Family & Work Visa Plan : Professor Program J1 Visa

Professor Program J1 visa

The J1 is a non-immigrant visa issued to a person participating in a United States Exchange Visitor Program, or EVP. The Professor 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 short-term 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 are the top three countries from where J1 visa holders come.

What is the J1 Professor Program visa?

The Professor Program was designed to promote the free flow and exchange of ideas, research, mutual enrichment and linkages between research and academic institutions in the United States and foreign countries through the participation of their professors, researchers, post- or pre-doctoral students, graduate students and other professionals such as doctors and attorneys.

The Professor Program is ideal for you if your purpose is teaching, lecturing, observing or consulting at accredited post-secondary institutions, museums, libraries or similar types of institutions. It is also a great opportunity for you to experience American culture and lifestyle while conducting research and gaining research experience in a professional area. Once the program ends, you will be expected to return to your home country.

The Professor Program is very similar to the Research Scholar Program, though the latter is more appropriate for those whose primary purpose is to conduct research, observe or consult in connection with a research project at institutions of research, corporate research facilities, museums, libraries, post-secondary accredited academic institutions and so on.

At the discretion of the responsible officer, a professor may also be allowed to conduct research while a research scholar may also teach or lecture in certain cases. This would not be considered a change of category as long as they are directly related to the objectives of the participant’s program and do not delay its completion date.

Who is eligible for a J1 Professor Program visa?

1. Not be a candidate in line for a tenure track position.
2. Not have taken part in a Professor Program within 24 months before the start date of your new program.
3. Not have taken part in any J1 visa program during the 12 months before the start date of your Professor Program. An exception to this rule is if you’re currently already in a Professor Program and are continuing the same program by transferring to another institution in the United States. Another exception is if your last J1 visa program in the US was less than six months long or if your prior participation was in the Short-Term Scholar Program.
4. Be a graduate with sufficient prior education and training outside the United States in your area of specialty.
5. Have a contract or letter with a teaching offer from a post-secondary institution, museum, library or similar type of approved institutions.
6. Be competent in oral and written English.
7. Demonstrate sufficient funding, either through sponsorship or through your personal sources to support yourself during your stay in the United States.

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

With a J1 visa under the Professor Program, you can stay in the US as long as you need to complete your research program, with a maximum limit of five years. If your program duration is less than five years, you may seek an extension for upto a maximum of five years.

However, you and your dependents are allowed a 30-day grace period after the end of the program 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 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 Professor Program J1 visa?

1. Find an approved program sponsor: The first step in applying for the Professor Program visa is finding a designated sponsor. To see a list of 1,691 designated and approved Professor 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 Professor Program, the approved sponsors are all academic and research institutions with whom you will work directly.

2. Get a DS-2019 Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status: Once your 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 Professor Program. Form DS-2019 is a key document in your J1 visa application.

3. Enter your name in the SEVIS database. Your 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 currently a charge of $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 Professor 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 contract or letter with a teaching offer from the academic or other approved institution sponsoring your program. The letter should state that they have agreed to let you teach at their institution or faculty.
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 Professor 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 Professor Program visa cost?

Unlike other exchange programs that are mediated through approved third-party sponsor agencies, which levy their own fees, the Professor Program is coordinated directly by the 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.

The most challenging part of applying for a Professor Program is the first step of finding an institution that will accept you into their teaching program.

Restrictions of the J1 Professor Program visa

The J1 Professor Program visa may be subject to a so-called Home Residency Requirement, which requires 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. If your field of specialized knowledge or skills is listed as a development requirement by your home country, you are automatically subject to the Home Residency Requirement.

To check if your skill or knowledge is on your country’s list, first check if your country’s name is on the list of countries that have listed their requirements. If it is, then check this list to see what specialized knowledge and skills have been listed by your country.

As a participant in the Professor (or Research Scholar) Program, you will also be disallowed from participating in another Professor Program for 24 months after the end of your program.

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.

Research Scholars 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 Research Scholar Program were not affected.

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