Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

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Alternatives to the Exchange Visitor Program

The J-1 visa was specifically created for foreign nationals participating in the educational and cultural exchange activities under the Fulbright-Hays Act, of which the Exchange Visitor Program is one.

The J-1 visa is inappropriate for foreign nationals seeking to work under conditions other than the allowed activities of those Exchange Visitor Program categories permitting employment. The J-1 visa is also inappropriate for foreign nationals seeking to immigrate permanently to the United States. In addition, programs in Veterinary Medicine, and in Nursing, Dentistry, Psychological Counseling, or any other field that requires direct clinical patient contact by participants (other than the Alien Physician program) are excluded from the Exchange Visitor Program.

The J-1 visa is also inappropriate for organizations seeking to augment their personnel complement. Parties so interested must use other legitimate avenues of immigration and/or temporary employment, described in the Immigration and Nationality Act. The Immigration and Nationality Act may be accessed through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration and Services website at http://www.uscis.gov. Once in this site, choose Laws and Regulations from the menu. The selections Immigration and Nationality Act and 8 CFR provide useful information on other visa classifications.

Information on the application process and required forms for other visas may be obtained from your local INS office.

A useful resource for visa information is found on the Department of State website, at www.travel.state.gov. This site also provides links to other sites.

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