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I’m excited to announce that over the next few months, a star-studded list of Silicon Valley venture capitalists, startup founders, professors, futurists, and thought leaders will join me on Immigration Law for Tech Startups to share their immigration experiences and expertise. Make sure you don’t miss an episode by subscribing to Immigration Law for Tech Startups wherever you get your podcasts.
In this episode of Immigration Law for Tech Startups, I discuss the J-1 Educational and Cultural Exchange Visa. The J-1 visa is intended for people from around the globe to work or study temporarily in the U.S. and then take their newly acquired knowledge, skills, and appreciation of American culture back to their home country.
When their visa expires, some J-1 visa holders must return to their home country for at least two years. In the next episode (Episode 34) of this podcast, I’ll discuss who qualifies and how to file a waiver to this two-year residency requirement to remain in the U.S.
Silicon Valley employers often use the J-1 visa to hire researchers, trainees, and interns, which can be done at any time of the year without worrying about quotas or lotteries. One of the biggest benefits of the J-1 visa for its holders is that their spouse can get a work permit, which is rare among non-immigrant visas. To find out more, take a listen.
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
- How the J-1 visitor exchange program works.
- An overview of the J-1 visitor exchange program categories and the maximum stay allowed by some of the programs.
- The benefits and drawbacks of the J-1 visa.
- How best to evaluate whether a J-1 visa fits into your immigration strategy and how best to use it to meet your goals.
- The role the U.S. Department of State plays in J-1 visitor exchange program.
- Applying from your home country outside the U.S. versus applying while living in the U.S.
- The requirements for employers, program sponsors, and J-1 visa program participants.
- When it makes sense for companies to become a State Department-designated J-1 program sponsors or simply go through an existing program sponsor to hire a J-1 candidate.
- Which J-1 program category participants are still eligible J-1 visas under the Trump H-1B, J, and L-1 visa ban.
Don’t miss the next episode on how to get a waiver for the J-1 two-year residency requirement or my upcoming interviews with the best and brightest minds in Silicon Valley. Remember to subscribe to Immigration Law for Tech Startups on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or your preferred platform for podcasts. Your reviews are greatly appreciated.
Please share this episode with anyone you think can benefit from it. We appreciate you spreading this knowledge and assisting us with empowering individuals to live their dreams.
Resources:
Immigration Law for Tech Startups:
- Episode 24: Trump Executive Order – H-1B, L-1, J-1 Visa Ban
- Episode 12: The Visa Options All Recruiters Should Know
- Episode 3: The Different Types of Nonimmigrant Visas
Alcorn Immigration Law’s page on
Get Alcorn’s Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook
