The Department has published a revised Exchange Visitor Skills List, effective December 9, 2024, for determining the applicability of the two-year home country physical presence requirement under INA section 212(e) for J exchange visitor visas. If a visitor’s country is not on the updated list, they are no longer subject to this requirement based on the Skills List. However, they may still be subject to the two-year rule due to U.S. or home government funding or graduate medical training in the U.S.
