Department sponsors need to determine English proficiency for J-1 Scholars in one of 5 ways:

  • A UCLA recognized English language test taken within the past 2 years: IELTS overall band score of 7 or higher or TOEFL test score 560 (paper based) or 87 (iBT);

  • Certification by home academic institution where English is used;

  • Certification by English Language School where English training was completed within the past 2 years;

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

  • A documented interview conducted by the UCLA faculty advisor either in-person or by videoconferencing, or by telephone if videoconferencing is not a viable option.

The Certification of English Language Proficiency form must be included with all NEW and TRANSFER DS-2019 Requests. English Certification is not required for EXTENSION requests.

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.