Program Information

• Visitor Categories

  UCLA School of Law welcomes three different categories of visitors to the VSJRP.

  • Visiting Scholars are legal scholars who spend time at UCLA School of Law in order to conduct specific independent research or to learn about U.S. law in a particular field related to their work.
  • Visiting Jurists are practicing lawyers, judges, and other members of the legal profession from other countries who spend time at UCLA School of Law in order to conduct specific independent research or learn about U.S. law in a particular field related to their work.
  • Visiting Graduate Researchers are students currently enrolled in a PhD, SJD or other doctoral-level program who spend time at UCLA School of Law in order to work on their dissertations or conduct specific independent research.
• Visit Duration

  We accept visitors into the program from two to twelve months.  To benefit the most from our academic community, we strongly recommend visitors plan their visit to coincide with the UCLA Law academic calendar.  We generally welcome visitors to start their visiting period between August 15-September 30 (for the Fall semester) or January 15-Feburary 28 (for the Spring semester) each year.  We will consider start dates outside these on an exceptional basis.

• Application Process

  The UCLA Law Visiting Scholars, Jurists & Researchers Program attracts the best candidates from around the world and is highly competitive. To request an application form, please complete this form.

  Applicants must provide the following materials for consideration:

  • Application Form
  • Brief Description of Research Project
  • Current Resume or Curriculum Vitae
  • TOEFL/IELTS Score Certificate or other proof of English language proficiency*

  Visitors are encouraged to apply during one of two application windows each year:

  • February 1 – March 15
  • August 1 – September 15

  Applicants should apply at least six months in advance of their proposed start date.  We will consider applications made outside of these dates on an exceptional basis.

  Once we have received all your documents, please allow us 2-4 weeks to review your application.  If you are admitted to the program, VSJRP will work with you on applying for a visa to come to the United States, if necessary.

• Fees & Costs

  Program Fees

  Visitors are assessed program fees by the law school and the university based on the length of the visit.

  • Visiting Scholars and Visiting Jurists are required to pay a fee calculated at $1,250 per month, equivalent to $12,500 per year.
  • Visiting Graduate Researchers (VGR) are required to pay a fee calculated at $750 per month, equivalent to $7,500 per year. In addition, under the UCLA Graduate Division's Visiting Graduate Researcher policy, all Visiting Graduate Researchers are required to pay one-time and quarterly fees based on the University's quarter schedule. As quarterly fees are not prorated, we encourage VGRs to plan the dates of their visit based around this schedule.

  The required fees cover campus costs and provide visitors with access to law school services, resources, and facilities. All visitors who require visas must also pay a visa processing fee of $399. The law school cannot provide visitors with any financial aid or funding to assist with fees and/or living expenses. In exceptional circumstances, the law school fees may be partially waived with evidence of hardship, extenuating circumstances, or other compelling reasons. Please note all fees are to be paid upon arrival at the start of your program.

  Living Costs

  Los Angeles is a very expensive city to live in. The cost of living per month for visitors varies considerably from person to person depending on expenditures on housing, food, etc. Please visit the Dashew Center for International Students & Scholars website here for up-to-date estimated costs of living by month and year that your financial documentation will need to showcase for the duration of your program. Visiting scholars, jurists and researchers are not entitled to on-campus university housing or off-campus university housing during their stay and must arrange for their own housing while residing in Los Angeles.

  Health Insurance

  All visitors are required to demonstrate proof of adequate medical insurance that will provide coverage during their stay in the United States. All visitors who plan to come to UCLA on the J-1 visa will be required to purchase mandatory health care coverage through the UCLA Visiting Scholar Benefits Plan (VSPB). Visitors may opt out of this plan only if they can provide proof of comparable health insurance through an alternative provider that is approved by Garnett-Powers & Associates, Inc.

  Proof of Sufficient Funds

  All visitors are required to demonstrate proof of adequate financial support to cover the entire cost of the visit (fees and living expenses). If accepted into the program, visitors will be required to supply financial documentation (bank statements, scholarship letters, etc.) in order to begin the process of applying for their J-1 visa.

• English Language Proficiency

  Applicants for the Visiting Scholars, Jurists & Researchers Program must submit documentation with their application to show satisfactory English language proficiency for participation in our English language program. Visitors must provide one of the following 4 forms as evidence of their proficiency: 

  1) *TOEFL or IELTS score - In order to obtain a J-1 visa, visitors must showcase a minimum score of IELTS overall band score of 7 or higher or TOEFL test score 560 (paper based) or 87 (iBT). TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid for 2 years from the date they are taken. 

  2) Certification by home academic institution where English is used 

  3) Certification by English Language School where English training was completed within the past 2 years 

  4) Copy of signed diploma or signed transcript from U.S. universities or universities in countries where English is the native language 

  *Please note that these are the only forms of English language proficiency accepted in order to process a DS-2019 and we are not able to accept test scores from other sources (i.e. Duolingo, etc.).

  An applicant whose first language is English and is a citizen of a country in which English is the primary spoken language of daily life (e.g., Australia, Barbados, Canada, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, United Kingdom) is exempt from this requirement. 

• Visa Process

  If you accept UCLA Law’s offer of admission to the Visiting Scholars, Jurists & Researchers Program, the UCLA Dashew Center for International Students & Scholars will email you instructions for applying for a DS-2019 form for your J-1 visa. You will be asked to submit the following information:

  • Biographical information for you and your dependents (spouse and/or children).
  • Copy of the picture page of the passport for you and each dependent, if applicable.
  • Documentary evidence of financial support in English. 51% of required funds must come from non-personal sources for J-1 non-degree student categories.
  • A copy of your resume/CV.
  • Proof of English language proficiency.
  • Copies of previous DS-2019 forms if you have participated in a J-1 program within the past 2 years.

  After receiving these items, the Dashew Center will process your application and issue your DS-2019 form within 20 business days. The DS-2019 form will be sent to you via email. After receiving the form, you must apply for a J-1 visa through the U.S. embassy or consulate in your country of residence in order to obtain authorization to enter the United States. Please apply for your visa well in advance of the date of your intended travel to the United States, as some embassies and consulates take several weeks (or even months) to process visa requests.

  Upon arriving in the United States, you must check in with the Dashew Center within 25 days.

  If you have questions about the visa process, you should direct those to the Dashew Center. You can find different ways to contact the Dashew Center here.