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

• Students at all academic levels
• 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

Benefits of the J1 Visa

i) You can enter the U.S. as an exchange visitor
ii) 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
iii) You are exempt from Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax withholdings
iv)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

i)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
ii)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
iii)You have sufficient scholastic preparation to participate in the designated program
iv)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
v)You have a permanent residence in your home country, which you do not intend to abandon
vi)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
vii)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:
i)You have passed the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination in Medical Sciences
ii)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:
i)DOS Form DS-156, Nonimmigrant Visa Application
ii)DOS Form DS-157, Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application, for all male applicants between the ages of 16 and 45
iii)All pages of the Form DS-2019. The Form DS-2019 is issued only by the sponsoring organization in the U.S.
iv) 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
v)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
vi) 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.
vii)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
viii)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.

Note: 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.

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 (H or L) visa if:
i) 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
ii)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

Learn More About Applying for a Waiver of the Two-Year Foreign Residence Requirement