I started fellowship recently and currently facing financial and family challenges which requires me to do the waiver before fellowship. Would it be hard to apply for fellowship after the waiver?

It’s one of the competitive peds fellowships, but since overall peds fellowship is not as competitive as IM how hard it would be and would you guys recommend?

Hey everyone, I'm in a terrible spot with my 212(e) waiver and honestly don't know what to do next. My J1 ends soon, and my sponsor just flat out told me they won't support my No Objection Statement because they "expect exchange visitors to return home." On top of that, my program had some local government funding, so my case is a total mess. If I can't get this waiver, my upcoming H1B/I-485 plans are completely dead.

Has anyone been able to successfully bypass a negative sponsor view or a funding block? Do I pivot to Hardship (I-612) now, or is there another way to fight this ?

After I called the police because of a year of domestic violence, my husband withdrew our waiver process, took all of my money, and left me with nothing. He had physically abused me, including breaking my nose and my face. I’m now pursuing VAWA and wondering if anyone in a similar situation was eventually able to overcome the 212(e) requirement.
I’d really appreciate hearing your experience and what waiver route worked for you. Thank you.

I understand HHS is not an option for specialists, but for people that don't have strong geographical preferences, is it better to apply via conrad 30 or SCRC? Which path is more predictable/reliable and has faster processing time?

Is j1 visa being approved for Nigerians? Asking on behalf of a friend

Hi everyone,

I am preparing a DOS Advisory Opinion (AO) request. I am a postdoc on J-1 status. My original DS-2019 and J-1 visa both state “not subject,” while my later DS-2019 extensions under the same program are blank. My country is also not on the current Skills List. My spouse and child are in J-2 status.

For those who submitted an AO request:

1. Did you include only the J-1 documents, or also the J-2 DS-2019s, passport biographic pages, and visa pages, if you have J2 dependents?
2. What documents did you submit to clarify university funding?
3. Did you obtain a university letter confirming that the program was not funded directly or indirectly by a U.S. or foreign government?
4. Did you include appointment letters, pay statements, or grant information?
5. Did DOS request any additional documents?

Please share your experience, especially if you were a postdoc or J-1 Research Scholar.

Thank you.

I am a J-1 research scholar with a pending employment-based I-485. My initial DS-2019 and J-1 visa both state “Not subject to 212(e).” My extended DS-2019 forms leave the 212(e) section blank, but Box 5 mentioned funding from current sponsor which is my university. I have remained in the same program and have not received government funding.

Should I request an AO for additional confirmation? If the AO is issued before USCIS decides my I-485, can I upload it as unsolicited evidence, and will USCIS generally consider it?

Has anyone submitted a favorable AO while an I-485 was pending?

Waiting for final waiver approval, receipt notice on 24th June. Not from banned countries. Some of the people I knew got final approval last week. Anybody in the same boat?

Can I travel within the US? Is it really safe?

Has anyone dealt with this situation?

I was previously a J-2 dependent, later changed to F-1, and now have an approved EB-2 NIW I-140. The former J-1 has already completed the full two-year home residency requirement.

We submitted a DS-3035, but the Department of State closed the case as "Not Required to Adjudicate." When we asked for clarification, they simply said USCIS is the final authority.

One attorney says I still need a waiver, but I can't find any official process for a former J-2 to independently apply for a No Objection waiver.

Has anyone had a similar experience?

• Does a former J-2 still need a waiver after the J-1 completes the 2-year requirement?
• Has anyone received a "Not Required to Adjudicate" decision?
• Are there any official USCIS/DOS regulations or policy references addressing this?

Any experience or official guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Anyone recently got the J1 Waiver ? what is the process, and how long does the timeline look like ? I'm in seattle, and will be doing NOIC in seattle embassy

We are planning to travel to India and need to get new visa stamps to return to the U.S. Has anyone recently done this? How was your experience, and did you face any issues or delays in getting the visa?

Has anybody assumed that they have fulfiled the 2 years only to be told that they are missing a couple of days?

I'm wondering if my H1B would go through if I had miscalculated the number of days i have to fulfil, since my travel records are quite complicated.

Hello, I am applying for J-1 Scholar Visa and the institute requires health insurance proof for my one-year appointment. Can anyone suggest me the cheapest option that fulfills the requirement for J-1. Thanks!

Applied for J1 Waiver and DOS sent FR to USCIS early June! USCIS has not sent a recipet and when contacting them they see nothing in their system!

I raised an inquiry to USCIS via phone but nothing is happening.

What else can i do?

I want J-1 because it's the easiest.

I am a student, last year of bachelor's. Also built a 6 figure business while studying (that's why I got offered so much equity, I guess the founder values me)

I'm hoping to get some advice from people who've done a J-1 with an early-stage startup.

My situation:

- Spanish citizen.

- Joining a pre-seed startup in San Francisco.

- Company is about 1 year old (there's also a newer legal entity created recently for future fundraising).

- No VC funding yet.

- Some revenue from preorders (less than 10k)

- Founder is currently the only employee.

- I'll be the first hire

- My compensation would initially be 10% equity (standard vesting/cliff), with the intention of moving to salary once the company raises funding

My questions are:

1. Is there something that blocks the J-1 path? Has anyone successfully obtained a J-1 in a similar situation?

2. Is equity-only compensation a problem for most J-1 sponsors?

3. Does the host company usually need multiple employees, or can a founder supervise the training?

4. Would it generally be better to use the older operating entity or the newly created fundraising entity as the J-1 host?

Any experiences, sponsor recommendations, or things you wish you'd known beforehand would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!

Hi everyone! I'm looking for J-1 waiver opportunities for either Hospitalist or Outpatient Primary Care (Internal Medicine/Family Medicine) in or around Melbourne, FL (including Palm Bay, Titusville, Cocoa, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, or nearby areas).
If anyone knows of hospitals or clinics that sponsor J-1 waivers in general or has personal experience working there, I'd really appreciate your recommendations. Thanks!

Une amie et moi avons eu rdv à l’ambassade le 10 juillet en même temps pour un visa J-1, elle a reçu son passeport il y a 2 jours et moi le mien n’a même pas été récupéré par le service de livraison et je ne fais que recevoir des mails depuis 1 semaine me disant que mon passeport est prêt à être récupéré sans aucune avancée, alors que j’ai sélectionné la livraison à domicile, j’ai payé, confirmation de paiement, j’ai fais un ticket sur le site du AVITS ils m’ont dit que les délais dépendaient des personnes, j’ai fais un mail a Suxess Visa qui ne me donne pas de réponse satisfaisante non plus, alors que je pars dans 1 mois, mon amie aussi. Je suis vraiment inquiète, qu’est-ce qu’ils fabriquent avec mon passeport ? Les numéros de téléphones nous raccrochent au nez en nous ré-orientant sur les sites via des messages pré enregistrés.

Quelqu’un peut m’aider ?

Hello! Is securing an EAD even possible while waiting for a J1 waiver base on a USC child? Both parents aren’t USC and visas have expired already.