International visitors (aka “scholars”) coming to UMass Amherst to visit and work with campus faculty and departments need to be in the correct U.S. visa category that allows such activities. International visitors may participate in certain collaborative academic activities on U.S. visitor visas, however please make sure to communicate to the OGA if you are unsure if a U.S. visitor visa classification would be appropriate for the visit rather than the J-1 visa for more formalized affiliations. UMass Amherst cannot host ‘volunteers’ on U.S. tourist visas. There are two types of U.S. visitor visas, B-1 and B-2. Only B-1 or W-B immigration status is appropriate for an international guest coming the UMass intending to use a visitor's visa.
