J and Q Visas allow noncitizens to enter the United States in order to exchange artistic, academic, and scientific knowledge and skills, and to share the history and culture of their native countries.
The J Visa is for:
- secondary school, college or university students
- teachers or professors
- research or short-term scholars
- trainees
- nonacademic specialists
- physicians
- camp counselors
- au pairs
- summer students in travel/work programs
- visitors for the purpose of traveling, observing, consulting, conducting research, training, sharing, or demonstrating specialized knowledge or skills, or participating in organized people-to-people programs
Q Visas are for noncitizens coming to the US to provide practical training, employment, and the sharing of the history, culture, and traditions of the person’s home country in the United States.
J Visa General Requirements
A person seeking to obtain a J Visa must demonstrate sufficient financial means to support themselves during the entire length of their stay in the US. They must have the academic training and English language skills necessary to support their participation in their particular program. English skills are not required if the exchange program is designed to accommodate non-English speakers.
Q Visa General Requirements
Q Visa exchange visitors do not need to show financial support because they are paid by their employing sponsor at the rate equal to similarly-employed local domestic workers. The person must be at least 18 years old, and able to effectively communicate information about the culture, history, and traditions of their country.
Medical Education and Training
Noncitizens seeking a J Visa in order to obtain graduate medical education or training must pass the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination in Medical Sciences and possess competent English language skills. They are subject to time limits on the duration of their education or training and are automatically subject to the two-year foreign residence requirement once the education or training is complete. Physicians coming to the United States to observe, consult, teach, or conduct research, and who will have little or no patient care, are not subject to these requirements.
Applying for a J or Q Visa
The J Visa program is overseen jointly by the Department of State and the Bureau of Consular Affairs. Those people seeking J Visas must obtain a Form DS-2019, Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status, prepared by a sponsoring organization designated by the Department of State and the Bureau of Consular Affairs. The Q Visa program is run by USCIS. People wishing to receive Q Visas must have Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, submitted on their behalf by a sponsoring organization designated by USCIS.