Virginia Tech® home

J-1 Export Review and HR Conviction Checks

Export Review

  • All J-1 Scholars and Student Interns must be reviewed by the Office of Export and Secure Research Compliance (OESRC) before ISS can process the J-1 request.  To obtain an export review, proceed to OESRC’s international visitors page and follow the instructions to submit an export questionnaire.  This process is between the department and OESRC therefore do not send the export questionnaire to ISS. 
  • OESRC will send email communication to the department/faculty generally within 3 business days of receipt of the questionnaire and CV.  This communication will either be notification of approval with export guidance or notification that the review requires additional checks or processing to be approved (although approval is not guaranteed!). 
  • After receiving approval from OESRC, attach the OESRC certification document to the ISS Request Form as proof of completion of the export review process.  Because some reviews require additional processing time, please prioritize the export review when processing a J-1.
  • In addition, all J-1 extensions require a new Export Compliance review.   Please plan accordingly.

HR Conviction Checks

  • Human Resources requires all (paid and unpaid) J-1 Scholars and Student Interns to undergo a criminal background check prior to ISS processing the J-1 case.  Please note that some international conviction checks may take several weeks and departments should begin this process early!
  • To access the Conviction Check Request Form, go to https://vthr.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/1820/Portal/Requests/ServiceDet?ID=36870 and choose “Request Service” on the right side of the page
  • For instructions on how to complete the form or information about the conviction check process, see the Conviciton Check Process Web Page: https://www.hr.vt.edu/hiring-employee-transactions/hire/resources/conviction-check.html
  • Please note that the conviction/driving check process is managed entirely by Human Resources and ISS cannot accept forms or answer questions about how to complete the process or how long the process will take.  Please direct any conviction check inquiries to the Department of Human Resources (hrask@vt.edu or 540-231-9331).
  • Upon completion of the process, HR will send the department an email with the results.  Please attach the HR communication email to the ISS request form as proof of completion of the conviction check process.