General Eligibility Requirements for hosting a J-1 Exchange Visitor

The host department at Lewis University is the first to receive requests for J-1 Scholar designation. Speaking with an academic department is the first step for anyone interested in or in need of J-1 status. The department will then start the procedure with the Office of International Student and Global Scholar Services.

All of the necessary paperwork and information must be completed at least two months before J-1 Scholar's expected start date at Lewis due to delays in visa processing overseas. Please be aware that the processing of visas may take longer in some cases.

Lewis Departments are required to review the following information in order to determine the eligibility requirements for the prospective J-1 exchange visitor:

Length of Stay: Professors and research scholars are permitted to remain in the United States for a total maximum of five years. Short-term scholars are permitted to remain in the United States for up to six months; no extension is permitted.
Repeat Participation in the Research Scholar and Professor Categories: After a scholar spends time in the U.S. in one of these categories, he/she is prohibited from returning to the U.S. for 24 months in either the professor or research scholar category. There are no exceptions to this rule.
12-Month Rule: An individual will not be eligible for J-1 research scholar or professor status if he/she was in the U.S. in any J status for six out of the previous 12 months. In such cases, he/she must be out of J status for one year before being eligible for J-1 research scholar or professor status.
English Language Requirement: New federal regulations beginning January 5, 2015 require use of an “objective measurement of English language proficiency” to determine the language proficiency of all J-1 scholars.
Two-Year Home Residency Requirement: Some J-1 scholars and their dependents are required to return to their country of permanent residence for a minimum of two years upon completion of the J-1 program before they will be eligible for H, L, K, or permanent residency status. On rare occasions the visitor may file for a waiver of this requirement. Without the waiver, the J-1 exchange visitor may not change non-immigrant status while in the U.S. or apply for any of the four statuses listed above. Once a waiver is received, extensions of J status are not permitted.