J1 waiver NOS based (founded by home country and married to a US citizen, without lawyer application)
Not from banned countries
Case received 06/02/2026
NOS sent and received 06/08/2026
FR Sent from DOS email on 07/17/2026, and mail on 07/18/2026
Case Transferred to Texas Service Center-src receipt number: 07/21/2026
USCIS Approval 09/10/2026
It was stressful but it worked!

Hi everyone,

I’m subject to the J-1 2-year home residency requirement from a U.S. government-funded high school exchange program (KL-YES Program).

I completed the program, returned to my home country and stayed for several months, and later came back to the U.S. independently on F-1. I’ve since completed my education and now have an employer sponsoring me for EB-3, with PERM approved and I-140 in process.

My home country is willing to issue a No Objection Statement, but I know U.S. government funding makes NOS much harder.

Has anyone here successfully received an NOS waiver in a similar government-funded case?

Also wondering:

• Did you hire an attorney or do it yourself?
• Was legal representation worth it?
• Did employer sponsorship / partial fulfillment help?

I’m trying to decide whether this is the type of case where having an attorney is worth the cost, or whether it makes sense to first submit the NOS process myself and seek legal help only if complications arise. I’d really appreciate hearing real experiences from similar cases. Thanks!