Tourist & Student Visa Plan : Secondary School Student Program J1 visa
The Secondary School Student Program (SSSP) is a unique opportunity for secondary school students from all over the world to travel to the USA and study at an accredited public or private high school for an academic semester or year while living with an American host family or an approved boarding school.
J1 Secondary School Student Program visa
The J1 is a non-immigrant visa issued to a person participating in a United States Exchange Visitor Program, or EVP. The Secondary School Student Program is one of the 15 categories of the EVP.
The EVP is among the most diverse visas for going to the United States and is designed to enable non-Americans to travel within the United States and study or work there as a sponsored exchange visitor while immersing themselves in the local culture. The visionary EVP was created to foster greater understanding between the United States and other countries through educational and cultural exchanges. If you visit the US under the Secondary School Student program, you will be expected to return to your home country after your study period ends.
Over 300,000 persons representing 200 countries and territories visited the United States under the aegis of the J1 Exchange Visitor Program every year before the Covid-19 pandemic. Currently California hosts the largest number of exchange visitors, followed by New York and Florida. Internationally, China, Great Britain and Germany are the top three countries from where J1 visa holders come.
What is the Secondary School Student Program?
The Secondary School Student Program (SSSP) is a unique opportunity for secondary school students from all over the world to travel to the USA and study at an accredited public or private high school for an academic semester or year while living with an American host family or an approved boarding school.
Like all programs in the EVP, you can only join the SSSP and get a J1 visa through an approved sponsor agency.
Who is eligible for an SSSP J1 visa?
To be eligible for a SSSP J1 visa, you should —
- Be between the ages of 15 and 18.5 years on the first day of school.
- Not have completed over 11 years of primary and secondary school. This does not include any years spent in kindergarten.
- Not have participated already in an SSSP exchange or attended school in the US under an F1 or J1 visa.
- Meet your sponsor agency’s specific program requirements. You may also be required to meet certain health and character requirements.
- Be able to show that you have sufficient funds to support all your costs while you are an SSSP student.
- Show that they intend to return to their home country upon completion of their studies.
What are you allowed to do with a SSSP J1 visa?
The SSSP J1 visa allows you to enter the United States as a secondary school student and experience American school life in all its diversity. This includes taking part in all school activities, including sports programs after school hours, provided you meet the state office’s athletic eligibility requirements and are approved by them.
During your stay there, you will be a full-time student, and must attend at least one academic semester, but no more than one academic year. What if your home country’s school year is different from the American school year? In this case, you will be allowed to attend high school for one calendar year, or January to December.
You may live in an approved boarding school or with an approved American host family. Your sponsor agency will usually vet this host family carefully to make sure they are decent people who can take care of you during your stay in the United States.. They are required to give you a bedroom and bathroom, with a closet for your clothes and other things, a place to study, all your meals and transportation to and from school. Normally, you will be the only exchange student living with them as a guest.
How long can you stay in the US with an SSSP J1 visa?
As an SSSP student, you are allowed a maximum stay of one academic year, or 12 months. If your exchange arrangement is for only one semester, of course, your stay would also be correspondingly shorter. Normally, your visa allows you to enter the US 30 days before the start of school and stay on 30 days after the exchange program ends.
How do you apply for an SSSP J1 visa?
1. Find an approved sponsor: The first step in applying for the SSSP J1 visa is finding an authorized sponsor. The US Department of State has designated 70 public and private entities to be exchange sponsors and do whatever is needed to help secondary school students enter the United States as exchange visitors. Sponsors typically screen and select students and guide them through the various stages of the J1 visa application process. The sponsor is the main point of contact throughout the SSSP J1 visa application process.
To see a list of 70 designated and approved SSSP exchange sponsor organizations, click here.
2. Apply for the sponsor’s SSSP: After researching different sponsors, select one and apply to take part in their SSSP exchange activity. Once you are accepted, the sponsor will start a thorough and extensive process that can last several months and require over a dozen documents. The sponsor will guide you through the application process and in meeting all the requirements and be your main single-point contact throughout your time in the United States.
3. What the sponsor will do: Most sponsor agencies will also help you secure admission for a semester or academic year at an approved secondary school in the United States.
4. Get a DS-2019 Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status: The actual application and selection process may vary from sponsor to sponsor but all of them include a Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status issued by the program sponsor, attesting that you are eligible and have been selected to participate. This certificate, known as Form DS-2019, is vital to your visa application.
5. Pay the program fees: This amount, payable to the sponsoring agency, varies from sponsor to sponsor and country to country and can be as high as $2,300. It usually covers program administration costs, health and travel insurance and the charges for entering your details in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database, which is normally about $220. The entire sum will be refunded to you if you should change your mind for any reason. However, since these fees are variable and sponsor-specific, it is strongly recommended that you check with your sponsor what is included in the program fees.
6. Apply for a J1 non-immigrant visa: This is a nonimmigrant visa application form that can be completed online here.
7. Book an interview appointment with the US consulate.
What documents are required for a J1 visa application?
The following is a minimum list of documents that you must carry to the interview.
- Passport: Valid for at least 6 months after the end date of your program.
- Form DS-2019 (Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status). This will be issued by your program sponsor once you have been accepted into an exchange program.
- SEVIS fee payment confirmation. This is normally $220. The sponsor may require you to pay this, or pay it themselves and share the confirmation document with you.
- Form DS-160 confirmation page.
- Receipt for $160 paid as the DS-160 J1 non-immigrant visa application fee
- Photograph. A complete description of the format requirements is here.
- Consulate appointment confirmation
Please note that you may be asked to furnish other documents to the sponsor as part of their selection process. These requirements may vary from sponsor to sponsor and from country to country.
How much does an SSSP J1 visa cost?
There can be up to three parts to the fee for getting an SSSP J1 visa —
Program fees: This is a sum which can vary from sponsor to sponsor and country to country, and be as high as $2,400. It is paid to the sponsor agency to cover program administration costs, health and travel insurance and the charges for entering your details in the SEVIS database. Again, since this may vary from sponsor to sponsor, it is a good idea to ask your sponsor what is specifically included in the program fees.
Non-Immigrant Visa Application processing fee: This is currently US$ 160 but may be subject change. Check with the local US Embassy or Consulate for up-to-date fees.
Visa Issuance fee: In some countries, an additional Visa Issuance fee may be charged when the visa is issued. Check with the local US Embassy or Consulate for up-to-date fees.
Applying for an SSSP J1 visa is not a complicated process but it may require patience and attention to detail. Once you have found a suitable sponsor and been accepted into the exchange program, you will receive all the guidance and support you need from your sponsor in securing your SSSP J1 visa.
Need more help?
If you still feel that you would like to have professional help in making your application or would like to consult a lawyer who specializes in immigration and visa matters, click here to see some of your options, including how to access our exclusive list of professional immigration lawyers.
If you have questions or would like clarifications, please send us an email and we’ll do our best to get back to you within 24 hours with an answer.
Presidential Proclamation 10052, titled Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak, did not include exchange visitors entering the United States under a Secondary School Student Program J1 visa
The proclamation, which became effective from June 24, 2020, expired on March 31, 2021, and has been neither renewed nor replaced by the Biden administration.
Please check with your nearest US Embassy or Consulate for up-to-date information.