Like our colleagues throughout NIH, the Division of International Services (DIS) took significant steps to respond to the changes in their work environment due to COVID-19. DIS experienced a significant increase in inquiries from concerned customers. In the month of March, our DIS@mail.nih.gov address received 1,797 e-mails, an increase of 140% from the previous month. They focused on responding immediately and developing resources to meet their clients' needs.
DIS adjusted processes so that all Visiting Program requests can be submitted to them electronically. This ensures that case processing times are not affected by the move to remote work. DIS also launched a massive address verification project involving over 2,100 Visiting Program participants. During this project, they updated nearly 1,500 J-1 Exchange Visitor records and ensured that hundreds of telework notices were posted for H-1B employees in order to meet Department of State and Department of Labor reporting requirements. As a reminder, all Visiting Program participants must notify DIS within 10 days of any change in residential address.
There were also significant immigration and NIH policy updates affecting the Visiting Program. On April 2, the Department of State granted a two-month extension to certain J-1 Exchange Visitors who are approaching their maximum time in the J-1 program. This extension allows Exchange Visitors additional time to complete their training program or to make travel arrangements to return to their home country. DIS has contacted all NIH labs that have an Exchange Visitor affected by the extension.
On March 28, NIH published guidance on exceptional extensions for non-FTE trainees for COVID-19. Due to the potential for a prolonged slow-down of research activities, this guidance discusses options for exceptional extensions of non-FTE trainees beyond maximum time allowed. The guidance was a collaborative effort between several offices, including the Office of Intramural Training & Education, the Office of Intramural Research, and DIS. For exceptional extensions of Visiting Fellows, please consult with DIS.
