Becoming a Visiting Graduate Scholar (VGS)

The Department of Computer Science hosts numerous visiting graduate scholars throughout the year. Most commonly, our faculty will invite a graduate scholar who is enrolled elsewhere to do research with them for a period of several months, up to a year. If you seek an appointment, also known as an invitation, you are welcome to contact a faculty member with whom you’re interested in doing research to explore this possibility.

Should a CS faculty member wish to invite a VGS, they must first contact Academic Program Manager Kim Franklin and provide the information necessary to initiate the invitation process by submitting this form. With this information, Kim will create an invitation letter and reach out to the VGS to provide next-step guidance.

Please find the Whiting School’s guidance and non-degree application for VGSs here.

VGSs must complete a non-degree application, sign and upload their invitation letter into the application, and return a copy of the signed letter to Academic Program Manager Kim Franklin. She should also be alerted once the application has been submitted, and will then work with WSE Graduate Admissions to issue an offer letter. Once the offer has been extended, the candidate must accept the offer through the online application.

Within a few days of accepting your offer, department staff will put in a request for the Office of International Services (OIS) to issue you a DS-2019. You will receive email prompts to complete a few e-forms. Once these are submitted, you will receive instructions within about 10 days to access your DS-2019 electronically and prepare for your visa application.

Within one week of entry into the U.S., please complete the J-1 Scholar Orientation and check-in e-form through iHopkins. See all J-1 pre-arrival information here.

  • JHED ID: This is your login ID to most Hopkins websites, including the myJH portal, home of the Johns Hopkins Enterprise Directory. It typically includes the first letter of your first name, your last name or part of your last name, and one or more digits. Your JHED ID is a maximum of 8 characters. Shortly after you accepted your admissions offer online, you should have received an email from the Registrar with your JHED ID. Instructions in that email would have directed you to the Registrar’s Getting Started page, where you will find further instructions on to how to create a JHED login and password. Roughly 2 hours after you create your JHED password, you should be able to activate your Hopkins email address. If you haven’t received your JHED ID yet via email, please contact webregistration@jhu.edu or call 410-516-8080.
  • Hopkins ID: This is the six-digit-and-letter ID that the Student Information System (SIS) uses to identify students. Sign in to SIS using your JHED ID and password that you’ve established per the Registrar’s Getting Started page. Hopkins IDs are typically issued in April for students arriving in the fall semester, and if admission is accepted after, within 2 business days after admission is accepted in the Slate graduate application system.
  • Government ID: For American students, this is your Social Security number (SSN). For international students, this is a temporary Hopkins-assigned (988-XX-XXXX) number to use at JHU in place of an SSN, sent to you by the university. If you’re receiving a stipend, this number will be used to set up your pay. International students receiving a stipend will apply for a SSN after arrival. Please see further direction about SSNs and how to apply for them here.
  • J-Card ID: This is the 16-digit number located above the barcode on your J-Card, which you will receive upon arrival. This number is read automatically when you swipe your J-Card at a reader. The 14-digit number below the J-Card barcode is your library number and can be used at the Sheridan Libraries.

New Hire Form

If your VGS invitation includes a stipend, please complete the department’s New Hire Form and return it to Kim Franklin. If your visit requires a visa, please send it to her after your visa has been issued.

For international students:

  • We realize that you may not have a Social Security number (SSN) yet and that a SSN is being requested on the New Hire Form. You will eventually be prompted to apply for one by the payroll office when you process your I-9 paperwork, but for now, please complete the form using the temporary 9-digit identification number assigned to you. The format looks like this: 988-XX-XXXX. If you do not know your identification number, please email Kim Franklin to look it up for you in the Student Information System.
  • Your work expiration date is your DS-2019 end date.
  • If you aren’t currently in the U.S., please use your flight arrival date as your U.S. entry date.

Action Item: I-9 Processing (required for both U.S. citizens and international students)

Completing the Form I-9, required state notices, and the Foreign National Information Form (international students only) are important steps in your onboarding process. Please read the following information to ensure these forms are completed properly and on time:

  • Completing the Form I-9: Federal law requires that all newly hired and rehired faculty, staff, and student employees working in the United States complete a Form I-9.  New hires can complete the Form I-9 online in the United States as soon as they sign an offer/appointment letter and will have until the end of their first day of employment to complete Section 1. Section 2 of the Form I-9 must be completed no later than three (3) business days (not including weekends or holidays) after their first day of work. To begin the process, you will need to 1) select your employee classification (new or returning after a break in service) and 2) enter your home or work zip code in appropriate fields on the JHU I-9 Compliance Services website. From there, you will receive instructions on how to complete Section 1 of your Form I-9 and will be able to upload your original documents through a secure link before you complete Section 2 online via a live video call or Microsoft Teams meeting. If you have any challenges completing your online appointment, please email I9ComplianceSvcs@jhu.edu for additional options. You must present original, unexpired documents to complete Section 2 of the Form I-9 during your live video call. The documents must be unexpired as of the date of hire.
  • Foreign national information: If you are a foreign national who is not a legal permanent resident (green card holder), you must complete the Foreign National Information Form (FNIF) once you have received your Johns Hopkins ID and email. You can complete the form and upload the required documents at this secure link. If you do not have a Social Security number (SSN) but have received a temporary ID number (TIN) that begins with the digits 988, enter that number on the FNIF. We suggest you complete the FNIF after you arrive in the U.S. and no later than the end of your first day at Hopkins. Questions related to this form should be directed to FNIF@jhu.edu.
  • Foreign nationals without an SSN: If you do not have an SSN that has been issued by the Social Security Administration, or if you have been given a TIN that begins with the numbers 988, you still can complete the Form I-9. Please leave the SSN field blank on the Form I-9 and select “SSN Applied For.” Do not enter the TIN on the Form I-9. You must apply for and obtain a Social Security card as soon as possible. Instructions on how to apply for this card can be found on the OIS website. Your SSN is required to complete the E-Verify process and to ensure that your payroll records are accurate. Once obtained, upload a copy of your Social Security card using the link emailed to you through the ONBASE system (see the foreign national information section above).
  • Required state notices: Certain states have notices that employers are required to provide to their employees, and employees must acknowledge receipt of the notice(s). If applicable to your state, you will receive an email from our compliance partner, Equifax, with instructions on how to acknowledge receipt of these notices. Questions about the required state notices can be directed to StateCompliance@jhu.edu.
  • What happens if I do not complete these forms on time? All new hires are placed on a I-9 hold until a completed Form I-9 is received and processed. You will not have access to update your tax or direct deposit information in Employee Self Service until both the Form I-9 and the FNIF are completed. Failure to complete your Form I-9 on time could jeopardize your continued employment with the Johns Hopkins University.
  • Questions? If you have additional questions regarding the I-9 process, please email I9ComplianceSvcs@jhu.edu.

For information on payroll after your I-9 completion and instructions on how to set up direct deposit, click here.

Get started on this as soon as possible, as it might take a while to come together.

Visiting students are required to meet the university’s pre-entrance health requirements if the visit will involve on-campus participation. The requirements are outlined on the Student Well-Being website. The influenza (flu) vaccine is also a mandatory requirement for anyone coming to campus. Please click here for specific information on the flu vaccine requirement.

We strongly encourage you to take care of all pre-entrance health needs before coming to campus. If you do not complete these requirements and/or need missing vaccinations or screening tests, they can be administered for a fee at Student Health & Well-Being Primary Care, but you will not be able to enroll or begin your visit activities until this step is completed.

Visiting students who will be on campus are required to follow all health and safety policies as Hopkins students in the Whiting School of Engineering. This includes adherence to the university’s mandatory influenza and COVID vaccine policies and divisional asymptomatic COVID testing expectations.

You can email your questions about health forms to healthforms@jhu.edu.

Full-time VGSs must enroll in the university-sponsored health insurance plan. Unless otherwise specified, students are responsible for the cost of the insurance. More information about the plan and how to sign up can be found on the Student Well-Being website.

International visiting graduate scholars who are here on J-1 visas must enroll in the JHU student health insurance plan on a monthly basis. Waivers of this requirement are not granted while students are in the U.S. Use this contact form to submit additional questions regarding enrollment, billing, and the waiver process of the student health plan. Plan information is available here.

VGSs (conducting research only) must register for EN 990.890 Graduate Research Practicum in every semester/term. To register for EN 990.890, VGSs must submit a Student Enrollment and Account Management online form (select the blue “request support” button and enter the requested information) and attach/upload a copy of their completed and signed invitation letter. Typically, VGSs are registered as full-time students. While VGSs are not charged tuition for this course, a tuition value will be listed as a university subsidy on your DS-2019 form. If the dates of your visiting graduate scholar invitation overlap with more than one semester/term, the tuition values will be combined on the DS-2019 form. Full-time tuition information is available here. For the current university academic calendar and future academic years, please visit the University Registrar’s website.

The Department of Computer Science does not arrange housing for its students, but you may find these links helpful while considering your housing options. Most students live walking distance to the university, don’t have cars, and utilize university or public transportation or Uber/Lyft services as needed. You can review information about transportation around campus and within the community here.

See the links and videos below for help on securing housing:

J-Card

When you get to campus, you’ll want to go to the J-Card office and obtain your J-Card (Hopkins ID). Learn more about J-Cards here. A mobile credential is also available.

Malone Hall Access (CS Department Location)

Through your JHED ID and J-Card, department staff can assign you access to the Malone Hall exterior doors for after-hours building access. If your faculty sponsor requires you to have access to other space on campus, they can reach out to Kim Franklin for additional assistance.

The Office of International Students (OIS)

International students must check in with OIS when they arrive. If you have visa questions or concerns, reach out directly to ois@jhu.edu.

Finding CS Academic Program Staff

Aside from your faculty sponsor, your best points of contact are the department’s academic program staff. Please stop in the 160 Malone Hall office suite once you’ve made it to campus to introduce yourself. Academic Program Manager Kim Franklin and Senior Academic Program Coordinator Megan Dakwa can be found in 155 Malone Hall within the suite.

CS IT Resources

The department is fortunate to have its own IT staff; they have an immensely helpful wiki here. If you have questions, please reach out to support@cs.jhu.edu.