International Scholar Dossier (ISD)
Alert
Department administrators need to attend an ISD training in order to be granted access and begin using ISD to submit J-1, H-1B, E-3 and TN applications. ISD training is available via UC Learning. View the schedule of trainings on our Training and Workshops page. For any ISD related inquiries contact ifsoisd@ucsd.edu.Welcome to International Scholar Dossier (ISD), a web-based application used by the International Faculty & Scholars Office (IFSO) to manage the invitation process for J-1 Exchange Visitors and H-1B/TN/E-3 employees at UC San Diego. ISD allows you, the department administrator, to create a scholar record in the system for your prospective scholar, who will then be notified to enter their data and upload supporting documentation to the system. When they are finished, the system will notify you to review the data and documentation from the scholar, as well as add additional data and supporting documentation from the department side. Once completed, the record can be submitted to IFSO who will then review the submission. IFSO will issue the DS-2019 or file the employment-based petition or reach out to you for any additional information/documentation that is required.
This ISD record can then be used for any future requests or updates during the scholar's time at UCSD.
After completing the UC Learning training (must only be completed once) and being granted access by IFSO, signing into ISD is a two-part process for Department Administrators- Sign into ISD VPN Subpool
- Sign into https://ISD.ucsd.edu
ISD Basics:
ISD Tips
- The system times out after inactivity. Please make sure to save often to avoid losing any information.
- If you have questions about what to input in a data field, place your cursor over the question-mark icon for clarifying information. You do not need to click on the question-mark icon, just place your cursor over the icon. Use these for instructions regarding what information is necessary for that specific field.
- Red dots indicate that the field is required.
- Save when going from one section to the next, especially through the horizontal navigation bar sections. The system does not auto save or prompt you to save before leaving a section.
- Changes/Information saved will not be submitted to IFSO unless you submit the changes via the Review and Submit Visitor’s information option.
Complete ISD Training via UC Learning
Once a Department Administrator completes the UC Learning e-course "J-1 and H-1B Online Requests using ISD" (06SED-0260-IFSO), IFSO will receive an email notification which we will use to grant you access to the ISD Subpool and create ISD login credentials.
Note: there is no additional training required for E-3/TN submissions
This is a one time (required) training to gain access to the ISD web-based application submission system. You are welcome to take the training multiple times as a refresher.
Note
The e-course is meant to give a general understanding of the ISD system. The IFSO website ISD specific pages will have the most current ISD protocols.Login to ISD VPN Subpool
Alert
Scholars do not need to use a VPN as they use a different link (https://isd-visitor.ucsd.edu/) to access ISD. Department level users must go through UC San Diego's VPN, regardless of whether you are on or off campus to access ISD.To access ISD you must go through UC San Diego's VPN, regardless of whether you are on or off campus. If you have not already done so, install UCSD's VPN onto your computer.
1) Go to Cysco AnyConnect on your computer. To access ISD you must use a specific VPN subpool, this is done by adding "@isd" to your active directory credentials.- Group: 2-Step Secured - Split
- You must use the "split" group option
- Username: [your active directory username]@isd
- Passcode: [your active directory passcode]
- Click OK
2) DUO authentication. After clicking OK, this will trigger you to complete the DUO authentication via your designated authentication method (phone app notification, phone call, token, etc).
3) Accept Dialogue box notification. Once you approve the DUO authentication notice you will see a second dialogue box will appear, click accept.
After successfully signing into the VPN, you can proceed to the ISD website and follow detailed instructions on how to log into ISD. Please note that the username and password to log onto the ISD website were provided to you via email.
Troubleshooting
If you are unable to load the blue ISD landing page, then there was an error in the VPN or DUO process, please contact ifsoisd@ucsd.edu for assistance to let us know which, if any, of the above mentioned three steps you were able to complete.
- Are you signed into the ISD Subpool? Include “@ISD” with your active directory credentials. You will not be able to access ISD without being in the ISD subpool, even if on campus.
- Check: http://status.ucsd.edu/ to make sure it’s not a UCSD-wide VPN issue
DUO
- After entering your active directory credentials with @ISD and authenticating via DUO, did you get the second dialogue box that says “Accept”? If you can’t accept the second dialogue box:
- For those using the app on their phone, make sure it is up to date. If you don't update the app regularly it will eventually not work properly.
- Make sure the device is properly registered.
- If you are now using a new phone (same number) you have to reactivate your DUO account.
Login to ISD
IFSO will create a login for all new department administrators needing access to ISD, generating an automatic email to you (subject line: “International Scholar Dossier: New user account creation”) with login/password information and URL (https://ISD.ucsd.edu) for ISD. We recommend that you login and change your password. To do so, click on My Account in the top right-hand corner of the screen and type in your old and new passwords in the appropriate fields.
TIP: If you are copying and pasting your password from the email directly into the ISD login box, make sure that you have not copied any extra spaces
If you forget your username/password or have difficulties logging in, send an email to ifsoisd@ucsd.edu and IFSO staff will help you.
TIP: Your ISD Link is https://ISD.ucsd.edu, while the scholar ISD login link is https://ISD-visitor.ucsd.edu
Managing ISD account
After being granted access to ISD, you can edit your password and security question.
Steps:- Log into https://isd.ucsd.edu/
- Click on My Account, located on the top right corner of the page
- Edit the security question and response
- Add your current password in the Old Password section,
- Add your new password in the New Password and Confirm Password sections
IFSO cannot see your security question, response, or passwords. However, we can reset your account login information if you are locked out.
Need password reset? Forgot your login/password information? Having technical difficulties with ISD? – Please contact IFSO at ifsoisd@ucsd.edu.
Navigation Bar Views
Department View:
Scholar View
Note: Scholar only has access to the J category and Start and End date in the Appointment Section; scholars do not have access to view any other information in the Appointment Section.
Scholar Login Troubleshooting
Scholar Forgot Username and Password
If the scholar does not recall their username or password, there are three main paths you can take to have ISD generate an email with their username and generate a new password.
1) Edit the Scholar’s permissions by going to the Tasks tab and clicking on Edit Visitor Login and Permissions. Once on the Edit Visitor section, you will be able to select the reset password option. By clicking on the box an email will be generated to the scholar with their username and a new password.
TIP: This is the preferred method of having the department help a scholar that does not recall their username or password
2) Re-invite the scholar, by going to the Tasks tab then clicking on Invite Scholar. You will have the option to write any text on the email. When the email is sent to the scholar, it will include the username and new password below any text you include. This is the same way the login info was generated the first time you invited the scholar to access ISD.
TIP: This method is not the preferred method but it can be beneficial to have the ability to write a note to the scholar with any additional information the department may want to convey. This will change the status of the record in ISD to Invited.
3) Have the scholar contact ifsoisd@ucsd.edu
Scholar Can't Log In
If the scholar cannot log in, they might have an incorrect username, password, or not have permission to log in.
To begin troubleshooting:- Make sure the scholar has permission to access ISD, they should have Read/Write or View access to be able to log into ISD. If their access is set to None, even with the correct username and password they won't be able to log in.
- Make sure they have the correct scholar link https://ISD-visitor.ucsd.edu.
- Resend them their password by following the steps listed under the forgot password section above.
Sample ISD Invitation E-Mail Templates
When inviting the scholar through ISD, please feel free to use the following message templates.
Dear Scholar,
You are being invited to log in to International Scholar Dossier, a web-based application that is used by UCSD's International Faculty and Scholars Office to manage the invitation process of J-1 Exchange Visitors and their J-2 family members. Please log in using the username and password below, enter all required information, and attach any required documents. You can use the Scholar ISD Instructions to assist you in completing this process. Once you have completed this step, your UCSD department will complete their part in the process and submit the request to the International Faculty and Scholars Office, who will then issue an immigration document called a DS-2019. This DS-2019 will then be emailed to you so that you can apply for your J-1 visa (and J-2 visas for family members). Although you'll receive the DS-2019 via email, you still must print all pages and sign the acknowledgement at the bottom of page 1 confirming that you read and understand the information listed page two. Additional information will be included in the email that will allow you to make your visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy/Consulate.
Thank you
Dear Scholar,
Your sponsoring department is working to extend your current J-1 program. Please access the ISD site indicated below at your earliest convenience and update your information following the instructions in the Scholar ISD Instructions.
[ LOGIN INFORMATION AND PASSWORD AUTO GENERATED BY SYSTEM]
Dear Scholar,
You are being invited to log in to International Scholar Dossier, a web-based application that is used by UCSD's International Faculty and Scholars Office to manage the invitation process of international visitors. Please log in using the username and password below, enter all required information, and attach any required documents. You can use the Scholar ISD Instructions to assist you in completing this process. Once you have completed this step, your UCSD department will complete their part in the process and submit the request to the International Faculty & Scholars Office for processing.
Thank you
Dear Scholar,
Your sponsoring department is working to extend/amend your current status. Please access the ISD site indicated below at your earliest convenience and update your information following the instructions in the Scholar ISD Instructions.
[ LOGIN INFORMATION AND PASSWORD AUTO GENERATED BY SYSTEM]
Recorded Trainings
ISD Updates for Department Administrators, 5/11/21 and 5/13/21 info sessions
Updated topics in this video include, but are not limited to:
ISD Guidebooks for Departments and Scholars are being integrated into our website in a more user-friendly and accessible format. Several of our regular processes will now be done through ISD, including: Scholar Registration, Scholar Departures (or Early Completion), and J-1 Student Intern Evaluations.
** Note: Subtitles/Closed Captions for all videos were automatically generated by Zoom. If you have questions regarding any of the information on the video contact ischolars@ucsd.edu **
Using ISD:
Announcements
- 3/7/2021: The Funding Section is now visible for scholars in ISD. Only J-1 Scholars need to complete this section. All other scholars will leave the section blank. The department will add Program Sponsored information for the scholar or verify that other funding sources were entered correctly. Please review the updated instructions for J-1 Initial and Extension requests.
- 10/13/2021: ISD system is temporarily down. IFSO is working with IT to have this resolved.
- 5/17/2021: IFSO staff have been working hard to make International Scholar Dossier (ISD) a more effective and easier tool to use. In that regard, we will soon send out communication about some significant changes that will be implemented in early to mid-May. The changes will include:
- ISD Guidebooks for Departments and Scholars will be moved to the IFSO website in more user-friendly and accessible format
- Several of our regular processes will now be done through ISD, including:
- Scholar Registration
- Scholar Departures (or Early Completion)
- J-1 Student Intern Evaluations
- All current IFSO-sponsored scholars that did not previously have an ISD record were created one with their information added
- 2/8/21: Date Amendment for J-1 requests submitted via Paper Form
- Records created using the paper J-1 request system whose scholars are not currently in the U.S. can now be updated via ISD; record can be submitted to IFSO after updating the start and end date and including the "Note" reason
- 11/16/20: New process of inputting site of activity/worksite
- For both J and H, the work site location must be added under the Site of Activity tab
- For H-1B's, add the name of the building on address line 2 and review the online guide for updated instructions
- 10/12/20 - 10/26/20: Upgrades Coming to ISD with Timeline
- Clear/Blank "processing stage" field in ISD to allow usage of ISD as a case manager
- Scholars can now sign in to submit change of address updates and J-2 requests, upload student intern evaluations, and submit departure notifications
Creating a New Record in ISD
Review ISD, to make sure the scholar does not already have a record as they could have been at UCSD previously. To see if a record already exists, you can select Search for Visitor on the left-side "Home" bar. If a scholar already exists in the ISD system, please do not create a duplicate record. See "Finding an Existing Record Instructions."
Alert
If you receive the message Duplicate Record(s) found in ISSM, please reach out to ifsoisd@ucsd.edu with the name of the scholar and email address, and IFSO will create the basic information record for you. This will typically happen for scholars currently on F-1 OPT/STEM.To add a new scholar record, on the left-side navigation bar, click on Add Visitor to create a new Scholar profile in ISD.
Basic Information: should be information about the incoming scholar, not you the department administrator. The following fields are required:
- Last Name: Include the Scholar’s Last Name as it appears on their passport biographical page.
- Please enter the scholar’s LAST NAME in all capital letters.
- ISPO and IFSO share a database (ISSM). Entering the scholar's last name in all caps helps avoid any confusion between ISPO and IFSO records. Also, it helps distinguish very clearly the last name as some individuals may have multiple.
- First Name: Include the Scholar’s First name as it appears on their passport biographical page. Unless the scholar does not have one.
- Middle Name: Do NOT use
- Campus ID: Do NOT use, this is not associated with a PID or employee ID.
- Campus: select University of California, San Diego
- Academic Department: Select the appropriate department from the drop-down list. The departments are listed by division, then in alphabetical order by department.
Division Breakdown
AFFL: Affiliate departments
AH: Arts and Humanities departments
BS: Biological Sciences departments
JSOE: Jacobs School of Engineering departments
MC: Main campus departments
Other(UCSD): Do not use this option unless IFSO instructs you to do so. To use this option, you would need to be granted department user permission.
Rady School of Management (UCSD)
School of Global Policy & Strategy (UCSD)
SIO: Scripps Institution of Oceanography departments
Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Scien(UCSD)
SOM: School of Medicine departments
SS: Social Sciences departments
University Extension (UCSD)
VC: Vice Chancellor areas
Wertheim School of Public Health
TIPS:
*Interdisciplinary programs will be listed under the Division that they are housed under for IFSO processing purposes. If it is unclear which division the interdisciplinary program is housed under choose the Division the PI is housed under.
*ORU's will be listed in ISD as a drop down option
- Department User: From the drop-down menu of available departmental contacts for the sponsoring department, select the person that will have responsibility over the invitation process for this incoming scholar. The individual listed as the Department User will receive notifications from ISD regarding the specific scholar.
- TIP: Can’t find the department administrator in the drop-down list? Contact IFSO at ifsoisd@ucsd.edu for help.
- ISSO Advisor: Does not need to be updated, it should default to Admin, Admin
Login Information: will allow you to create a user name for the scholar to access ISD, grant them editing permissions, and fill in their record in ISD.
- User Name: Use the given/first and family/last names of the scholar. You will not be able to change the scholar’s user name after it is created.
- Do not leave any spaces for the username. This will be their permanent username, try to make it simple. We highly encourage:
- LASTNAME-FirstName
- LASTNAMEFirstNameDept
- LASTNAMEFirstNameDOB
- LASTNAME-FirstName-Birthyear
- Do not leave any spaces for the username. This will be their permanent username, try to make it simple. We highly encourage:
- Email: Add the email address for the scholar. Please note that UC San Diego emails have been getting blocked/bouncebacks for “@hanmail.net” emails. Please try to avoid using “@hanmail.net” emails.
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You can always go back in to update the email address associated with the ISD account. This is the email will receive all the correspondence generated by the ISD system are sent to.
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- Read/Write: Allows the scholar to sign in and enter information.
- View: Allows the scholar to sign in but they cannot edit any information
- None: Scholar will not be able to log into ISD system. They wouldn’t know whether their access has been taken away or they are entering incorrect login information.
TIP: Scholar will not be aware of their permission levels, it is up to you to disclose which permission levels they have been granted or have been taken away.
Click Save this will immediately take you to the scholar biographical information page.
If you get the error “This UserName already exists, please Correct” means that the username is already in use by another scholar, so you will need to add something to the username you want to create for your scholar to make it unique. Edit username and try to save again.
ISD Error Message
Do not proceed, if you receive any of these error messages. Contact ifsoisd@ucsd.edu for assistance.
Duplicate ISD Error- This error occurs when there is already a record in ISD with a matching name
- Search for the record
- Make sure to remove all filters
- if you still cant find the scholar record, the scholar could be in a department you dont have access to (ifso can help you with this)
- ISSM is IFSO/ISPO's internal database that links to SEVIS. Data you submit via ISD gets sent to ISSM.
- This error occurs when there is already a record in ISSM, the system want to link to it. DO NOT PROCEED.
- The system could be trying to link to the student record.
Finding an Existing Scholar Record
To see if a record already exists, you can select Search for Visitor on the left-side navigation bar.
TIP: To find the record, you may need to change the filters to All
Scholar records will appear on the bottom; you can click on the "Last Name" hyperlink to access and edit the specific scholar record.
Upon completing a request (J-1: DS-2019 issued or H-1B/E-3 approved by USCIS), IFSO will change the processing stage to clear/blank and change the department user to ISD, IFSO. If you wanted to search for cases that were already completed for your department you could:
- Use the “User” filter option and select the ISD, IFSO as the Department User.
- Select the blank option in the “Processing Stage” filter option
If you are unable find the record, contact IFSO at ifsoisd@ucsd.edu
Reactivating an Inactive Record
If the record you found is inactive, this will typically occur for scholars returning to UC San Diego.
If you are certain its the same scholar- You can reactivate in ISD:
- Click on the scholar record
- Go to the Tasks Tab
- Click Change Visitors Department
- Select the same Academic Department the Scholar is currently listed under
- You can email ifsoisd@ucsd.edu to have IFSO reactivate the record.
- Email IFSO so that we can help you investigate and reactivate the record, email ifsoisd@ucsd.edu
- We highly encourage you to reactivate the record with the current department listed in ISD, this will allow you to view all previous items on file.
- To change the department, go to the Tasks Tab, click Change Visitors Department.
- When a department is changed, the department information and attachments do NOT transfer over. Only basic scholar information will transfer over.
Processing Stage in ISD
Do not change the “Processing Stage” the system will automatically update the stage. The scholar does not have the option to edit the processing stage, but they can view the stage.
The processing stage listed in ISD can be used to give you a general idea of the status of a request.
- Initial
- Record has been created but Faculty/Scholar has not been invited to use the system.
- Invited
- Scholar/Faculty has been invited to sign into ISD via an email that contains their login information.
- Pending Scholar Data Entry
- Faculty/Scholar needs to update/add information to ISD.
- Pending Department Review
- Faculty/Scholar completed their sections in ISD, the notification that the Faculty/Scholar finished making updates will be sent to whoever is listed as the Department User in the Tasks Section under Edit Visitor Login and Permissions. This would be the Department Admin now needs to complete their sections and submit the request to IFSO OR IFSOisd who needs to process a task such as change of address, registrations, etc.
- Submitted to International Office
- IFSO is still processing the request.
- Clear/Blank Processing stage
- IFSO has completed your request. There is no active request currently being worked on by IFSO.
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- Issued DS-2019 or processed an amendment
- H-1B initial/extension/amendment sent to USCIS
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- IFSO has completed your request. There is no active request currently being worked on by IFSO.
Update Department User in ISD
The Tasks Tab and under the Edit Visitor Login and Permissions allows you to review the scholar’s email (edit if necessary) and update the department user from ISD, IFSO to yourself.
Don’t forget to hit save.
Reviewing/updating the scholar email in the Edit Visitor Login and Permissions is especially important for extensions/amendments as the email listed there is usually from an initial request, which typically won’t be the scholar’s UCSD email. The email listed in the Edit Visitor Login and Permissions is used for all ISD notifications.
After every request is completed IFSO clears the processing stage and sets the department user as ISD, IFSO. This allows departments to use ISD as a case manager.

Contacting the Scholar
We always recommend emailing the scholar at a UCSD email or personal email (gmail, yahoo, etc.). We encourage you to not email Scholars at other institution email addresses (as we do not know how long scholar will retain access) or @hanmail.net (UCSD emails have been getting blocked).
Invite Visitor – Tasks Tab
- This generates a user name and new password every time an email is sent generated to the scholar. We recommend only doing this once. This can also be a quick way to send the scholar a new password, if you do not want to reset the password by going to Edit Visitor Login and Permissions under the Tasks Tab.
- The sender email address will be the email address of the admin noted under the Task Tab section Edit Visitor Login and Permissions. If the scholar replies the email goes to the department contact’s UCSD email that is associated with the ISD account.
- The email sent to the scholar is logged in the Case History of ISD. Please note that the scholar response is not saved to the Case History of ISD as it goes to your UCSD email account.
- You can cc yourself to ensure you also have a history of the emails in your UCSD email account.
Confirm Visitor Information – Tasks Tab
- Will only allow you to generate an email to the scholar for whose record you are currently working on. You can CC or BCC additional individuals. We recommend this option is used when you want the scholar to review/confirm any final information prior to submission to IFSO.
- The sender appears as the department UCSD email, if the scholar replies the email goes to the department contact’s UCSD email.
- The email sent to the scholar is logged in the Case History of ISD. Please note that the scholar response is not saved to the Case History of ISD.
- You can cc yourself to ensure you also have a history of the emails in your UCSD email account.
Compose Email – Tasks Tab
- Will allow you to generate an email, CC and BCC anyone you would like. We recommend this option is used when you want an email to be logged in the Case History of ISD
- The sender appears as the department UCSD email, if the scholar replies the email goes to the department contact’s UCSD email.
- The email sent to the scholar is logged in the Case History of ISD. Please note that the scholar response is not saved to the Case History of ISD.
- You can cc yourself to ensure you also have a history of the emails in your UCSD email account.
Current Email Program
- Apart from the initial Invite Visitor email as that generates the password and login for the scholar, you do not have to use ISD to generate emails you can continue to use your UCSD outlook/gmail. The benefit of using ISD to send emails is that the information is logged into one location for continuity purposes.
Tasks Tab
The Task Tab has the following options:
- Invite Visitor
- This generates the scholar username and password
- Edit Visitor Login and permissions
- Allows you to edit the scholar email, set the department user, and update the scholar's permissions
- Review and Submit Visitors Information
- The way to submit a request to IFSO
- Change Visitor's Department
- Allows you to change a visitors department
Notes Tab
The Notes Tab is only accessible to the department and IFSO.
The notes section can be used to write a note to IFSO or just an internal reminder for yourself. However, since IFSO has access to view this information please make sure whether it’s an internal note for yourself/your department or for IFSO.
- J-1 transfer-In: include current non-UC San Diego Immigration advisor’s contact information; full name and email address.
- Amendment: reason for amendment
- Separation/Departure: reason for separation/departure and separation/departure date
Documents Tab
While IFSO staff and the department are able to see all documents uploaded in ISD, the scholar can only view their own uploaded documents. They will not be able to view documents that you have uploaded into ISD as the department contact. Please be aware of this as you work with your scholar to prepare and update requests.
- Document Path: Click on Choose File option to find a file on your computer that you would like uploaded as evidence to ISD.
- Upload supporting documentation in PDF format when possible
- Is Active option: Do not edit.
- Document Name: Include a description of the document you are uploading. If multiple items, you could name Complete Supporting Documentation File.
- Do not use any special characters such as /, ?, #
- Document Type: Select the most appropriate document type from the list of options.
- If no category seems appropriate, leave blank
- Add Document Type: Do not click on this option.
Do not delete any previous documents. You will know the items have been successfully uploaded because they will be visible on the List of Documents. If an item you uploaded is not listed on the List of Documents, please upload again.
Tip: If the document you are trying to upload is too large:- Max individual file size is 4 MB (4,000 KB)
- Reduce file size using adobe reduce file - optimize PDF option.
- You can try to print to PDF. Even if it 's already a PDF, this will typically reduce the quality and help make the file size smaller.
Forms Tab
The forms tab allows you the preview what information the scholar could enter on ISD as opposed to the department; some information is listed for both the scholar and department to enter to ensure both are review the information.
History Tab
The History tab is only visible to department contacts and IFSO. This is great historical information for departments with turn over.
The history tab can be very useful as it will show you who is making changes in the record and the changes they made. This feature can be critical for extension requests or if you want to see changes IFSO updated in ISD as well.
You can also see when a request was submitted to IFSO, this will show as a line item event that says Data Submission by Department with description Department submitted information to the international office.
You will be able to see any emails sent through the ISD system. Please note that scholar responses to emails generated from ISD, are not saved into the ISD History Tab because the response is sent to the email associated with department user listed for the ISD record.
Submit to IFSO
IFSO does NOT get alerts for changes made in ISD, unless the following steps are taken.
For a department to submit a request to IFSO you must click on the Tasks tab on the left-hand side of the top Horizontal Fields Navigation Bar and click on Review and Submit Visitor's Information.
After all required fields are completed, select:- Profile Status:
- SEVIS - Pending: For a new/transfer-in J-1 Status considered pending until the scholar registers with IFSO.
- Pending: For a new/transfer-in/port H-1B/extension remains as such until we receive approval notice from USCIS
- SEVIS - Active: Sevis-Active status should be used for a J-1 extension request. For J-1 who has already registered and currently has an active DS-2019 issued by UC San Diego.
- Profile Type: These are the only statuses that should be selected
- J-1 Exchange Visitor
- Do not select J-1 Academic Training option
- H-1B Temporary Specialty Worker
- E-3 Treaty Professional
- TN Treaty NAFTA
- J-1 Exchange Visitor
- Profile Subtype:
- Scholar: Must always be noted as scholar, student would be for ISPO record and ISPO does not use ISD. Do not select "other"
- Profile Subtype If Other:
- Always leave blank
Click Submit button toward the left-hand top of the screen. This action forwards the complete record to IFSO staff to review.
Tip: to update any missing information you must go to the Horizontal Fields Navigation Bar then return to Review and Submit to Department section.
After the request is submitted, it should show that the record was “sent to ISSM.” You can also see when a request was submitted to IFSO by going to the History tab, this will show as a line item event that says Data Submission by Department with description Department submitted information to the international office.
IFSO Recharge Fees
Note
IFSO is entirely self-funded and must rely on fees charged to departments for its services in issuing documentation for international scholars to pursue exchange program activities or employment at UC San Diego.Please also remember to submit an online recharge payment for request, which must be done separately from the ISD process. You do not need to include proof of recharge payment through ISD; it will be checked by IFSO.
IFSO Processing Fee required:- J-1 Initial/Transfer-In
- J-1 Extension
- H-1B Initial/Port (Transfer)
- H-1B Extension
- H-1B Amendment
- J-1 Date Amendment
- J-1 Amendment
- J-1 Rush Fee is required for:
- Initial J-1 requests that require a start date in less than 45 days (excluding holidays). This policy reflects the processing time of our federal agencies, which include lengthy background checks required by the U.S. Department of State for visa applications.
- Any initial transfer-in, extension, or amendment (not date amendment) requests that require processing in under 15 business days.
- H-1B/E-3 rush fee is required for any complete H-1B requests with a start date in less than three months time from the submission to IFSO. Incomplete requests will not be evaluated until they are complete.
- Institutional policy requires that departments pay the service fee for all persons appointed in Postdoctoral appointments.
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ALL fees for H-1B/E-3 requests MUST be paid by the sponsoring department. Fees are not rechargeable to the international scholar and scholars cannot reimburse the department for these fees.
You can find instructions and additional information on IFSO’s Recharge Webpage.
USCIS Fees (Checks) H-1B and E-3
For H-1B and E-3, in addition to the IFSO recharge fees there are USCIS required checks that will need to be provided to IFSO for the filing the employment-based petition.
Request checks from UC San Diego: see instructions https://ifso.ucsd.edu/_visa/checks.html. These checks must be individually issued.
For check amounts, please see IFSO website: https://ifso.ucsd.edu/dept-facilitators/h1b/index.html#Fees-and-USCIS-Check(s)
IFSO Request Forms
J-1 submissions (initial only; no form required for extension/amendments)
H-1B/E-3 submissions (required for initial/extension/amendments)
TN submissions
- Sponsorship form is NOT required, the ISD submission and chair letter serves as the official request
FAQs:
I am using the correct username and password to log into ISD, why isn't it working?
Please verify the following:
- You are signed into the @isd subpool
- If you are copying and pasting your password, that you are not including any spaces
- Verify that you are on the department site: https://isd.ucsd.edu/
- Scholar site: https://ISD-visitor.ucsd.edu
- Clear your browser history
How do I know if I am having issue with the ISD subpool, DUO, or ISD login credentials?
No: It’s an ISD VPN subpool or DUO issue
Troubleshooting steps:
- Are you signed into the ISD Subpool? Include “@ISD” with your active directory credentialsNote: scholars do not need to use the ISD subpool
- After entering your active directory credentials with @ISD and authenticating via DUO, did you get the second dialogue box that says “Accept”? If you can’t accept the second dialogue box:
- For those using the phone app, make sure it is up to date and the device is properly registered.
- Check: http://status.ucsd.edu/ to make sure it’s not a UCSD-wide VPN issue
Yes: It’s a login credential issue or wrong link (not VPN or DUO).
Steps you should take:
- Confirm you are using the correct linkDepartment link: https://isd.ucsd.edu/
- Make sure you are not copying any spaces if you are copying and pasting your password
- If you are using chrome, try using an incognito window
- Ask ifsoisd@ucsd.edu to reset your password.
I am emailing the scholar, and they receive my email, but the email does NOT contain the ISD username and password. How do I generate their ISD username and password?
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- Go to the Tasks Tab and click on "Invite Visitor." Write an email to the scholar and at the bottom of your email, ISD will include the ISD username and password for the scholar to use. This will only be visible in the email the scholar receives.
- You may also generate the scholars login information by going to the Tasks Tab, selecting “Edit Visitor Login and Permissions,” selecting the "Reset Password," and clicking save. This will generate the username and password for the scholar.
There are two methods of generating the scholar’s username and password.
"Compose Email" and "Confirm Visitor Information" do not generate a username and password.How do I know if the Faculty/Scholar has been sent their login credentials?
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Faculty and scholars needing updated requests such as Extensions or Amendments may not have used ISD previously and will need to be provided with ISD login credentials. There are two primary ways you would know if a faculty/scholar has used ISD before:
- History Section of ISD:
- Verify they have previously been given access by reviewing History Section: there will be an invitation event (“Visitor Invitation”)
- If they have previously used ISD you will also see their name in the “Last Updated By” Column of the History Section.
- In the Tasks Tab, the Edit Visitor Login and Permissions section of ISD:
There will NOT be an option to “reset password” until a faculty/scholar is invited to use ISD
- History Section of ISD:
How to find a scholar in ISD?
- Once in ISD, on the left side under Record Manager, select “Search for Visitor”.
- In the first box for Last Name, enter the scholar’s name listed on their passport.
- Remove filters (Set ISSO Advisor to “All”)
- If nothing appears, you may have to create a record for the scholar.
Tip: Use the percent sign (%) to help you search for variations of names. By adding the % before, after, or at the start and/or end you can search for variations of a name or string of letters.
- Start: “%est” will give you names that end in “est”
- End: “test%” will give you names that start with “test”
- Start and End: “%Test%” will give you names that start, end, or contain “test” in them. This is especially helpful when searching for scholars with multiple first or last names.
The Department name is NOT listed in ISD as an option. What do I do?
Each Department user will be assigned access to their department or division which they indicated they would be processing for when ISD access was requested. If this information needs to be changed, email ifsoisd@ucsd.edu
Department user should select the appropriate department from the drop-down list. The departments are listed by division, then in alphabetical order by department.
Division Breakdown
- AFFL:Affiliate departments
- AH: Arts and Humanities departments
- BS: Biological Sciences departments
- JSOE: Jacobs School of Engineering departments
- MC: Main campus departments
- Other(UCSD): Do not use this option unless IFSO instructs you to do so. To use this option, you would need to be granted department user permission.
- Rady School of Management (UCSD)
- School of Global Policy & Strategy (UCSD)
- SIO: Scripps Institution of Oceanography departments
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Scien(UCSD)
- SOM:School of Medicine departments
- SS:Social Sciences departments
- University Extension (UCSD)
- VC:Vice Chancellor areas
- Wertheim School of Public Health
Interdisciplinary programs will be listed under the Division that they are housed under for IFSO processing purposes. If it is unclear which division the interdisciplinary program is housed under, choose the Division the PI is housed under.
ORU's will be listed in ISD as a drop-down option.
Can’t find the department in the drop-down list? Contact IFSO at ifsoisd@ucsd.edu for help.
I noticed there is a record already created for a scholar in ISD, but the department contact noted is my colleague. How do I update the record so that I am the department admin receiving all the notifications?
- If you already have ISD access:
- Find the scholar record in ISD
- Under Tasks go to "Edit Visitor Login and Permissions"
- In the "Department User" drop down menu select the appropriate department admin contact
- If you do NOT have ISD access yet:
- Attend the UC Learning Training: Online J-1 and H-1B Requests Using "ISD"
- After you receive a username and password from IFSO, you can update the scholar record to make yourself the default admin contact
I am using the compose email function in ISD. Why isn't the scholar receiving my emails?
- Verify the email address being used to contact the scholar is correct
- Verify that the email is not going to the scholar's junk inbox
- Has the scholar been invited to ISD? View the History Tab in ISD to see if the scholar was invited. The Compose Email feature will NOT generate emails until the scholar has been invited to use ISD via the Tasks Tab "Invite Visitor" option.
- The "Invite Visitor" option in the Tasks tab provides scholars with a username and password. The system won’t let you compose an email to someone that has never been given a username and password.
- Please note that IFSO created records in ISD for scholars who already had a profile in IFSO's internal database ISSM. This was done to help link the records, but the user may not have been invited if their ISD record was created after they were already in IFSO’s internal system.
Why does IFSO keep setting IFSO, ISD as the Department User?
After each request is completed, we clear the processing stage and set the department user to ISD, IFSO.
This allows scholars to submit requests (i.e. address changes, register, etc.) directly to our office without requiring the department to submit the request to IFSO. If IFSO is the department user, IFSO staff will be notified when a scholar submits one of these requests.
Setting the department user to IFSO also allows you to use ISD as a case manager, so you will only have cases assigned to you that you are actively working on.
Before initiating a new request or inviting the scholar to initiate it, always update the department user to yourself and review the scholar email to make sure it is up to date. Doing so will allow you to receive notifications associated with the request and the scholar to receive the notifications to the most current email.
How do I submit my request to IFSO?
- The only way for IFSO to receive a request via ISD for processing is by going to the Tasks Tab and clicking “Review and Submit Visitor's information.”
- Do not edit the Processing Stage. The Processing Stage will update automatically. Please note that manually updating the processing stage to “Submitted to International Office” does NOT submit or notify IFSO that there is a request for processing.
- Saving your information will not submit the information to IFSO unless you Review and Submit
- If the only update you have made in ISD is adding to the Notes Tab or Documents Tab, IFSO will not receive a notification
- If you are worried that IFSO did not receive your request, you can:
- Click submit again! That’s OK!
- Email ifsoisd@ucsd.edu to verify
- Check the history tab for a line item that says “Data Submission by Department” with description “Department submitted information to the international office."
How do I submit multiple requests for one scholar at the same time?
Submit each request individually.
Please wait until IFSO acknowledges that they have received the first request. Upon acknowledgment of first request you can submit the next request.
Example: J extension and H-1B submission. ALL documents for both requests can already be uploaded in ISD. However, the data in the fields and status you submit to IFSO should first be for the J extension. Once we confirm we received the extension, you can update the ISD fields to include second request information (for example H-1B information such as start/end date). This ensures that IFSO has the correct information processed for each request.