On Oct. 24, 2023, U. S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued updated policy guidance to its Policy Manual regarding the two-year foreign residence requirement for the nonimmigrant exchange visitor (J) visa classification.
The J-1 visa classification is for exchange visitors who intend to participate in an approved program for the purpose of teaching, instructing
Many international medical graduates come to the United States under a J-1 visa to pursue medical education, training, or a fellowship program. In most cases, the J-1 medical graduate will be subject to a two-year residency requirement if the program was financed by the U.S. government or if their country is designated by the U.S.
A final rule was recently published by the Department of State (DOS) that affects its J-1 Exchange Visitor Program. The J-1 visa category will go through some significant administrative and program compliance changes, including: J-1 Responsible Officers (ROs) and Alternate Responsible Officers (AROs) must have three years of relevant international experience and clear a criminal background check; J-1 sponsors must replace any departing RO and/or ARO within ten days; independent auditors will audit private sector J-1 sponsors to ensure their programs are compliant; minimum levels of insurance coverage for J-1 visitors and dependents will increase; among others.
Continue Reading New Final Rule for Exchange Visitor Program
The majority of employees selected for the FY2015 H-1B cap will be changing status on October 1, 2014 and employers should be mindful of the following:
There is a philosophical move fueled by union sympathizers and apparently imbedded in the leadership of this administration to re-engineer the temporary non-immigrant visa programs in such a way as to render them unworkable and unusable.
Continue Reading Employers of Skilled, Professional and Intracompany Transfers Beware: Administration’s Regulatory Creep Threatens Non-Immigrant Visa Programs