FAQ‘s:
Others:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance (PDF, 275.62 KB) in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding the 2-year foreign residence requirement for the nonimmigrant exchange visitor (J) classification.
Certain exchange visitors (J-1) are subject to a two-year home-country physical presence requirement which requires you to return to your home country for at least two years at the end of your exchange visitor program. This is also known as the foreign residence requirement under U.S. law, Immigration and Nationality Act, section 212(e).
USCIS executive summary from the 11/2/11 teleconference regarding the adjudication of J-1 Exchange Visitor waivers of the two-year foreign residence requirement.
I need to relocate to India for family reasons in 2025. My I-140 has been approved for over 180 days, and my initial H1B visa is valid until August 2025. I want to keep my options open if I decide to return to the US in the future.
1. Is there any difference in moving to India before or after filing for my H1B extension if I plan to return to the US with the same or different employer?
2. Additionally, is there a time limit within which I must return to the U.S. with the same or a different employer with an approved I-140?
3. Do I need to go through the H1B lottery again anytime if I want to return in the future?
4. Does it matter if my PD is current when I return to the US?
I have a question about my mother's stay in the US on a visitor (B2) visa. I am an IT Professional in the US on an L1 work visa along with my family (spouse & kid). My only sibling (younger sister) is also settled here in the USA. My father passed away a couple of years back in India. My mother is 60+ years of age, and currently, there is no family member in India to stay with her at all times. She visits the USA and stays with us for six months at a stretch during the year. Considering her health and emotional support needs, I am looking for options to have her stay with us long-term (beyond a six-month period in a year). As is the case in this scenario, are there legally valid options/exceptions for old-age single parents?
Yes, it is possible.
My PERM was filed on November 1, 2023, and my current visa expires on October 10, 2024. Am I eligible to apply for a one-year extension based on the 356-day rule? If so, is July a good month to apply for a one-year extension?
OR do I need to travel back to my Country and apply for an extension after 1st November 2024?
H-1B extensions beyond 6 years are possible through an approved I-140 or a PERM labor certification pending for 1 year. For PERM-based extensions, you can apply before the 1-year mark, but the extension only becomes effective after a full year. For example, if your PERM was filed on November 1, 2023, and your current H-1B expires in October 2024, you could apply for an extension in July 2024. However, the extension would only be effective from November 1, 2024. You may need to leave the country temporarily if there's a gap between your current H-1B expiration and the extension's effective date.
A J-1 exchange visa holder who received graduate medical education or training in the U.S.
A J-1 exchange visa holder who received graduate medical education or training in the U.S.
Media Note
Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC
May 25, 2011
Also available in Russian
On June 1 the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) will launch a new J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program website.
New Regulations for J-1 Visa - Summer Work Travel
Taken Question Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
Q: Please provide details on the specific aspects of the new regulations for J-1 visas. What is the intention of these new regulations? Are we confident that these new regulations will protect recipients from abuse?
A: The Summer Work Travel (SWT) program has provided thousands of international college and university students an opportunity to visit the United States and experience the American people and culture firsthand.
FAQs: EB-1A Use Case -- STEM OPT cloud solutions engineer at a nonprofit university || Layoff on H-1B, Changing status from B-1/B-2 pending to F-1 || Impact of layoff on green card status and future naturalization || H-1B laid off: Second B-1/B-2 visa extension