolled in a non-Columbia University degree program and would like to visit Columbia to conduct research training with a PI will now be treated as Visiting Student Interns. This position as visiting student intern can be either an undergraduate or graduate student in a U.S. or foreign educational institution. The period of the internship cannot exceed one year, and the student is expected to resume their academic degree program at their home institution at the conclusion of their research internship at Columbia. This group includes visiting students who perform research in the laboratories of Columbia faculty or officers of research.}

^{Prior to this new policy, such visiting students held an appointment at Columbia with internal or external funding. At the undergraduate level, this population was referred to as Visiting Student Intern-Research. At the graduate level, Masters students were appointed as Staff Associate I and PhD students as Staff Associate II}

TO SPONSOR A VSI, THE FOLLOWING THREE CONDITIONS MUST BE MET:

^{Please provide proof of enrollment throughout the duration of the visit in a non-Columbia University degree program, either at the undergraduate or graduate level.}

^{We expect students to have funding support of at least $3000 per month. Acceptable funding sources that can be used to satisfy 49% of this funding requirement can be found here for both domestic and international students.}

^{For domestic students, proof of housing at no cost to the student (e.g., such as a letter written and signed by a family member/friend confirming a VSI living in the same household) can substitute for the 49% funding requirement.}

^{The remaining 51% of the funding must come from the student’s home institution, an external funding agency, and/or from the Columbia sponsor.}

^{If a student has 100% funding from their home institution or an external funding agency, there is no need for the PI to provide funding.}

^{To support the designation of the Visiting Student Intern, the Columbia sponsor must provide a brief statement on the Visiting Student Intake Form indicating the training components of the internship.}

^{The Columbia sponsor should indicate specific knowledge, skills, or techniques that the student will learn; how the knowledge, skills, or techniques will be taught (including specific tasks, activities, and methodologies of training); and how the acquisition of new skills will be measured.}

TO PROCESS VISITING STUDENT INTERN REQUESTS:

1)

See Visiting Student Intern Invitation Workflow

2)

See required documents and forms:

3)

Please note that the Columbia sponsor or applicable Principal Investigator must ensure that VSIs complete any mandatory training or other research compliance requirements in accordance with the University’s “Policy on Compliance and Training Requirements for Visitors involved in Research Activities” (more information is available on the “Visiting Student Intake Form” and through the Research Compliance Training Finder).

For approval on Morningside, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Manhattanville campuses follow step 4, and for CUIMC campus follow step 5.

4)

Once ready, all forms need to be submitted to the respective Dean’s, EVP’s, or Director’s office at the Schools, Institutes, or Centers located on the Morningside, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Manhattanville campuses.

5)

Requests for Visiting Student Interns at CUIMC should be submitted via the JIRA system https://jira.surgery.columbia.edu/, and questions about the process should be directed to Gabriela Guzman (gg2703@cumc.columbia.edu) and Daniel Shin ([email protected]) in the CUIMC Office of Faculty Affairs.

THOSE WHO ARE NOT AFFECTED BY VSI POLICY INCLUDE:

✘ Visiting Scholar/Scientist

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Visiting students who come to Columbia to use the University’s libraries and facilities to pursue their own independent (non-collaborative) research. On the Morningside campus, these visitors are currently designated as Visiting Scholar/Scientist and should continue to be designated in this manner. For more information about designating visiting scholars/scientists, see this link.

✘ Short-term visitor

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Short-term visitors. This population of visitors includes students (e.g., high school students) or non-students who come to observe programmatic activities or to receive training by observation in specific research or clinical techniques for three months or less. For more information on short-term visitor policies in research-related and clinical activities, see this link.

Visiting Student Intern Invitation Workflow

Non-US Citizens

_Steps; _{➀ Faculty and Department initiation}; _{➁ Dean’s Office approval}
^{Only for students needing a visa}: _{➂ Visa Processing by ISSO}^[4]; _{➃ Student arrival}
^{Only for students paid in part or in full by Columbia}: _{➄ PAC transaction}

_{☑ When does it

happen?}; ^{3 months in advance of student’s intended start date.}; ^{Turnaround time: 3-5 days if no edits.}
^{Only for students needing a visa}: ^{ISSO turnaround time: 1 week.}; ^{Any time before the

internship starts, but

ideally 30 days in

advance if student is receiving full/partial} ^{funding from CU.}
^{Only for students paid in part or in full by Columbia}: ^{After student’s arrival on campus. The transaction should be submitted as soon as possible after student’s arrival on campus, as it will take a minimum of 30 days for the first payment to be issued.}

_{☑ What

happens?}; ^{Faculty notifies their Department they wish to invite a visiting student intern.}
^{Department initiates a request to the Dean’s Office for invitation approval, by preparing an approval packet.}; ^{Dean’s Office reviews and approves Step 1 documents by signing the Intake Form, and screens the application for whether a visa will be needed. Once the internship is approved, the Department can issue the invitation letter to the candidate [3].}
^{If a visa is needed, the DO will direct the department to submit a visa application on ISSO’s SSP portal. Otherwise, the department can move to step 4.}
^{Only for students needing a visa}: ^{Department submits a visa application for the student on the ISSO’s SSP portal. The ISSO will issue a DS-2019 for students requiring a J-1 Scholar visa unless they are an undergraduate, in which case they will be a J-1 student intern (please see below). This step includes Visual Compliance.}
^{J-1 student intern completes DS 7002.}
^{Please note: Students holding an F-1 should apply for OPT through their home institution, not ISSO.}; ^{Student arrives in NYC.}
^{Department creates a

UNI for the student.}
^{Student picks up CU ID card.}
^{Only for students paid in part or in full by Columbia}: ^{Department prepares PAC transaction documents.

Students who are getting paid, in part or in full, by Columbia, will need to be entered into PAC by the Department; this is not needed for students who arrive with full funding.}

_{☑ Required

Documents}; ^{Department prepares and submits to the school/institute/center:

• Visiting student intern (VSI) intake form & attachments ABCD below

A - Candidate CV

B - Proof of funding [1]

C - Proof of enrollment [2]

D - Inventions Agreement for Visiting Personnel Using Columbia University Research Facilities

• Draft invitation letter from PI}; ^{Department sends the candidate:} ^{• invitation letter}
^{Only for students needing a visa}: ^{The required documents will be determined by the relevant visa type; please refer to the ISSO website for guidance.

• J-1 student intern requirements}; ^{Intern task: Obtain CUID}
^{Department submits a brief online form (with VSI intake form as attachment), for centralized tracking.}
^{Only for students paid in part or in full by Columbia}: ^{PAC required documents:

• PAF (Bio-demo data)

• Stipend Authorization Form (indicate stipend info)

• LAF (combo code to charge stipend payments)

• I-94 (requires student to be present in the U.S.)

• Passport ID page

• Visa certificate

• DS-2019 (for J-1 Visiting Scholars)

• Visiting Student Intern Intake Form (indicating what the student will be doing, supervised by whom, and where)

• Proof of enrollment}

_{^[1] Please see https://isso.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/content/Forms/FundingDocumentsChecklistScholars.pdf for a list of valid documents. Students may have up to 49% of the requisite USD $3000/month covered by personal funds. Proof of housing at no cost to the student (such as a letter written and signed by a family member/friend confirming a Visiting Student Intern living in the same household) may also be used to count toward the 49% coming from personal funds.
^[2] Proof of enrollment can take the form of an official transcript, or a letter from the Registrar’s Office, an academic adviser, or a senior administrator at the student’s home university.
^[3] In some cases, the Dean’s Office may determine, in consultation with the Provost’s Office, that the nature of the student’s training will constitute employment, rather than qualifying for the visiting student designation. Such cases

will require an academic appointment.
^[4] The $500 fee for a J-1 Student Intern will be waived.}

US Citizens/Permanent Residents

^Steps; ^{➀ Faculty and Department initiation}; ^{➁ Dean’s Office approval}; ^{➂ Student Arrival}
^{Only for students paid in part or in full by Columbia}: ^{➃ PAC transaction}

^{☑ When does it

happen?}; ^{2 months in advance of student’s intended start date.}; ^{Turnaround time: 3-5 days if no edits.}; ^{Any time before the student’s internship starts.}
^{Only for students paid in part or in full by Columbia}: ^{After student’s arrival on campus. The transaction should be submitted as soon as possible after student’s arrival on campus, as it will take a minimum of 30 days for the first payment to be issued.}

^{☑ What

happens?}; ^{Faculty notifies their Department they wish to designate a visiting student

intern.}
^{Department initiates a request to the

Dean’s Office for invitation approval, by preparing an approval packet.}; ^{Dean’s Office reviews and approves Step 1 documents by signing cover sheet. Once the internship is approved, the Department can issue the invitation letter to the candidate.}; ^{Student arrives in NYC.}
^{Department creates a

UNI for the student.}
^{Student picks up CU ID card.}
^{Only for students paid in part or in full by Columbia}: ^{Department processes PAC transaction documents. Students who are getting paid, in part or in full, by Columbia, will need to be entered into PAC by the Department; this is not needed for students who arrive with full funding.}

^{☑ Required

Documents}; ^{Department prepares and submits to the school/institute/center:

• Visiting student intern (VSI) intake form & attachments ABCD below

A - Candidate CV

B - Proof of funding [1]

C - Proof of enrollment [2]

D - Inventions Agreement for Visiting Personnel Using Columbia University Research Facilities

• Draft invitation letter from PI}; ^{Department sends the candidate:} ^{• invitation letter}; ^{Intern task: Obtain CUID}
^{Department submits a brief online form (with VSI intake form as attachment), for centralized tracking.}
^{Only for students paid in part or in full by Columbia}: ^{PAC required documents:

• PAF (Bio-demo data)

• Stipend Authorization Form (indicate stipend info)

• LAF (combo code to charge stipend payments)} ^{• Visiting Student Intern Intake Form (indicating what the student will be doing, supervised by whom, and where)

• Proof of enrollment}

WHO ARE VISITING STUDENT INTERNS (VSI)?

ON THIS PAGE

TO SPONSOR A VSI, THE FOLLOWING THREE CONDITIONS MUST BE MET:

1 Enrollment Status

2 Funding

3 Training Description

TO PROCESS VISITING STUDENT INTERN REQUESTS:

For approval on Morningside, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Manhattanville campuses follow step 4, and for CUIMC campus follow step 5.

THOSE WHO ARE NOT AFFECTED BY VSI POLICY INCLUDE:

Visiting Student Intern Invitation Workflow

Non-US Citizens

_Steps

_{➀ Faculty and Department initiation}

_{➁ Dean’s Office approval}

_{➂ Visa Processing by ISSO}^[4]

_{➃ Student arrival}

_{➄ PAC transaction}

_{☑ When does it

happen?}

_{☑ What

happens?}

_{☑ Required

Documents}

US Citizens/Permanent Residents

^Steps

^{➀ Faculty and Department initiation}

^{➁ Dean’s Office approval}

^{➂ Student Arrival}

^{➃ PAC transaction}

^{☑ When does it

happen?}

^{☑ What

happens?}

^{☑ Required

Documents}

Phone

Contact Us

WHO ARE VISITING STUDENT INTERNS (VSI)?

ON THIS PAGE

TO SPONSOR A VSI, THE FOLLOWING THREE CONDITIONS MUST BE MET:

1 Enrollment Status

2 Funding

3 Training Description

TO PROCESS VISITING STUDENT INTERN REQUESTS:

For approval on Morningside, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Manhattanville campuses follow step 4, and for CUIMC campus follow step 5.

THOSE WHO ARE NOT AFFECTED BY VSI POLICY INCLUDE:

Visiting Student Intern Invitation Workflow

Non-US Citizens

Steps

➀ Faculty and Department initiation

➁ Dean’s Office approval

➂ Visa Processing by ISSO[4]

➃ Student arrival

➄ PAC transaction

☑ When does it happen?

☑ What happens?

☑ Required Documents

US Citizens/Permanent Residents

Steps

➀ Faculty and Department initiation

➁ Dean’s Office approval

➂ Student Arrival

➃ PAC transaction

☑ When does it happen?

☑ What happens?

☑ Required Documents

Phone

Contact Us

_Steps

_{➀ Faculty and Department initiation}

_{➁ Dean’s Office approval}

_{➂ Visa Processing by ISSO}^[4]

_{➃ Student arrival}

_{➄ PAC transaction}

_{☑ When does it

happen?}

_{☑ What

happens?}

_{☑ Required

Documents}

^Steps

^{➀ Faculty and Department initiation}

^{➁ Dean’s Office approval}

^{➂ Student Arrival}

^{➃ PAC transaction}

^{☑ When does it

happen?}

^{☑ What

happens?}

^{☑ Required

Documents}