ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT J-1 VISA
What is J-1 Visa?
J-1 exchange visitor visas are nonimmigrant visas for foreign nationals intended to promote cultural interaction between people from the United States and other countries. The visa allows its holders to stay temporarily in the US while engaging in a work-and-study-based exchange and visiting programs. Before you can apply for a J-1 visa, you will first need to submit an application for an exchange program (either to study or work) with an assigned sponsor in the United States. You cannot apply for a J-1 visa until you have been accepted into a program.
Who is Qualified to Apply for a J-1 Visa?
J-1 visas are often granted for participants in the Fulbright Scholarship program, specialized training programs for foreign medical graduates, and programs for foreign university professors who will be teaching or doing research in the United States.
Your exchange program determines your J-1 visa category. A J-1 exchange visitor visa requires proof that the applicant will be traveling to the United States for the express purpose of participating in an educational or cultural exchange program as a student, scholar, trainee, intern, au pair, teacher, professor, research assistant, medical graduate, or international visitor. Also, you must be participating in a program of studies, training, research, or cultural enrichment that has been designed by the U.S. Department of State (DOS), via its Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). But before applying for the visa, you must apply to, and gain acceptance from, one of these programs.
How to Get a J-1 Visa?
The processes required to apply for a J-1 visa are detailed here; however, the sequence in which they must be completed will vary depending on your country of origin. This is a detailed explanation of how to get a J-1 visa:
Step 1. Find a J-1 Sponsor in the United States
To get a J-1 visa, you must be accepted by a program sponsored by a recognized organization. Many of these sponsoring organizations may put individuals anywhere in the United States, regardless of their actual location. Listed below is the official roster of recognized sponsor groups as maintained by the United States Department of State. Keep in mind that many groups pre-screen applicants to ensure they have enough command of the English language. Sponsoring companies may also assist with J1 visa applications.
Step 2. Fill in the Visa Application Form
The J-1 visa application must be completed online. At your visa interview, bring the printed version of the online page. You must submit your visa picture online, but carry a copy in case it fails.
The DS-2019 Form, also known as the “Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status,” must be submitted after you have applied and been authorized by a designated sponsor organization. This form is the official documentation used by the US Department of State to grant an interview with an embassy or consulate of the United States. If your spouse or child(ren) will accompany you, they will also get a separate DS-2019 form. This two-page document is supplied by your designated sponsoring organization and includes a description of the exchange program, as well as its start and conclusion dates and cost (with a breakdown of financial support).
Step 3. Pay Your Fees
To apply for a J-1 visa from the United States Department of Homeland Security, you must pay a SEVIS I-901 fee, which may or may not be included in your program costs to your sponsoring employer. You should ask your sponsor whether you will be responsible for the payment or if they would cover it. If your sponsor is responsible for paying the SEVIS fee, make sure you have a receipt showing that they did so.
On the Department of State’s Fee for Visa Services website, you may pay the Nonimmigrant Visa Application Processing Fee. Waivers are available for J-1 visa applicants who are participating in a U.S. Government, Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), or U.S. Government supported educational and cultural exchange program.
Step 4. Schedule a Meeting with the Embassy or Consulate
In order for the application, you submitted for a J-1 visa to be approved, you will need to get final approval from a consular official in an embassy or consulate of the United States. Depending on your location, waiting periods for an appointment might vary, so it is essential to plan in advance to ensure you have enough time before your program starts.
During the interview, you are going to be asked questions regarding the program, your plans for after the program, how you intend to finance your fees, and other similar topics. It is essential that you make it clear that you want to finish the program and then go back to your native country once it is over. Be ready to demonstrate the binding links that attach you to your home country, and bring any evidence that might further illustrate the ties that bind you to your home country.
When applying for a J-1 visa, it is essential to validate the required documents with your specific embassy or consulate. During your J-1 visa interview, your embassy or consulate and personal circumstances will influence how to apply. Generally, the U.S. Embassy or Consulate requires these papers for J-1 visa applications:
- A passport that lets you travel to the U.S. and is still good for six months after the length of time you plan to stay there.
- DS-2019 Form, Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status
- DS-7002 Form, A Training/Internship Placement Plan (for exchange visitor trainees or intern visa applicants)
- Form DS-160, Online Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application
- Visa fee receipt. If you are required to pay the visa fee before your interview, bring your receipt.
- One 2×2 photograph
- J-1 visa insurance. The sponsor is responsible for ensuring you have health insurance.
How Long Can a J-1 Visa Holder Stay?
A J-1 visa allows for a maximum stay of two or three years. Nevertheless, the duration of your J-1 visa stay in the US varies based on the program you applied for.
For instance, if you are a university student, your visa is valid for the duration of your course of study, but if you are a short-term scholar, your stay is limited to six months. Every J-1 visa holder typically has 30 days of grace after their visa ends to schedule their flight home.
You may renew your J-1 visa by seeking a program extension. Your sponsor officer, who is accountable for you, may extend your program to the maximum statutory term. You’ll get a new Form DS-2019 with the extended term.
Can you Change your Category Under a J-1 Visa?
You are allowed to change categories as long as you can present convincing justifications for doing so and demonstrate that you will still get very near to achieving the goals you set out to accomplish via the exchange program. An online request to change your category must be submitted to the Department of State on your behalf by the officer who is responsible for you, and the Department will ask for a fee to accept the request. However, consulting an attorney might give you a better idea. Attorney Raju Mahajan & Associates has been trying to assist individuals in various immigration issues. Our immigration law office provides numerous legal services, including online consultations, which you can have access from any part of the world.
