Specialist
A J-1 Specialist is a foreign national who comes to the U.S. to share their expertise, observe, consult, or demonstrate specialized skills with American institutions. Specialists must:
- Be experts in a field of specialized knowledge or skill;
- Seek to travel to the United States for the purpose of the interchange of knowledge and skills among foreign and American specialists by observing, consulting or demonstrating their special knowledge or skills; and
- Not fill a permanent or long-term position of employment while in the United States.
Training
The J-1 Training Visa allows foreign professionals to come to the United States on a temporary, structured training program designed to enhance their skills in a specific occupational field through hands-on experience and cultural exchange.
A trainee must be a foreign national who:
- Has a degree or professional certificate from a foreign post-secondary academic institution and at least one year of prior related work experience in his or her occupational field outside the United States; or
- Has five years of work experience outside the United States in the occupational field in which they are seeking
Intern
Interns must be foreign nationals:
- Who are currently enrolled in and pursuing studies at a foreign degree- or certificate-granting post-secondary academic institution outside the United States; or
- Who have graduated from such an institution no more than 12 months prior to their exchange visitor program start date.
