J-1 visa facts for kids

A J-1 visa in an exchange student's passport.

A J-1 visa is a special kind of visa that lets people from other countries come to the United States for a short time. It's all about sharing cultures and learning new things. People like students, teachers, and researchers use this visa to join programs that help them get training or experience in the U.S.

To get a J-1 visa, you need to meet certain rules. You must speak English well and have a sponsor. A sponsor is an organization, like a university or a government program, that supports your visit. After your program ends, J-1 visa holders usually need to go back to their home country for two years. This helps them share what they learned in the U.S. with their own communities.

In 2022, nearly 285,000 J-1 visas were given out. Most people who applied (about 88.8%) got their visa. Between 2001 and 2021, over 6 million J-1 visas were issued!

Types of J-1 Programs

There are many different types of J-1 programs, each for a different purpose. Here are some of the main ones:

Getting a J-1 Visa

Who Can Apply?

Each J-1 program has its own rules about who can join.

• An International Visitor is chosen by the U.S. State Department. They are usually leaders in a special field.
• Camp Counselors must be at least 18 years old and speak English. They should be a college student, youth worker, teacher, or have special skills.
• Au Pairs help American families with childcare. They must be 18 to 26 years old, speak good English, pass a background check, and have finished high school.
• A Research Scholar comes to the U.S. to do research. They can also teach or give talks.
• A Professor comes to teach or advise at a college or university.
• Summer Work Travel visitors must be college students who have finished at least one semester. They need to speak English well and have a summer job.
• An Intern must have graduated from college within a year before their J-1 visa starts. They cannot work in childcare, elder care, healthcare, or unskilled jobs.

The Visa Process

The first step to getting a J-1 visa is to find a sponsor. The U.S. State Department has a list of all approved sponsors. Your sponsor will help you with the application.

The Visa Interview

Most people applying for a J-1 visa need to have an interview at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are younger than 13 or older than 80, you usually don't need an interview.

Here are the documents you will need for your J-1 visa interview:

• The Certificate of Eligibility (Form DS-2019) from your sponsor.
• Other documents specific to your home country (check the consulate website).
• A valid passport that won't expire for at least six more months.
• The I-901 SEVIS Fee ($220).
• The Form DS-160 (non-immigrant visa application) filled out online.
• A receipt showing you paid the visa application fee ($160).
• A recent color photo (2"x2") in the correct style.

Staying in Touch

J-1 visa sponsors must keep track of their participants. They make sure that what you are doing matches your program. Sponsors also need to have your current contact information, like your address and phone number.

All J-1 visitors must have a special document called a DS-2019. This is given by your sponsor and is part of the SEVIS system. When you apply for your visa, the U.S. officer checks your DS-2019 record online. You also usually need to pay a SEVIS I-901 Fee.

It's important for J-1 visitors to report changes, like a new address, within 10 days. If you don't, it could cause problems with your visa.

Taxes

If you earn money while on a J-1 visa, you might need to pay taxes. The taxes you pay depend on your program, your home country, and how long you stay.

Many J-1 visa holders don't have to pay certain U.S. taxes, like Social Security and Medicare taxes. This is usually for the first five years if you are a student, or the first two years if you are a teacher or trainee. However, you will still pay other federal, state, and local taxes.

Returning Home

Many people on a J-1 visa must return to their home country for two years after their program ends. This is called the "two-year home residency requirement." You usually need to complete this before you can get other types of U.S. visas or become a permanent resident.

This rule applies if:

• Your program was paid for by your government or the U.S. government.
• Your program involved special skills that your home country needs.
• You received medical training in the U.S.

Sometimes, this two-year rule can be waived (meaning you don't have to do it) under special conditions:

• No objection statement: Your home country's government says they don't mind if you don't return.
• Exceptional hardship: If leaving would cause serious problems for your U.S. citizen family members.
• Persecution: If you can show you would be in danger in your home country.
• Interested government agency: A U.S. government agency says your work is important to them and your departure would be harmful.
• Conrad program: For foreign doctors who agree to work in areas of the U.S. that need more healthcare.

Ending Your J-1 Program

You can stay in the U.S. until your exchange program finishes, as shown on your DS-2019 form. After your program ends, you get an extra 30 days, called a "grace period." This time is for you to get ready to leave the country.

It's important to know that if you leave the U.S. during these 30 days, you cannot re-enter using your J-1 visa.

J-1 Visa for Doctors

A special and important part of the J-1 visa program is for foreign doctors. Between 2018 and 2022, over 15,000 new foreign doctors came to the U.S. on a J-1 visa. In 2021, there were more than 13,000 doctors on J-1 visas, which was a big increase from ten years before.

Many of these doctors go to New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. The most common countries sending doctors are Canada, India, and Pakistan. These doctors often work in general surgery, anesthesiology, and psychiatry. About half of them practice general medicine.

History of J-1 Doctors

From 1952 to 1978, many organizations helped foreign doctors come to the U.S. on J-1 visas. In 1979, one organization, the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), became the only sponsor for J-1 visa doctors.

Requirements for J-1 Doctors

J-1 visa doctors must have a special certificate from ECFMG to train in U.S. hospitals. They need to reapply for their J-1 visa every year. They also must pass certain medical exams.

Doctors on a J-1 visa can stay in the United States for a maximum of seven years.

History of the J-1 Visa

How the J-1 Visa Started

The J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa Program began in 1961. It was created to help people like students, teachers, and researchers come to the U.S. to learn and share knowledge. The main goal was to build stronger relationships between the U.S. and other countries.

The idea was to give people training and experience in the U.S. that they could use to help their home countries. This program helped the U.S. Department of State achieve its goals in working with other nations.

The J-1 Program first brought scholars to the U.S. for specific educational reasons, like teaching or doing research. Over time, it grew to include many other programs, such as the au pair program, Summer Work/Travel, and Intern programs.

Changes Over Time

• 2011 Website and Rules: In 2011, the State Department launched a new website for the J-1 visa. Also, as of 2011, you generally need a job offer before your visa interview. For students from certain countries (like Bulgaria and Russia), this job offer must be confirmed by a sponsor before you can even apply for the visa. These rules were put in place to protect J-1 visa holders.
• Same-Sex Partners: In 2011, the U.S. State Department announced that same-sex partners of foreign diplomats could apply for J-1 visas. After a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2013, legally married same-sex partners are treated the same as opposite-sex partners for visa purposes.
• COVID-19 Suspension: In March 2020, some J-1 visa programs were temporarily stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Later, in June 2020, new J-1 visas were suspended through the end of the year, and this was extended into 2021.
• 2022 STEM Work Authorization: In 2022, the State Department started a new program for J-1 visa students studying in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. This allows them to work in the U.S. for three years after graduation, which is longer than before.

J-1 Visa Numbers

Here's how many J-1 visas have been issued by the U.S. State Department over the years:

See also

• J-2 visa
• H-1B visa