DIFFERENT TYPES OF J1 VISAS

It is not just for Residencies that the J1 Visa is granted.



Besides the clinical Residency or Clinical fellowship J1-visa sponsored by the ECFMG, here are the other categories of J1 visas :


- Research Scholar (3 years maximum)
- Professor (3 years maximum),
- Specialist (1 year maximum),
- Short-term Scholar (6 months maximum),
- Student (necessary time to complete degree, must be enrolled full-time in a degree program)

Note that an IMG holding a clinical J1 is called an "Alien Physician" - yeah, almost sounds as if you came from Mars ;-)

Now, in the context of IMGs, this is important to know since NOT ALL J1-Visas have the 2-year Home Residency Requirement ! So, some of you come for a PhD on a J1 OR come for an Elective / Observership / Externship on Visiting Student Program - but don't need really need to go back to your own country for two years before converting to a work visa.


Here are the things that WILL MAKE J1 VISA obligated for the 2-year Home Residency Requirement:


- If you sponsored by ECFMG - like GME residency / fellowship and ECFMG Sponsored Research scholars
- If you are funded by your Home country government for the exchange student program
- If you receive direct funding from the U.S. government
- If you have skills that are on U.S. government's needed skills list, or
- If you are a J-2 dependent of a J-1 who is subject to any of the above!


The rest of the J1 types can continue to stay in the US and get themselves H1b visa Sponsoring jobs.

Note:

Do not confuse the 2-year bar from the 2-year Home-Country Residence requirement. The 2-year Bar that some research J1s have imply that the person must spend 2 years on other status (which can include H1b) before getting back to a Research Scientist J1 position again . While the 2-Year Home-country Requirement Rule states that the person must spend two years back home or get a waiver, before changing to a work-visa