US Exchange Visa

J-1 visa This type of visa is in fact for the exchange of knowledge between professors, scholars and researchers. This type of exchange visa is valid for two years and is issued only to people who have applied under one of the eligible programmes in this category. In addition, if you intend to do short-term activities in this country such as au pair, work and travel, or temporary academic work, apply through the J-1 visa. This type of visa has various categories, so make sure you choose the right visa category for you.

The Q-1 visa This type of visa is a cultural exchange visa that allows you to work, and through it you can promote your culture and traditions in the United States. This visa is intended for artists, famous athletes and people with extraordinary talent or holders of international awards in sports, art, cinema and music.

Eligible people for the US exchange visa J1 type

• Camp Counselor
• Au Pair and EduCare
• Government Visitor
• International Visitor
• Physician
• Professor and Research Scholar
• Short-term Scholar
• Specialist
• Student, college/university
• Student, secondary
• Summer Work Travel
• Teacher
• Trainee - Intern

Requirements for obtaining the US exchange visa J1 type

• Camp Counselor
  • Fluency in English
  • Eligible people include foreign students, young workers, teachers or people with specialist skills.
  • Being at least 18 years old

• Au pair and EduCare
  • Fluency in spoken English
  • Aged between 18 and 26
  • A high school graduate or equivalent

•  Government Visitor
  • The applicant must be influential or distinguished.
  • Be selected by a US federal, state or local government agency.
  • Take part in activities such as tours, discussions, consultations, professional meetings, conferences, workshops and travel.

• International Visitor (Department of State)
  • The person must have been selected by the US Department of State.
  • Be engaged in observation, consultation, research, training or demonstrating special skills.
  • Be a recognised or potential leader in their field of knowledge or specialist skill.

• Physician
  • Must have completed their education and have sufficient skill to participate usefully in the programme for which they are travelling to the US.
  • Spoken and written fluency in English
  • Have sufficient work experience.
  • Passing Parts I and II of the National Board of Medical Examiners examination (the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination, Step I and Step II, or the Visa Qualifying Examination (VQE), prepared by the National Board of Medical Examiners and administered by the Educational Commission.)

• Professor and Research Scholar
  • The person must be a professor or researcher with extensive experience and advanced education.
  • With the US J1 visa, these people can stay in the US for up to six months.

• Specialist
  • Having specialist skill in a specific field
  • The purpose of the person's trip to the US must be the exchange of knowledge and skills between foreign and American specialists.
  • Note that if you are in the United States, you should not take up a permanent, long-term job.

• Secondary school student
  • You must be aged between 15 and 18 years and six months.
  • You must not have completed more than 11 years of primary and secondary education (excluding kindergarten).
  • You must not have previously attended a high school academic year in the United States.

• Summer Work Travel:
  • Sufficient fluency in English
  • You must have completed at least one semester or equivalent of post-secondary university education.
  • Do not take up full-time jobs in the United States, because with this type you are usually allowed a one-year stay in the US.

• Teacher
  • You must be qualified to teach in primary or secondary schools in your own country.
  • At the time of application, you must be working as a teacher in your country of legal residence.
  • You must have completed an advanced course within the past year.
  • Having two years of full-time teaching experience in the past eight years
  • Holding a degree equivalent to a US bachelor's degree in education
  • Sufficient fluency in English.

• Trainee
  
  • Holding a degree from a foreign academic institution
  • Having at least one year of relevant work experience in your occupational field outside the United States
  • Having five years of work experience outside the United States in the occupational field in which they are seeking training.
  • Those who are currently studying at a foreign academic institution for a post-secondary degree outside the United States.
  • Those who graduated from the institution no more than one year before the start date of their exchange visitor programme.

The process of obtaining the US exchange visa J1 type

1. Complete the visa application form (DS-160)
2. Schedule an interview appointment
3. Pay the visa application fee
4. Prepare the required documents
5. Attend the interview
6. Travel to the US.

Cost of the US exchange visa J1 type

The US J1 visa application fee is non-refundable and is 160 dollars. Applicants sponsored by the US government and their dependants, and those taking part in a Department of State, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) or federally funded educational and cultural exchange programme, are not required to pay the visa application processing fee.

Documents required for the US exchange visa J1 type

• A valid passport.
• DS-160 confirmation page
• Application fee payment receipt
• Photo
• Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status (Form DS-2019)
• For training programmes, in addition to Form DS-2019, applicants must complete Form DS-7002.
• Proof of health insurance

Additional documents required for the US exchange visa, J1 type

• Purpose of the trip
• Your intentions after leaving the United States
• Proof of financial means

Accompanying visa for family members of J-1 visa holders (J-2)

The spouse and unmarried children under 21 who accompany the J-1 visa holder or later join them in the US must apply for a J-2 visa. It is worth noting that when the J-1 visa expires, the J-2 visa will also expire.

Validity of the US exchange visa, J1 type, and its extension

Once your application for the exchange visitor visa is accepted, you will be subject to the two-year home-country physical presence requirement, which means you must return to your country for two years after your exchange visitor programme ends. It is worth knowing that you can extend your visa in order to extend your programme. The immigration officer will extend your visa at most until the end of the relevant programme. To extend this visa, people are required to obtain a new DS-2019 form. If you wish to extend the visa beyond the permitted period, you must submit your request to the Department of State and be able to provide convincing reasons. For this type of extension you must pay a non-refundable fee of 367 dollars. To obtain a waiver of the two-year return to your country, you can present the following reasons so that you are not subject to this rule:

• Providing a no-objection statement from your country agreeing to your request
• Having a job offer from a US federal agency
• Proving that you would be persecuted if you returned to your country
• If you return to your country, your spouse and children who are US citizens would face hardship and difficult circumstances.
• Having a (Conrad State 30 Program) offer for foreign medical graduates (FMGs)

In this article, by presenting details and important points about the US J-1 exchange visa and how to obtain this type of visa, we learned that the United States provides a suitable environment for cultural, educational and research exchange. Therefore, if you wish to obtain this type of visa, you can get in touch with the experienced and dedicated consultants of Iranoca Immigration Marketing Company.

If you need a consultation, you can meet our consultants in person or online and learn about the process of obtaining yourUS J-1 exchange visa . You can also, right now, through our free assessment form, which is managed by expert consultants, check your eligibility for this type of visa.

Steps to obtain the US exchange visa

Dear applicant, if you wish to obtain the US exchange visa, please follow the steps below

Assessment form and consultation

First, by completing the free assessment form, you can send your circumstances and basic details to the lawyers for review. If your general circumstances are suitable, a call will be scheduled for a consultation. Please note that this entire process is free of charge and is reviewed and assessed by specialists

Receiving the confirmation letter

After the consultation and completion of the immigration file process, a letter of approval or non-approval will be sent to you by the licensed lawyers. This letter states whether or not you are eligible to immigrate, the type of immigration visa, and the route and conditions through which you can immigrate.

Registration in Obtaining the visa Frequently asked questions some users have had about the US exchange visa