The UCLA Asia Pacific Center (APC) hosts a limited number of visiting scholars annually to pursue their research and participate in our vibrant academic community. Priority is given to scholars from our institutional affiliates and to those who are nominated by members of the APC Faculty Advisory Committee.

APC charges fees to cover the costs of each visiting scholar appointment, including preparation of documents required for a U.S. visa and other administrative expenses incurred before the scholar’s arrival and during his or her visit.

Eligibility

Each UCLA APC visiting scholar must:

  1. Have a doctoral degree (PhD or equivalent) and hold a full-time position at a university;
  2. Conduct research on a topic that is within the scope of our center's mission and focus (please see the APC Mission Statement);
  3. Be invited and sponsored by a member of our center's Faculty Advisory Committee, which represents a variety of disciplines and regional/country expertise.

International applicants must also apply for a U.S. J-1 visa and purchase health insurance for the duration of their residency in Los Angeles, USA. If scholars choose to use their own health insurance plan, be sure to select a plan that meets the university requirements. If scholars do not purchase health insurance prior to arrival, it is required to purchase the Visiting Scholar Benefit Plan (VSBP) available through UCLA.

Benefits

  1. University ID card: Scholars will receive a UCLA BruinCard that grants access to various campus facilities and services. Note that BruinCards are only available to scholars with an appointment length of 3 months or longer (at minimum).
  2. Library Access: Scholars have borrowing privileges at UCLA libraries, as well as access to online library resources.
  3. Participation in events: Scholars are encouraged to attend public events hosted by the APC and other units on campus (virtual or in person), such as lectures and conferences. There may also be opportunities to participate in APC or campus events that are not open to the general public, such as workshops.
  4. Auditing courses: A visiting scholar may attend courses that are relevant to their field, upon approval of the instructor.
  5. Limited administrative assistance: APC staff can provide documentation of UCLA affiliation when required (for example, to purchase discounted public transit passes) and assist scholars with other minor administrative matters.
  6. A note on office space: APC is located on the 11th floor of Bunche Hall at UCLA. Unfortunately, we cannot provide personal office space for visiting scholars. There is a common office with desks that may be available for shared use (however, access is limited based on availability of staff on-site and any COVD-19 restrictions currently in place).

Fees

Fees are nonrefundable, including for international scholars who are denied a U.S. visa. The J-1 visa document fee is paid at the time of application, while the visiting scholar fee is paid upon arrival.

  1. Application fee: $100
  2. J-1 visa document fee (international scholars only): $570 for the scholar, plus $55 per eligible dependent (spouse or child under 21). This does not include any fees charged by the U.S. Embassy or Consulate (currently $185 for a J-1 visa). For more information on the J-1 visa, including embassy and consulate processing times, please see this U.S. State Department website: Exchange Visitor Visa. 
  3. Visiting scholar fee: $1,000 per quarter. For a one-year appointment, this fee would total $4,000. This fee is paid upon arrival and will not be charged to scholars who are denied a visa or decide to cancel their visit before traveling.

COVID-19 Information

UCLA has returned to primarily in-person course instruction, but many staff are still working on a hybrid schedule. Visiting scholars should plan as far in advance as possible due to increased document processing times at UCLA and U.S. embassies and consulates.

For more information about COVID-19 at UCLA and the vaccination policy, please review these websites:

Contact

For more information about the visiting scholar program and application process, please contact APC Center Administrator Jeannie Chen (jchen@international.ucla.edu).

Published: Friday, September 10, 2021