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J1 Visa For International Exchange Visitors

J1 exchange visitor program is designed to promote the interchange of persons, knowledge, and skills in the fields of education, arts, and sciences. Eligible Participants include

  • Students at all academic levels studying full time at various foreign institutes

  • Trainees obtaining on-the-job training with firms, institutions, and agencies

  • Teachers of primary, secondary, and specialized schools

  • Professors coming to teach or do research at institutions of higher learning

  • Research scholars

  • Professional trainees in the medical and allied fields


    • International visitors coming to U.S. to tour, observe, consult, conduct research, receive training, demonstrate specialized knowledge or skills, or participate in an organized people-to-people program

    I. Benefits of the J1 Visa

  • You can enter the U.S. as an exchange visitor

  • Your dependents can stay with you as long as you maintain your J1 status. They can also      attend school while on the J-2 dependent visa

  • You are exempt from Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax withholdings

  • Your dependents are eligible to apply for employment authorization, and may work in the      U.S. However, they cannot get work authorization if the money earned is needed to      support you


    • Requirements for the J1 Visa

    To qualify for a J1 exchange visitor visa, you must prove that:

  • You are sponsored by an organization approved by the Department of State (DOS), and      granted authority to issue a Form DS-2019 to prospective J1 applicants

  • You have sufficient funds to cover all expenses, or funds must be provided by the      sponsoring organization in the form of a scholarship or other stipend

  • You have sufficient scholastic preparation to participate in the designated program

  • You are sufficiently proficient in English to participate in the designated program, or the      sponsoring organization has made special arrangements to teach you the English language      or conduct the course in your native language. You may be exempt from this requirement if      you intend to come to the U.S. to participate exclusively in an English language training      program

  • You have a permanent residence in your home country, which you do not intend to      abandon

  • You intend to depart the U.S. upon completion of the course of study. You may establish      this by presenting evidence of economic, social and/or family ties in your homeland      sufficient to induce you to leave the U.S. upon completion of studies

  • Your proposed education in the U.S. would be useful in your homeland, and therefore      induce you to leave the U.S. upon completion of studies

  • If you are coming to the U.S. to receive graduate medical education or training:

  • You have passed the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination in Medical Sciences

  • The program does not include patient care


    • Applying for the J1 Visa

    The first step is to obtain from the sponsoring institution the Form DS-2019, Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) status. Your visa cannot be processed without this form. Your J1 visa application must include the following documents:

    DS-2019, Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) status. Your visa cannot be processed without this form. Your J-1 visa application must include the following documents:

  • DOS Form DS-156, Nonimmigrant Visa Application

  • DOS Form DS-157, Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application, for all male applicants      between the ages of 16 and 45

  • All pages of the Form DS-2019. The Form DS-2019 is issued only by the sponsoring      organization in the U.S.

  • A copy of your passport which is valid for at least six months beyond the period of stay in      the U.S. and with at least one blank page

  • Two identical color photographs showing full face without head covering against a light      background. You may wear a headdress if required by a religious order of which you are a      member

  • Evidence demonstrating sufficient funds to cover all expenses including the tuition fee and      living expenses. Such evidence may include detailed bank statements of accounts showing      that adequate funds are available for transfer, evidence of scholarships and/or combination      of finances which will meet the estimated total expenses, including tuition, of your      proposed stay in the U.S.

  • Evidence demonstrating that you have a residence abroad to which you intend to return at      the end of your stay in the U.S. This is generally established by evidence of family,      professional, property, employment or other ties and commitments to some country other      than the U.S. sufficient to cause the applicant to return there at the conclusion of your stay


    • Your academic qualifications - such evidence may include complete transcripts of grades and test records for the last four years of school and evidence of TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores

    Duration of Stay

    When you enter the U.S. on an exchange visitor visa, you are admitted for the duration of your program. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) inspector at the port of entry makes the final decision on how long anyone may stay in the U.S.

    You may be eligible to change your status in the U.S. and acquire an appropriate work visa such as H-1B or H-2B, on completion of your authorized stay without having to return to your home country.

    Working on J1 Visa

    Employment while on "J" exchange visitor status depends upon the terms of the program. Participants in programs which provide for on-the-job training, teaching, research, or other activities which involve paid employment may accept such employment. Participants in programs which do not involve work may not accept outside employment.

    VI. Spouses and Children

    Spouses and/or children under the age of 21 who wish to accompany or join you in the U.S. for the duration of your stay can apply for J-2 visas.

    Home Residence Requirement

    You may be required to return to your home country and be physically present there for at least two years after the conclusion of your exchange visit before you become eligible to apply for an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa if:

  • Your J1 program has been financed in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, by an agency      of the U.S. Government or by your government

  • You are a national or resident of a country, which has been designated by the Exchange      Visitor Program and Designation Staff as requiring the skills of the exchange visitor


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