Professor Program J-1 Visa

Jose is my name, AI is my game, and I got a Professor Program J-1 Visa

Jose Andrade was tired of teaching his students about microprocessors. He had studied computer hardware and machine language programming at the University of Manila. After a brief stint in a large multinational computer giant, he had joined academia. Meanwhile, he had found himself growing increasingly fascinated by the possibilities of artificial intelligence. He’d joined an online course and earned his certification in AI programming with flying colors.

The only problem was that his university did not recognize his newly acquired knowledge and specialty. He knew he was a great teacher and longed for an opportunity to expand his teaching skills in an academic environment quite different from his native Manila.

For example, an environment like the United States, the world’s leader in AI.

Jose’s fond dream became a reality quite by chance when he heard that a fellow professor’s son was going to spend his summer vacation in the United States on something called a Summer School Student Program. The US, it seemed, had a versatile and vibrant Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) under which it provided pathways from non-US students, teachers and professionals to visit the USA and experience its culture and life while meeting their academic or professional goals through study or work.

The Professor Program, Jose discovered, was one of 15 categories under the EVP. And he was eligible!

Under the Professor Program, one of 15 categories under the EVP, Jose could enter the United States on a Professor Program J-1 Visa to teach, lecture, observe or consult at accredited post-secondary institutions, museums, libraries or similar types of institutions. 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.

All Jose had to do was to find an academic or other approved institution that would sponsor his participation in a teaching program of his choice. Fortunately, a list of over 1,600 designated sponsor organizations was readily available online. The Professor Program J-1 Visa he would receive if selected would allow him to conduct research for up to 5 years, though once his program ended he would be expected to return to the Philippines to apply what he had learnt.

To his complete delight, he was accepted by the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology to teach a course in artificial intelligence. He is now in his third year, and is looking forward to the next two years. He can’t wait to get back to the Philippines and apply all that he has learnt.

You can get more information on how to apply for the Professor Program J-1 Visa, including how to find the best sponsors, from the detailed, user-friendly visa guides you get when you buy one of our Visa Plans

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.