U.S. Department of State Announces Updated Options for Form DS-2019
Posted on Thursday, May 11th, 2023 at 3:42 pm.
The Biden Administration’s effort to provide a simplified and seamless customer experience for the public took a great step forward today when the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), published an Interim Final Rule in the Federal Register that permits designated sponsors for the Exchange Visitor Program to digitally sign and electronically transmit the Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status (J-Nonimmigrant) (Form DS-2019). The new rule is effective as of April 27, 2023. “We’re thrilled that sponsors can now digitally sign and electronically transmit the DS-2019 form,” said Director for the Office of Private Sector Exchange Designation, Karen Ward. “The new regulation will reduce costs, improve efficiencies for exchange program sponsors, and streamline Department of State exchange visitor visa processing.”
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Categories: J-1 Visa, Program Spotlight
10th Anniversary of BridgeUSA’s Office of Private Sector Exchange Program Administration
Posted on Thursday, May 11th, 2023 at 2:52 pm.
May 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Exchange Visitor Program’s Office of Private Sector Exchange Program Administration (OPA)
The J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program has undergone many changes since its creation through the Fulbright-Hays Act in September 1961. At its core, the Exchange Visitor Program seeks to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange. All foreign nationals that participate in the Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) inbound exchange programs travel on J-1 exchange visitor visas. Over 90% of the approximately 300,000 annual J-1 exchange visitors participate in private sector programming spanning the J-1 visa categories of: Au Pair, Camp Counselor, College and University Student, Government Visitor, International Visitor, Intern, Physician, Professor, Research Scholar, Secondary School Student, Short-Term Scholar, Specialist, Summer Work Travel, Teacher, and Trainee. Each year, ECA programs provide opportunities for visitors from roughly 200 countries and territories to experience U.S. culture and engage with Americans with the goal of increasing mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other countries.
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Categories: J-1 Visa, Program Spotlight
Women in STEM
Posted on Wednesday, March 1st, 2023 at 8:50 pm.By: Abigail Graszl of InterExchange
From researching cell cytotoxicity in a molecular biology lab to having technical discussions with electrical engineers, Career Training USA interns and trainees are completing amazing programs in STEM (that’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics)!
InterExchange is a proud partner of the BridgeUSA Early Career STEM Research Initiative, and these programs strengthen international connections and contribute to the flow of ideas across continents. We recently caught up with some of our female participants to see how their time in the U.S. helped further their careers in these traditionally male-dominated fields.
Eva K.
Molecular Biology
Eva K. from Germany spent six months expanding her skills in molecular biology at Neurona Therapeutics in San Francisco, CA.
Eva had the opportunity to bond with colleagues in San Francsico
Image courtesy of Eva K.
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight
Friendship for a Lifetime
Posted on Wednesday, September 28th, 2022 at 11:55 am.
There is a Nigerian proverb that says, “The day on which one starts out is not the time to start one’s preparations,” but in the case of BridgeUSA exchange visitors Daniel Enebe and Samuel Eze, the day they met they unknowingly set their international exchange plans in motion. Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight
Slava Ukraini
Posted on Thursday, August 25th, 2022 at 2:48 pm.
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight, Videos
Global Learning By Design: A New Family To Lean On
Posted on Wednesday, January 8th, 2020 at 5:02 pm.By Katelynn Ziegler-Hall, Cultural Vistas
A version of this story was original published on Cultural Vistas Blog
Dalia and Shams’ U.S. experience was a family affair. Outside the office, their Gensler studio colleagues, host family, and friends came together for a traditional Iraqi dinner in October.
In September 2017, Dalia and Sham began their semester long internships with Gensler, a global design and architecture firm in Washington D.C. This experience not only laid a strong foundation for their future career success, but also allowed them to forge lifelong friendships in their American host community. Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight
Celebrating International Education Week – Cooking as a Second Language
Posted on Thursday, December 12th, 2019 at 8:05 pm.By Marjia Panic, Teacher Exchange Participant from Serbia
“Now everybody – wash your hands! Let’s do this! I’m hungry!” Marjia Panic teaches participants how to prepare a traditional Serbian meal at an International Education Week event.
My name is Marija Panic, and I am a Special Education Teacher from Serbia. Currently, I’m participating in Greenheart Exchange’s Teach USA program, and am working at Harvard Elementary School of Excellence. Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight
How the Global Pathfinder Summit Changed my Outlook on Leadership
Posted on Wednesday, June 26th, 2019 at 5:00 am.By Lauren Rosegreen, Camp Counselor Alumnae from the United Kingdom
Lauren Rosegreen and Roisin Quinn at Global Pathfinder Summit in Charlottesville, VA (May 20-24, 2019)
I first discovered the Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) when I applied through the Smaller Earth Camp Leaders program to work at a summer camp in America. Cultural Homestay International (CHI) was my sponsor for my first ever cultural exchange experience, as I went to work as a dance counsellor at Camp Alleghany in West Virginia. Fast-forward three years, and I found myself applying for another EVP to work-abroad as a lifeguard at NJY Teen Camp, Pennsylvania. From enhanced career opportunities to life-long friendships and unforgettable memories, both experiences changed my life. So it was no surprise that when I heard about the opportunity for past EVP participants to apply to become international delegates at the Global Pathfinder Summit(GPS), I jumped at the chance.
Categories: J-1 Visa, Program Spotlight
Becoming a Civically Engaged Global Citizen
Posted on Wednesday, June 5th, 2019 at 6:07 pm.By Tebogo Serepong, Trainee from South Africa
Left: Tebogo getting ready for the Global Pathfinder Summit | Right: Tebogo chatting with other leaders before morning session commences.
When I left South Africa to begin my cultural exchange program in the United States, not only did I get a new physical address, I figuratively also acquired an address which has endearingly placed me outside of my comfort zone. I have made new friends and colleagues and linked up with some old ones, all while discovering and becoming a distinct version of myself. Personal growth has been coupled with tremendous professional development as my career as a Chartered Accountant keeps evolving and being constructively challenged through experience first obtained in California and now Washington, D.C. Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants
Sparking Innovation: U.S.-Portugal Pilot Exchange Program Builds Intercultural Understanding
Posted on Friday, March 1st, 2019 at 6:54 pm.About the Author: Lynette Evans-Tiernan serves as a Public Affairs Officer for the Exchange Visitor Program at the U.S. Department of State.
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce and Ambassador Domingos Fezas Vital of the Embassy of Portugal sign MOU.
On February 11, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce and Ambassador Domingos Fezas Vital of the Embassy of Portugal convened in the State Department’s Treaty Room to sign a Memorandum of Understanding. The MOU will increase intercultural learning and provide structured and guided training for American and Portuguese emerging leaders interested in learning about innovation and organizational growth and development. Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa, Program Spotlight
| About Rebecca Pasini Deputy Assistant Secretary for Private Sector Exchange | |
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Rebecca A. Pasini joined the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Private Sector Exchanges in July 2023. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister - Counselor, Ms. Pasini has been an American diplomat since 1997.
Ms. Pasini previously served as the Director of Public and Congressional Affairs in the Bureau of Consular Affairs from 2021-2023. Other Washington assignments have included positions in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, the Office of Foreign Missions, and as a liaison to the Department of Homeland Security. She has also completed multiple overseas tours, including as Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs in Islamabad, Pakistan, and as the Consular Chief in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Belfast, Northern Ireland. Other tours included Mexico City and Kuwait.
A Maryland native, Ms. Pasini has a Ph.D. in Political Science from Indiana University, a master’s degree in National Security and Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower School, National Defense University, and an undergraduate degree from Mary Washington College.
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