Dear Sophie: Is there a way to keep working in the US after my J-1 visa expires?

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Dear Sophie,

I’m a Fulbright scholar on a J-1 visa. I’ve been told that after my J-1 ends, I’m required to return to my country for two years.

Is there a way I can stay in the U.S.? Can I apply for an O-1A or green card even if I have to go back to my country?

— Seeking to Stay

Dear Seeking,

Congrats on joining the ranks of the Fulbright scholars! This is a great accomplishment that will likely bolster an eventual green card application!

However, being a Fulbright scholar also comes with a cost: I have never seen a Fulbright scholar get a 212(e) waiver for the J-1 two-year foreign residency requirement. (If you are a Fulbright scholar who got the waiver approved, please message me!)

I recently spoke with Anthony Pawelski, the senior international adviser at Mass General Brigham, which consists of 16 institutions including Harvard- and Tufts-affiliated teaching hospitals. In that role, Pawelski prepares thousands of J-1 and other non-immigrant visa applications each year, but he says he has only seen waivers granted to Fulbright scholars a few times. Even waiver requests for Fulbright scholars that were filed by NASA and the National Science Foundation have been denied.

Pawelski also notes that India will not support J-1 waivers for medical doctors educated in India, and that Thailand and the Philippines are very strict about supporting waivers.

Before I share more about your visa and green card options to work in the U.S. after your exchange visit ends, here’s a primer on the J-1 two-year home residency requirement, and the process to seek a waiver for those who are eligible. A word of caution: The J-1 is a non-immigrant intent visa, so people who intend to seek a green card or live permanently in the U.S. are denied J-1 visas.

Two-year home residency requirement

As you probably know, the J-1 educational and cultural exchange visa has several benefits, such as being open to individuals in a range of fields, and allowing a J-1 visa holder’s spouse to apply for a work permit. While its benefits can far outweigh the drawbacks, the biggest limitation of the J-1 is the one you’re facing: the two-year home residency requirement.

Section 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act requires some J-1 recipients to return to their home country for at least two years following their J-1 program. Only after those two years can they get certain visas, such as an H-1B or a green card.

The two-year home residency requirement applies to individuals who participate in a J-1 program that:

• Is funded all or in part by the U.S. government, your home country’s government or an international organization funded by either the U.S. or your home country.
• Involves study, training or skills in a field that your home country deems important.
• Provides graduate medical education or training.

The Fulbright Scholar Program is funded by the U.S. government, so all Fulbright scholars and students are required to return to their home country for at least two years after the exchange to bring back the knowledge and experience they have gained.

Individuals who are subject to 212(e) cannot change their status to another visa or green card while they’re in the United States.

J-1 212(e) waiver

Individuals who are subject to 212(e) can apply for a waiver recommendation from the U.S. Department of State Waiver Review Division in certain situations. If the Waiver Review Division approves, they will send a recommendation to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to grant a waiver.

A waiver may be granted based on one of the following:

No Objection Statement: If your home country’s government is fine with you staying in the U.S. and becoming a permanent resident, your attorney can request a No Objection Statement either through your country’s embassy in Washington, D.C. to the U.S. Department of State’s Waiver Review Division or to the U.S. Embassy in your home country. Foreign medical physicians are not eligible to use the No Objection Statement waiver.

Interested Government Agency Waiver: If you are working on a project of significant interest to a U.S. government agency and your two-year departure would be detrimental to the project, then that agency may request a waiver on your behalf.

Persecution Waiver: If you believe you will be persecuted based on your race, religion or political opinion if you return to your country, you can apply for a waiver by submitting Form I-612 (Application for Waiver of the Foreign Residence Requirement) and the filing fee directly to USCIS. USCIS will send its decision to the Waiver Review Division.

Exceptional Hardship Waiver: You may apply for this waiver if you can show that leaving the U.S. would cause hardship to your U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse or child. Hardship due to separation is not enough to qualify. To apply for this waiver, you must submit Form I-612 and the filing fee directly to USCIS. USCIS will send its decision to the Waiver Review Division.

Conrad State 30 Program Waiver: If you are a foreign medical graduate with a J-1 visa for graduate medical training or education, a State Public Health Department can request a waiver on your behalf. You must also have a full-time job offer at a healthcare facility in an area that has a shortage of healthcare professionals; agree to take the job at that facility within 90 days of receiving a waiver; and sign a contract to work there for 40 hours per week and at least three years.

How to navigate a visa and green card

I’ve helped many people obtain O-1A visas or even green cards to work in the U.S. after their J-1 program ended, even if they are subject to the two-year foreign residency requirement or they can’t get a waiver.

If you are eligible for a work visa, such as an O-1A (but not H-1Bs, K-1 finance visas or green cards), consular processing of the non-immigrant visa is required if you are subject to 212(e). To make progress toward fulfilling the two years of foreign residence, it’s helpful to plan to work remotely for extended periods in your country to accrue time (you can add time on separate trips together, and it doesn’t expire).

If you move back to your country to fulfill the two-year residency requirement, you can probably start the green card process as soon as you qualify. Often, Fulbright scholars will self-petition an EB-1A extraordinary ability green card or an EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card, a process that can take at least a few years. You can start the immigrant visa application process once your I-140 petition is approved and your 212(e) requirements have been waived or fulfilled.

Neither the EB-1A nor the EB-2 NIW petitions require an employer to sponsor you or even a job offer. Check out this previous Dear Sophie column in which I provide more detail about these green card options.

Again, I recommend you consult an immigration attorney who can evaluate your situation and prospects for each pathway.

You’ve got this!

— Sophie

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