Read about the J-1 Status limitations to help you decide that this is the right visa category for you.

New J-1 Exchange Visitors with a program start date on or after July 1, 2023, may participate remotely no more than 40% of their program (e.g., two out of five days per week). Exchange Visitors in active status on or before June 30, 2023, may continue hybrid programs up to December 31, 2023. As of January 1, 2024, all J-1 Exchange Visitors may participate remotely no more than 40% of their program.

• Professor 
  • For teaching, observing, lecturing
  • 3-week minimum, 5-year maximum with 24 month bar on repeat participation
• Research Scholar 
  • For conducting research, observing, or consulting.
  • Should hold a minimum of a bachelors degree
  • 3-week minimum, 5-year maximum with 24 month bar on repeat participation 
• Student Intern 
  •  For those are currently enrolled in and pursuing studies at a post-secondary academic institution outside the United States and the research at Temple will fulfill graduation requirements for the home university
  • ​3-week minimum, 12 month maximum - no extensions
  • Read more here
• Short-term Scholar 
  • Lecturing, conducting research, observing, or consulting
  • no minimum, 6-month maximum, no extensions 
  • 6 month bar on repeat participation 
• Specialist
  • observing, consulting, or demonstrating his/her highly specialized knowledge or skills)
  • 3-week minimum, 1 year maximum but not subject to 24-month bar 

Read more about the J-1 Student Intern Category here.

Read about the Two Year Home Residency Requirement here. 

It is important to understand the difference between Research Scholar and Short Term Scholar.

Read about the differences between an H-1B and the J-1 Status here.

On May 29, 2020, President Trump issued a proclamation refusing entry into the United States of certain Chinese citizens, which is still in effect.  The following factors will trigger the ban:

1. The individual is requesting entry into either F or J status for study above a Bachelor’s Degree or to conduct research; 
2. The individual is affiliated with an entity in the PRC that implements or supports the PRC’s ‘military-civil fusion strategy’.”  This includes anyone who “receives funding from or who currently is employed by, studies at, or conducts research at or on behalf of, or has been employed by, studied at, or conducted research at or on behalf of” an institution that supports the MCF strategy. 
3. The individual’s focus of study or research is in a field that would “contribute to the PRC’s military‑civil fusion strategy, as determined by the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security.” 

The Department of State has confirmed that neither the list of targeted entities nor the list of targeted fields of research will be made public. Therefore, the individual F or J seeker must present their application for a visa to the U.S. Consulate to request a decision on their application. Those who are denied will receive a denial based on Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. 

Note that the Proclamation included an additional measure which instructs the “The Secretary of State (to)  consider……. whether nationals of the PRC currently in the United States pursuant to F or J visas and who otherwise meet the criteria described in section 1 of this proclamation should have their visas revoked…”  When Chinese nationals who are currently within the United States have their visas revoked, they are NOT required to leave the U.S. or end their F-1 or J-1 program. A visa is only necessary when a person enters the U.S.  Therefore, if your visa is revoked while you are in the U.S., you are strongly urged not to travel outside the U.S., as doing so will subject you to a new visa appointment which would be evaluated under the criteria described above. 

Finally, the Proclamation gives the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security 60 days within which to provide the President with additional actions “to further mitigate the risk posed by the PRC’s acquisition of sensitive United States technologies and intellectual property.”  No additional guidance on this issue has been published. 
 

How can I tell if a particular institution is a targeted entity? 

Because the Department of State is not releasing a list of targeted entities, we must rely on other published sources to evaluate individual institutions. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute has created The China Defence Universities Tracker.  That Tracker ranks each institution on a continuum from “High Risk” to “Low Risk.”  The higher on the continuum an institution is ranked, the greater the chance that affiliation with that institution will cause concern under the terms of the White House Proclamation.  

How can I tell if my field of study or research is a targeted field? 

Because the Department of State is not releasing a list of targeted fields, we must rely on other published sources to make the best guess about individual fields.  The Department of State has published a Fact Sheet about the MCF.  That Paper has noted that, “Key technologies being targeted under MCF include quantum computing, big data, semiconductors, 5G, advanced nuclear technology, aerospace technology, and AI.”  We can, therefore, assume that fields of study/research under those categories will be problematic under the terms of this White House Proclamation. 

More information can be found here.

This information was taken from University of Pittsburgh's website.

An exchange visitor who travels outside of the US after transferring J programs, or starting a new J program, needs a new J visa before returning to the United States under the sponsorship of the new program. The Foreign Affairs Manual directs consular officers that:

• • "A J-1 or J-2 visa must be annotated to show the program number, program dates, and sponsor name of the alien's exchange program, as well as the SEVIS number of the individual" and
  • "J-1 visas must be issued for the program dates listed on the Form DS-2019"
  • "An exchange visitor must not use any single J visa for a program other than that specified on the annotation, even if that J visa has not yet expired."

Your inviting department will start an application for you in DestinyOne. Please do not start this yourself, it will delay the process. A checklist of your required documents can be found here.

Once your application is complete and you are officially invited to Temple, you can begin applying for your J-1 visa.

It is possible to change your immigration status to J-1. Read more here.

Read about transferring your SEVIS record if you are already in J-1 status in the US at another institution here.