Exchange Visitor Program Information Archive

 

FOR SPONSORS (Updated 7/7/2020)

EMBASSY CONTACTS (Updated on 9/28/2020)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (Updated on 11/28/2023)

CURRENT PROGRAMS (Updated 11/28/23)

  • Are J-1 exchange visitors who are in research or training programs at host organizations eligible to participate in a host organization's telework policy? What are the Department's recommendations or requirements for J-1 exchange visitors in regard to being physically onsite at their host sites?
  • As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect communities throughout the United States, some host organizations continue to offer a hybrid model (both virtual and in-person elements) by instituting telework policies for employees. Through June 30, 2023, ECA’s guidance continues to be that temporary modification of a current, active-status exchange visitor's program due to exigent circumstances beyond a sponsor’s or host entity’s control does not undermine the program’s original consistency with program regulations. ECA understands that program sponsors may need to adjust program activities to meet their obligations to provide for the health, safety, and welfare of their exchange visitors. Sponsors may pursue ways to maintain program objectives, including a limited hybrid option, of one to two telework days per week, for one more academic year, not to exceed June 30, 2023, while preventing unnecessary exposure to COVID-19. The limited hybrid option is available for the following five exchange categories' host organizations that have instituted telework policies: College/University Student (Academic Training and Student Intern), Research Scholar, Short Term Scholar, Intern, and Trainee. A fully or predominantly virtual exchange program is not permitted. Designated sponsors in those five categories have the discretion to determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether J-1 exchange visitors may be eligible to participate in host organizations' hybrid telework policies provided they can successfully achieve the objectives of their exchange programs and meet the purpose of the Fulbright Hays Act of 1961 to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.
  • Please note that new exchange visitors can participate in programs only if their host organizations have reinstated partial to full in-person activities.
  • Sponsors are expected to continue to monitor their exchange visitors' progress to ensure that the original objectives and educational and cultural requirements of the programs are being met. Sponsors should also ensure exchange visitors have access to the resources needed to carry out their programs (e.g., Research Scholars can effectively collaborate with colleagues and be provided with the resources and equipment needed to perform their research duties and responsibilities).
  • Given surges in COVID-19 cases, are exchange visitors, where possible, permitted to pivot to/conduct their programs online or in virtual environments?
  • ECA acknowledges that the uncertainty created by surges in COVID-19 cases may continue to lead to varying local health and safety requirements. As we continue to navigate challenges from the ongoing pandemic, ECA understands that program sponsors may need to adjust program activities to meet their obligations to provide for the health, safety, and welfare of their exchange visitors. In keeping with ECA guidance at the onset of the pandemic, we ask sponsors and exchange visitors to consult with host schools and host organizations to pursue ways to maintain program objectives, including online classes or other remote telework arrangements, while preventing unnecessary exposure to COVID-19. ECA confirms that previous guidance in a variety of FAQs is still valid. Through June 30, 2023, ECA’s guidance continues to be that temporary modification of a current, active-status exchange visitor's program due to exigent circumstances beyond a sponsor’s or host entity’s control does not undermine the program’s original consistency with program regulations.
  • Please note, however, that new exchange visitors can participate in programs only if their host organizations (e.g., schools or businesses) have reinstated partial to full in-person activities.
  • We ask that sponsors continue to keep us apprised of adjusted program activities. Please report to the Office of Private Sector Exchange Program Administration (OPA), via the email address listed below for the respective category, of individual sponsor and host institutions’ decisions and altered modalities, as they may vary according to local and state conditions.  In aggregate, this information helps the Department determine what (if any) additional flexibilities might be necessary. Please note that formal incident reports are not required.
  • ON-LINE V. IN-PERSON LEARNING:  Can currently active exchange visitors participating in the Teacher, Professor, Secondary School Student, or College/University Student categories of BridgeUSA teach/take online/hybrid classes or must all courses be in person?
  • With respect to exchange visitors who are currently in “active” status in SEVIS, the Department understands that program sponsors have adjusted program activities to meet their obligations to provide for the health, safety, and welfare of their exchange participants in the context of the pandemic. In keeping with its March 11, 2020 message (https://j1visa.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/3.11.2020_Exchange-Visitor-Program-Sponsor-Guidance.pdf), the Bureau of Educational and Cultural affairs (ECA) continues to ask sponsors and exchange visitors to consult with host academic institutions to find alternative ways to maintain program objectives, including online classes or other arrangements, while preventing unnecessary exposure to COVID-19. A temporary modification along these lines of a current exchange participant's program due to exigent circumstances beyond a sponsor’s or host entity’s control does not undermine the program’s original consistency with the regulations.
  • ON-LINE V. IN-PERSON EXCHANGES: Can exchange visitors who were in “Active” status on March 11, 2020, and are otherwise complying with the terms of their nonimmigrant status, whether from inside the United States or abroad, continue to participate 100% in on-line/virtual programs?
  • With respect to exchange visitors who were in “Active” status when the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic became apparent last spring, ECA understands that program sponsors adjusted program activities to meet their obligations to provide for the health, safety, and welfare of their exchange participants. In keeping with ECA's message on March 11, 2020 (https://j1visa.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/3.11.2020_Exchange-Visitor-Program-Sponsor-Guidance.pdf), ECA continues to ask sponsors and exchange visitors to consult with host organizations to pursue ways to maintain program objectives, including online classes or other arrangements, while preventing unnecessary exposure to COVID-19. A temporary modification along these lines of a current exchange participant's program due to exigent circumstances beyond a sponsor’s or host entity’s control does not undermine the program’s original consistency with the regulations.
  • EARLY PROGRAM END:  What can exchange visitors do if their sponsors shorten their exchange programs and require them that to return home now due to the pandemic?
  • The Department is currently working with the sponsor community to protect the health, safety, and welfare of all exchange visitors to the greatest extent possible.  In some cases, this may require repatriating exchange visitors if it is safe and feasible to do so.  Sponsors are the best point of contact to address this issue, and exchange visitors should follow their guidance.
  • MINIMUM WORK HOURS:  What should sponsors do if exchange visitors are unable to participate in their exchange programs for the required minimum of 32 hours?
  • The Department understands that the COVID-19 situation has caused a major disruption in program participation.  Exchange visitors in “active” status are able continue programs that, as intended/designed, fully complied with the regulations – including with regard to the number of hours to be worked – provided that any deviation now from the original program plan is not excessive for the circumstances and occurred due to factors (like the current COVID-19 situation) beyond the sponsors’, hosts’, and exchange visitors’ control. Sponsors should document all such unique circumstances, and must continue to monitor exchange programs to ensure they meet program objectives to the fullest extent possible during this situation. Sponsors must also closely monitor the health, safety, and welfare of each exchange visitor to determine if remaining on the program is feasible.

FUTURE PROGRAMS (Updated 11/29/23)

  • Prospective Summer Work Travel (SWT), Intern and Trainee, College and University Student and Secondary School Student applicants affected by the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria:
  • Q: Are Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) applicants from Türkiye and Syria, including applicants for the upcoming Summer Work Travel (SWT) season, eligible to apply for J-1 visas if they are taking online courses or not currently enrolled in school because of the recent earthquake? What about the J-1 eligibility requirements for SWT, Intern and Trainee, College and University Students, and Secondary School Students that specify that applicants must be enrolled full time, actively pursuing a degree or studies, or actively participating in a full course of study?”
  • A: The Department recognizes the disruption to daily life caused by the recent tragic events in Türkiye and Syria, including applicants’ ability to continue to participate in full-time, classroom-based academic studies. Prospective exchange visitors who were enrolled full-time and actively pursuing studies at qualifying academic institutions immediately prior to the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria but whose studies were temporarily disrupted by recent earthquakes there, remain eligible to apply to the EVP, as long as all other required criteria and eligibilities are met. This guidance includes current students who pivoted to online classes or who are experiencing a temporary disruption in their academic year due to the earthquakes. The Department also wishes to remind sponsors that prospective exchange visitors may apply for their J visa at any U.S consulate or embassy, including those outside of their country of citizenship.

SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT PROGRAMS

  • HOST FAMILY PLACEMENTS:  Due to the COVID-19 situation, does a sponsor have the flexibility to place two exchange students who are from the same country or more than two exchange visitors in a fully vetted host family home or can they place exchange visitors with distant relatives?
  • No. Sponsors are not permitted to initiate new placements of exchange students from the same country or with the same native language with a single host family.

FORMS DS-2019S AND SEVIS

  • SEVIS STATUS FOR REPATRIATED EXCHANGE VISITORS WHO WISH TO RETURN TO FINISH PROGRAMS:  For exchange visitors who return home and wish to return to the United States to complete their programs, what actions should sponsors take in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)?
  • Please refer to ECA communication dated March 16, 2020, regarding exchange visitor SEVIS records in “initial” or “active” status. Specifically, “[s]ponsors may also keep an exchange visitor’s SEVIS record active until the exchange visitor is able to return to the United States to continue with his or her original program objectives. Exchange visitors should be mindful of the validity dates of their J-1 visas; they may need to renew their visas before they return to the United States.

TRAVEL/ VISA SERVICES (Updated on 1/25/2024)

  • EXPIRED VISAS: Can an exchange visitor in “Active” status whose visa has expired and who departed the United States apply for another visa to reenter the United States to return and continue their programs?

  • Yes, if the program dates on the Form DS-2019 are still valid. U.S. Embassies and Consulates are phasing in resumption of routine visa services on a country-by-country basis. For more information on the phased-in resumption of visa services, please refer to the following website: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/phased-resumption-routine-visa-services.html. For country-specific travel information (including scheduling visa appointments), please refer to the following website: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/COVID-19-Country-Specific-Information.html.

  • RENEWAL OF J-VISAS: Can special exceptions be made to allow exchange visitors to renew their J-1 visas without traveling back to their home country?

  • Exchange visitors currently in the United States and actively participating on BridgeUSA programs can remain in the United States even if their visas have expired. They do not need to renew their visas if they do not plan to travel outside of the United States.

  • If exchange visitors travel outside of the United States during their current programs and after their J-1 visas have expired, they must apply for new J-1 visas  in order to re-enter the United States to continue their programs. For more information , please refer to the following website: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/visa-services-operating-status-update.html
  • For country-specific travel information (including scheduling visa appointments), please refer to the following website: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/COVID-19-Country-Specific-Information.html.
  • REPATRIATION:  What should sponsors do if exchange visitors experiencing difficulty returning home due to lack of commercially available flights or travel restrictions, among other issues.
  • Sponsors should encourage exchange visitors to contact their respective embassy for assistance. Many embassies have special communications on their websites and social media links for their citizens.  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/COVID-19-Country-Specific-Information.html Exchange visitors should contact their sponsors directly for program specific questions and to keep them apprised of their travel plans. Exchange visitors are also encouraged to retain documentation of their efforts to exit the United States before the end of their grace periods.

    • If exchange visitors continue to experience difficulties with travel, sponsors should contact the appropriate branch of the Office of Private Sector Exchange Program Administration:

  • UPDATED 02/02/2022
  • Does the end of the travel restrictions under Presidential Proclamations 9984, 9992, 10143, and 10199 impact the J-1 academic category visa interview waiver?
  • No. Consular officers may still waive in-person interview requirements for academic J visa applicants (secondary school students, college and university students, professors, research scholars, short-term scholars, and specialists), when the applicant qualifies for an interview waiver.
  • This interview waiver authority currently remains in place until December 31, 2021.
  • For more details on eligibility please visit the following website: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/important-announcement-on-F-M-and-academic-J-Visas.html
  • UPDATED 04/19/21
  • The Department of State strongly recommends U.S. citizens reconsider all travel abroad. When considering participation in exchange programs or any travel, please visit Travel.State.Gov to review the Travel Advisory of your destination country.Travel Advisories have been updated to rely more on CDC's existing epidemiological assessments for each country.
  • UPDATED 04/01/21
  • Presidential Proclamation 10052, which temporarily suspended the entry of certain H-1B, H-2B, J (for certain categories within the Exchange Visitor Program), and L nonimmigrants, expired on March 31, 2021.Visa applicants who have not yet been interviewed or scheduled for an interview will have their applications prioritized and processed in accordance with existing phased resumption of visa services guidance.  Visa applicants who were previously refused visas due to the restrictions of Presidential Proclamation 10052 may reapply by submitting a new application including a new fee. The resumption of routine visa services, prioritized after services to U.S. citizens, is occurring on a post-by-post basis, consistent with the Department’s guidance for safely returning our workforce to Department facilities.  U.S. Embassies and Consulates have continued to provide emergency and mission-critical visa services since March 2020 and will continue to do so as they are able.  As post-specific conditions improve, our missions will begin providing additional services, culminating eventually in a complete resumption of routine visa services.  Applicants should check the website of their nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for updates on the services that post is currently offering.
  • REPATRIATION: What should exchange visitors do if they are unable to return home within the 30-day grace period following their program end dates due to lack of commercial air flights or border closures?
    • Please refer to ECA communication dated February 7, 2020 for guidance, specifically the section on exchange visitors currently in the United States. Sponsors and their exchange visitors are also encouraged to review the following USCIS website detailing special situations for extensions and change of visa status, including those individuals subject to INA 212(e): Two-Year Home Country Physical Presence Requirement. Go to:  https://www.uscis.gov/i-539.All exchange visitors experiencing difficulty returning home should remain in contact with their sponsors (and sponsors should document exchange visitor records to reflect these contacts and the exchange visitors’ efforts to leave the United States).Also, exchange visitors should contact their country’s embassy or consulate in the United States for assistance.  Exchange visitors are encouraged to consult the BridgeUSA website at https://j1visa.state.gov/covid-19/ to review ECA’s list of contacts at foreign countries’ consulates or embassies in the United States.If exchange visitors continue to experience difficulties returning home, sponsors should contact the appropriate OPA branch for the exchange visitors’ categories:
    • Exchange visitors are also encouraged to retain documentation of their efforts to exit the United States before the end of their grace periods.  For additional guidance, refer to ECA communication dated February 7, 2020, specifically the section on exchange visitors currently inside the United States. Sponsors and their exchange visitors are also encouraged to review the following USCIS website detailing special situations for extensions and change of visa status, including those individuals subject to INA 212(e): Two-Year Home Country Physical Presence Requirement:  https://www.uscis.gov/i-539.
    • COVID-19 TRAVEL RELATED TO PRESIDENTIAL  PROCLAMATIONS: How should sponsors advise exchange visitors to determine whether they qualify for national interest exceptions to the presidential proclamations suspending entry of travelers from certain regions or countries?Exchange visitors who are seeking to apply for a J-1 visa and believe they may qualify for an NIE with respect to a geographic specific suspension of entry should contact their nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate before they attempt to travel to and enter the United States. If an NIE is approved, they may travel on either a valid visa or ESTA authorization, as appropriate. For the latest information related to Presidential Proclamations on the Novel Coronavirus, please refer to the following website:https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/presidential-proclamation-coronavirus.html.More information on NIEs can be found at the following websites:
    • http://travel.state.gov
    • National Interest Exceptions for Certain Travelers from China, Iran, Brazil, South Africa, Schengen Area, United Kingdom, and Ireland (state.gov)
    • Presidential Proclamation on the Suspension of Entry as Nonimmigrants of Certain Additional Persons Who Pose a Risk of Transmitting Coronavirus Disease 2019
    • TRAVEL AND ENTRY RESTRICTIONS:  Where is the most up-to-date information on travel and entry restrictions?
    • For travel inquiries and up-to-date country-specific information on travel restrictions, exchange visitors and sponsors should visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/COVID-19-Country-Specific-Information.html.
    • Otherwise, exchange visitors should contact their sponsors directly with program specific questions and to keep sponsors apprised of their travel plans.
    • RESUMPTION OF ROUTINE VISA SERVICES:  On March 20, 2020, U.S. embassies and consulates suspended all routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa services.  When will such services be restored?
    • Yes, the Department  will consider requests submitted by sponsors that, pursuant to 22 CFR § §62.8(a), seek a Department waiver, for up to one year, of the requirement that they have no fewer than five actively participating exchange visitors during the annual reporting cycle. Please note, however, that sponsors must keep their designations current throughout any such pause in program. Please contact the Office of Private Sector Exchange Designation to discuss this option.