About the j-1 exchange visitor program

For more than 50 years, the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program has helped bring international college students and young professionals to the United States to learn about American culture and meet real Americans, enhancing America’s diplomatic success and national security by improving the perception of the U.S. in the eyes of future leaders from 200 countries.

The Exchange Visitor Program includes such successful exchanges as Summer Work Travel, Camp Counselor, Au Pair, Intern, and Trainee. These programs allow participants to offset the costs of their experience by working, and add significantly to the U.S. economy.

HISTORY

The J-1 Exchange Visitor Program was created by the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Senator J. William Fulbright’s legislation to increase mutual understanding between Americans and the people of other countries.

 This legislation created such important academic exchanges as the Fulbright Program, among many others.

 In that legislation, Senator Fulbright also saw the need for work-based exchange programs, such as the Summer Work Travel and Camp Counselor programs.

 Over 50+ years, the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program has become a cornerstone of U.S. public diplomacy efforts. It is privately funded and costs nothing to the U.S. taxpayer. In addition to its diplomatic and foreign policy benefits, the program has evolved to provide important economic benefits to U.S. host businesses, host families, and seasonal communities.

“Work can indeed be an important educational and cross cultural experience. It may be more influential in forming attitudes and impressions of American life than a purely academic experience.

“I see nothing to be gained by restricting the Summer Work Travel program and I think that doing so would be contrary to our foreign policy interest and our national interest.”

— Senator J. William Fulbright

WHAT IS THE J-1 VISA?

Approximately 300,000 international students, scholars, researchers, teachers, and young professionals from 200 countries and territories visit the United States each year on a J-1 visa on both government-funded and privately-funded exchange programs. Summer Work Travel, Intern, Trainee, Camp Counselor, and Au Pair are just 5 of the 14 total categories of the privately-funded J-1 Exchange Visitor Program.

The Exchange Visitor Program is overseen by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) at the Department of State, and governed by regulations that protect the health, safety, and welfare of program participants. The regulations require that:

• Placements are appropriately vetted and approved, and provide frequent exchange with Americans, language learning, and cultural opportunities.
• Participants are monitored and have access to a 24/7 toll-free help line.
• Exchange visitors are not tied to their host employer or host family, and may change placements with sponsor assistance.

Au Pair

The Au Pair Program connects welcoming American families with young people from around the world for an exciting, life-changing, cultural exchange experience. Au pairs provide valuable childcare services for American families and introduce American children to the wider world by sharing their culture. In return, au pairs gain an in-depth experience with the American way of life by living directly with their American host families. When au pairs return home at the end of their programs, they have a clear and personal understanding of American values and people, which they share with their friends and family. This multiplier effect fosters peace and counters misunderstanding.

PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS:

Au Pair program participants are adventurous young women and men with child care experience who want to utilize this experience living with an American family and providing care to the family children. Being on a J-1 visa allows them to stay in the U.S. for 12 months and experience all the country has to offer. 

Au pairs come from 70+ countries, including those important to U.S. national security and American economic expansion such as Brazil, China, Israel, Poland, and the U.K.

 
PROGRAM PLACEMENTS:

Host families are typically middle-class American families with working parents and multiple children. Faced with the high cost of childcare, and looking for the opportunity expose their children to new cultures, they open their home to an international au pair for a 12 month placement. During this placement, au pairs become extended family members, taking part in family meals, social events, vacations, and milestones.  
 

PROGRAM REGULATIONS & PROTECTIONS:

The Au Pair program is governed by Department of State regulations that protect the health, safety, and welfare of program participants. These regulations are seen as the gold standard and a model for other countries’ au pair programs. 
 
Key program regulations:

• Au pairs must be between the ages of 18 and 26 year of age when they arrive to the U.S.
• Au pairs can only provide childcare related work for their host family for a maximum of 10 hours per day, 45 hours per week.
• All au pairs must pass a background check including an in-person interview, police background check, and vetting of child care references.
• All host families must be vetted and approved before au pairs arrive.
• Sponsors must provide monthly monitoring of the au pair placement throughout their time in the home.
• Au Pair sponsors must provide around the clock support and have local representatives nearby each au pair placement.
• Au pairs must complete not less than six semester hours of academic credit in formal educational settings at accredited U.S. post-secondary institutions. 
   

Camp Counselor

International counselors have been firmly woven into the rich texture of summer camp with over 750,000 participants from dozens of countries over the course of half a century. The program is positioned for unique cultural exchange and experiential growth thanks to the sheer vibrancy and energy of U.S. summer camps, their diversity, and the varied opportunities for interaction that they afford. Participants take on an assortment of leadership and support roles and creatively engage with American children, adults, peers, families, and communities from all manner of backgrounds, economic strata, and ideologies. The “ripple effects” of these experiences are exponential, influencing the lives of U.S. citizens through interaction and friendships..
 
As exchange visitors, counselors are able to explore the vast and diverse beauty of the United States when they travel after camp is over, interacting with Americans from all walks of life. When they return home, they bring with them a personal understanding of American values and people, paving the way for positive diplomatic and economic interactions in the future.

PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS:

Camp counselor participants represent a diverse population of qualified individuals including students, teachers, and youth workers. Many have specialized skills they bring with them and teach to campers. They may work at camp during the summer months only, and they are directly responsible for the supervision of American youth. They come from more than fifty countries including those important to U.S. national security and American economic expansion, such as Ireland, China, Turkey, and Russia.  

PROGRAM PLACEMENTS:

Camp Counselors only work at summer camps within the United States that are either accredited, a member of the American Camping Association, officially affiliated with a nationally recognized non-profit organization, and/or have been inspected, evaluated, and approved by the sponsor.
 
Summer camps are settings designed to provide countless opportunities for growth in a variety of human endeavors in a uniquely personal way.  They are microcosmic environments carefully planned to further personal development, diversify perspectives, teach transferable skills, and intensify the process of human discovery.  They accomplish their objectives through close personal interaction with peers, role models, and leaders in a social context resulting in strong bonds and long-lasting relationships. There are few more robust vehicles that fit the spirit of the exchange visitor program more than an experience at a U.S. summer camp.  

PROGRAM REGULATIONS & PROTECTIONS:

The Camp Counselor Program is governed by Department of State regulations that protect the health, safety, and welfare of international participants.
 
The regulations for J-1 Camp Counselor require that:

• Participants must not displace American workers and must receive pay and benefits commensurate with their American counterparts.
• Placements are appropriately vetted and approved before arrival.
• Exchange visitors are not tied to their host camps and may change placements with sponsor assistance.
• Host camps provide frequent exchange with Americans, language learning, and cultural opportunities.
• Participants are monitored and have access to a 24/7 toll-free help line.
• Participants may not be placed in roles such as administrative personnel, cooks, or menial laborers, including dishwashers or janitors.
   

Intern and Trainee

The J-1 Intern and J-1 Trainee programs were established in 2007 to provide hands on exposure to American business practices while furthering mutual understanding.  

American companies increasingly see professionally-based exchange programs as integral to their operations and success in the global market. J-1 Interns and Trainees are professionals of their fields, seeking an immersive work experience in American business practices.  Through these guided internship and training programs, companies across the country provide an open interchange of ideas between international participants and their American counterparts. These programs allow the United States to build partnerships, promote mutual understanding, and develop networks for relationships that will last through generations as participants move into leadership roles in a broad range of industries in their own societies.

PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS:

J-1 Intern participants are either currently enrolled in postgraduate studies or have recently completed their undergraduate degree. They may stay in the United States for up to 12 months, after which they must return home. 

J-1 Trainee participants are experienced professionals with a degree or certificate and often as much as five years of work experience in their fields. They may remain in their training position for up to 18 months. 

Participants come from countries key to U.S. national security interests including Brazil, China, India, South Korea, and Eastern Europe. 

PROGRAM PLACEMENTS:

Intern and Trainee placements are specified by occupational field and can only be in one of the following categories: 

• Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing;
• Arts and Culture;
• Construction and Building Trades;
• Education, Social Sciences, Library Science, Counseling, and Social Services;
• Health Related Occupations;
• Hospitality and Tourism;
• Information Media and Communications;
• Management, Business, Commerce, and Finance;
• Public Administration and Law; and
• The Sciences, Engineering, Architecture, Mathematics, and Industrial Occupations.

The participants receive detailed training plans from their host companies designed to improve their knowledge of American techniques, methodologies, and technology. 

PROGRAM REGULATIONS & PROTECTIONS:

The Intern and Trainee programs are governed by Department of State regulations that protect the health, safety, and welfare of international participants.

The regulations for J-1 Intern and Trainee require that:

• Participants may not displace American workers or serve to fill a labor need.
• Host employers must complete, and have approved, an Internship or Trainee Placement Plan, to ensure that exchange participants obtain professional skills, knowledge, and competencies through structured and guided work and activities.
• Host employers must also agree to provide interns or trainees with opportunities to supplement their work experience, such as classroom training, seminars, rotation through several different departments, attendance at conferences, and similar learning experiences.
• Sponsors must actively facilitate cultural exchange opportunities for participants, beyond the cultural exchange that happens daily in the workplace.
• Sponsors actively protect the health, safety, and welfare of program participants, and take seriously their role facilitating experiences that will improve the image and influence of the United States abroad.
   

Summer Work Travel

For more than 50 years, the Summer Work Travel (SWT) program has supported the success of American diplomacy and of American seasonal businesses.
 
The seasonal communities that host Summer Work Travel participants criss-cross our country. These international students are able to explore the vast and diverse beauty of the United States, interacting with Americans from all walks of life. When they return home, the students have a clear and personal understanding of American values and people, paving the way for positive diplomatic and economic interactions in the future. 

PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS:

SWT participants are international university students who live, work, and travel in America during their summer breaks. Their J-1 visa allows them to be in the U.S. for no more than four months, after which they return home to continue their studies.

These students come from 90+ countries, including those important to U.S. national security and American economic expansion, such as Brazil, China, Turkey, and Russia.

PROGRAM PLACEMENTS:

SWT placements are typical summer jobs. They are seasonal, entry-level, and in tourist areas. Students sell t-shirts on the boardwalk, man the front desk at hotels and resorts, take tickets at amusement parks, lifeguard at beaches and pools, scoop ice cream, work at National Parks, and operate the lifts at ski resorts, among many other job placements. 

PROGRAM REGULATIONS & PROTECTIONS:

The Summer Work Travel program is governed by Department of State regulations that protect the health, safety, and welfare of international students. These regulations have been improved three times since 2010, with a fourth update pending.
 
The regulations require that:

• SWT participants must be currently enrolled college students.
• SWT placements must not displace American workers.
• SWT students must be paid the exact same as their American co-workers.
• All job placements must be vetted and approved before students arrive.
• SWT students are not tied to their host employers and can change job placements without obstacle, with the assistance of their sponsor.
• Placements must provide students contact with Americans, facilitate language learning, and offer cultural opportunities.
• SWT sponsors must be in monthly contact with each student, and provide a 24/7 toll-free help line.

J-1 Exchange Visitor Program Sponsors 

True to Senator Fulbright’s vision for American exchange programs, the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program operates as a public-private partnership. The Department of State partners with (and regulates) U.S.-based exchange organizations, known as sponsors, to facilitate the program. 

Visitors in all 14 categories of the J-1 visa program undergo a thorough review process when applying for the programs, conducted by sponsor organizations. In addition, they complete an application process and in-person interviews at U.S. consulates abroad.

Sponsors continue to work with the Department of State and U.S. host organizations and families to provide positive, memorable experiences for J-1 participants. Sponsors support participants throughout their stay in the United States by providing resources including cultural exchange activities and orientations to American culture.