Tourist & Student Visa Plan : Specialist Program J1 visa

Short-Term Scholar Program J1 visa

The J1 is a non-immigrant visa issued to a person participating in the United States Exchange Visitor Program, or EVP. The Specialist Program is one of the 15 categories of the EVP.

The EVP’s J1 visa is one of 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 and lifestyle. The visionary EVP was created to foster greater understanding between the United States and other countries through educational and cultural exchanges.

Over 550,000 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 have been the top three countries from where J1 visa holders come.

What is the Specialist Program?

The Specialist Program bears a close resemblance to the Short-Term Scholar Program and was designed to provide opportunities for non-US experts in a field of specialized knowledge, or skills to visit the United States to increase the exchange of ideas with American counterparts by observing, consulting or demonstrating their expertise.

Excluded from the Specialist category are professors, research scholars, short-term scholars and non-US physicians in graduate medical education or training. Who, then, is included? Some examples of acceptable specialist areas include international educational exchange, labor law, environmental science, mass media communication, museum exhibitions, public administration and library science.

Unlike the Short-Term Scholar Program, which is limited to six months maximum stay in the United States, the Specialist Program allows a stay in the US for a year.

The Specialist Program J1 visa is ideal for eligible experts with specialized knowledge or skills in listed specialty fields living outside the US to participate in academic and professional activities such as lectures, participation in conferences, workshops or consultations, and so on in libraries, museums, government agencies, scientific institutions, corporations and similar types of institutions.

To give you a better idea, here are some examples of eligible Specialist Program activities —

• An art historian and restorer from Italy spends six months as restorer at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, where he guides art restorers and demonstrates his advanced techniques on selected art.
• A tunnel-construction expert from Sweden with expertise in creating railway tunnels, visits California to demonstrate her expert skills at Elon Musk’s The Boring Company.
• A nutritionist from Thailand spends five months at Cornell University demonstrating new algorithms for computing the nutritional value of Asian foods.

The J-1 Specialist may return to the US again for a new Specialist stay if there is a reasonable break between the visits and if the new short-term activity differs substantially from the previous one. Such a difference could be a change of subject or a research project that is moving into a new stage.

Like all other exchange programs, the Specialist Program is a great opportunity for you to experience American culture and lifestyle while sharing or developing your special professional expertise.

 Once the program ends, you will be expected to return to your home country.

Who is eligible for a J1 Specialist Program visa?

To be eligible for a Specialist Program J1 visa, you should —

1. Be a non-US expert in a field of specialized knowledge or skill with genuine expertise in the field.
2. Have a letter of invitation or offer from a host or sponsor institution such as a university or research center.
3. Be competent in oral and written English.
4. Demonstrate sufficient funds, either through sponsorship or through your personal sources to support yourself during your stay in the United States.
5. Not fill a permanent or long-term position while in the United States.

How long can you stay in the US with a J1 Specialist Program visa?

With a J1 visa under the Specialist Program, you can stay in the United States from a minimum of three weeks up to a maximum  of a year. Extensions are not allowed.

One of the advantages of the Specialist Program is that it does not impose a waiting period restriction against reapplying and visiting the United States again soon after your program is over, either in another Specialist Program or something different such as a Professor or Research Scholar Program.

At the end of your program, you are allowed a 30-day grace period to settle your affairs and prepare to return. You cannot take on employment during this period, and overstaying can have serious repercussions for any future trip you may undertake to the US. During the grace period, you will not be under the J1 visa any longer but under the jurisdiction of the Immigration and Naturalization Services. If you cross the US border to Canada or Mexico, you may not be allowed re-entry.

How do you apply for a Specialist Program J1 visa?

Many applicants will be considering applying for a Specialist Program J1 visa after being invited by a US-based host institution to visit the United States to give a lecture or speech, consult, attend a workshop or conference, and so on. In these cases, the host organization will usually generate the approvals and forms you will need to apply for a J1 visa.

1. Find an approved program sponsor: This step applies to those who want to enter the United States to conduct research, observe and so on. Their first step in applying for the Specialist Program J1 visa is finding a designated sponsor. To see a list of 440 designated and approved Specialist Program sponsors, click here. Unlike several other exchange visitor programs, where third-party agencies are designated to oversee candidate selection, visa sponsorship and visa procurement, with the Specialist Program, the approved sponsors are all academic, research and other institutions with whom you will work directly once they find you eligible for the J1 visa and agree to sponsor you.

2. Get a DS-2019 Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status: Once your host or sponsor ascertains that you are eligible and accepts you, you will be issued a document called the DS-2019 Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status, attesting that you are eligible and have been selected to participate in the Specialist Program. Form DS-2019 is a key document in your J1 visa application.

3. Enter your name in the SEVIS database. Your host or sponsoring institution will usually enter your details in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database. There is a $220 charge for this.

4. Apply for a DS-160 J1 non-immigrant visa: Once you have your DS-2019 Certificate of Eligibility you need to apply for a nonimmigrant J1 visa using the application form DS-160. There is a charge of about $160 for this, and you will receive an online receipt which you must carry to your interview. The application process can be completed online here.

5. Book an interview appointment with the US consulate.

What documents are required for a Specialist Program J1 visa interview?

The following is a minimum list of documents that you must carry to the interview.

1. Passport: Valid for at least 6 months after the end date of your program.
2. Letter of Offer: Have a letter of invitation or offer from your host or sponsoring institution where you will be working. The letter should state what activity they have invited you for, as well as its duration, which should be not more than six months.
3. Form DS-2019 (Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status). This will be issued by your sponsoring institution once they have ascertained your eligibility to take part in the Specialist Program.
4. Receipt for Form DS-160 non-immigrant visa application. Once you apply for the DS-160 online and pay the visa fees of $160, you will receive a receipt, which you must carry to the interview.
5. 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.
6. Photograph. A complete description of the format requirements is here.
7. Consulate appointment confirmation.

You will be informed if you are required to furnish any other documents.

How much does a J1 Specialist Program visa cost?

Unlike other exchange programs that are mediated through approved third-party sponsor agencies, which levy their own fees, the Specialist Program is coordinated directly by your host or sponsoring research or academic institution. The two main applicable fees are listed below —

DS-160 Non-Immigrant Visa Application processing fee: This is currently US$ 160 but may be subject to change. Check with the local US Embassy or Consulate for up-to-date fees.

SEVIS database. The cost of having your name entered in the SEVIS database is usually around $220.

Visa Issuance fee: In some countries, an additional Visa Issuance fee may be charged when the visa is issued and could be around $220. Check with the local US Embassy or Consulate for up-to-date fees.

Restrictions of the J1 Specialist Program visa

The J1 Specialist Program visa is not subject to a so-called Home Residency Requirement, which needs you to return to your home country once the program ends and remain resident there for an aggregate of two years before becoming eligible to re-enter the United States. There is also no waiting period restriction on returning to the United States on a new Specialist Program J1 visa as long as its purpose is distinctly different from the previous one.

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.

Specialists were not prohibited from entering the USA under the J1 visa by Proclamation 10052, titled Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak.

The proclamation, which suspended entry into the United States of many non-US citizens, became effective from June 24, 2020. The proclamation expired on March 31, 2021, and has been neither renewed nor replaced by the Biden administration. In all cases, participants of the Specialist Program were not affected.

Please check with your nearest US Embassy or Consulate for up to date information.