General Administrative Requirements Accreditation and Licensure Sponsors are required to comply with all local, state, federal and professional requirements applicable to the program category and to the activity for which they are designated. Requisite licenses and accreditation are to be current at all times [22 CFR 62.9(c)]. Staffing and Support Services Sponsors are to appoint adequate staff and support services with appropriate qualifications and training to administer the program in compliance with the Exchange Visitor Program regulations [22 CFR 62.9(f)]. Appointment of Responsible and Alternate Responsible Officers The sponsor appoints one responsible officer (RO) and alternate responsible officers (ARO) to…
Earlier this year, I met Gaby Olimon, a wildlife biologist and J-1 Trainee from Ensenada, Mexico, at Grand Canyon National Park. In addition to her on-the-ground training to run wildlife protection and educational programs at the park,Grand Canyon’s distance learning program allows Gaby to multiply her experience by connecting with classrooms around the United States. During the last academic year, the program reached 4,078 students from California to New Jersey in 26 different states. Gaby spent the past year uniquely contributing to the Canyon's distance learning by conducting educational programs in Spanish. By combining lessons about wildlife preservation with reinforcement of language skills, Gaby allows Grand Canyon's…
The Secondary School Student category of the Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) allows foreign secondary school students to study in the United States at accredited public or private secondary schools for an academic semester or an academic year while living with American host families or residing at accredited U.S. boarding schools. The Office of Private Sector Exchange offers the following office descriptions and information to assist sponsors of the Secondary School Student Program with the routing of questions, complaints, or incident reports. Office of Private Sector Exchange Designation The Office of Private Sector Exchange Designation deals specifically with the following:…
How to Apply The first step in the process is to decide what type of participant you would like to hire by visiting the list of programs. Each program has an information page specifically targeted to hosts and employers. The second step is contacting one of the Designated Sponsors for the chosen program. The Designated Sponsors are the organizations that administer the exchange program and connect hosts and employers with participants. Employer Experiences Find out how other employers are seeing the benefits of participating in the J-1 Visa Program. Read about employers' experiences
The U.S. Department of State’s Exchange Visitor Program furthers foreign policy interests of the United States by increasing the mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of mutual educational and cultural exchange experiences. The Department of State designates, monitors and partners with United States organizations to administer the Exchange Visitor Program, including government agencies, academic institutions, educational, and cultural organizations and corporations. Exchange Visitor (J-Visa) Program Designation (ECA/EC/D) This office designates U.S. Federal, public and private organizations to conduct educational and cultural exchange programs in fifteen different categories through which…
Video Transcript Slide #2 Welcome to the SEVIS Training for sponsor officials. This training is designed to facilitate your understanding of SEVIS in regards to the administration, maintenance, and management of the J-1 program information at your organization and your exchange visitor and spouse/dependent records. In this presentation we will discuss: Creating a New Exchange Visitor Record, Adding a Spouse or Dependent, Categories that have additional required information, and the 212(e) Two-Year Home Country Physical Presence Requirement. Slide #3 Disclaimer: This presentation provides guidance for using SEVIS. It does not replace the Exchange Visitor Program regulations found in 22 CFR…
By Anna Boisseau, Communications Officer, Cultural Vistas A version of this story was originally published on Cultural Vistas Blog Water, malt, hops and yeast. Because of something called the “purity law,” those are the only four ingredients allowed in German beer. And so, unlike the more experimental nature of the American craft brew scene, German brewers tend to be purists. There’s a right way to make Pilsner, to make Oktoberfest, to make Kölsch. That’s why Marius Hartmann was so surprised when he first tasted Kellerweis, Sierra Nevada’s take on a traditional German Hefeweizen beer. As a Brewing and Beverage Technology student at…
By Lynette Evans-Tiernan, Communications Manager for the J-Visa Exchange Visitor Program November 13-17 was International Education week. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education is part of an effort to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences. See how some of our sponsors celebrated the occasion: Loyola Marymount University’s Office for International Students and Scholars hosted Global Citizen Day as part of their month-long WorldFest series. This event featured a fair with tables sponsored by the Study Abroad…
View Step-by-Step Guide on how to apply.To take part in one of the J-1 Visa programs, locate and contact a designated sponsor. The designated sponsors supervise the application process and are the main point of contact throughout the exchange program process. Contact the sponsors directly to take part in one of the exchange programs.
By Daniel Grave, J-1 Summer Work Travel Alumni from the United Kingdom Beginning in 1990 as a student from Portsmouth University, I spent two summers on the J-1 program with a good friend of mine. It was the beginning of a journey that led to starting my own business, which last year served over 200,000 clients and is quickly growing to a world wide brand. This was a unique J-1 program where I began to develop my entrepreneurial skills selling educational books door to door in the United States. At first, I was a bit skeptical about going off to…
