Decide if the American Visitor Visa, also known as American J1 Visa, is the exact visa for you. According to the American Visa Bureau, this visa "is a temporary non-immigrant visa which allows a foreign employee to be actively engaged in on-the-job training under circumstances equivalent to that of an American employee in the same situation."
Visit the American consulate or embassy in your country, or go on its website, which can be located using the U.S. Department of State website. There you can find out about non-immigrant visas and specific requirements for each country.
Apply for a foreign exchange program and once accepted, obtain all documentation from your program counselor or sponsor and be ready to present this. You will only be able to satisfy visa requirements if you are accepted as a participant of such a program.
Take a color 2-by-2-inch photograph of you facing forward. Only one photograph will be needed.
Fill out the DS-160 which is the Non-Immigrant Visa Electronic Application online from the U.S. Department of State. You must pay an application processing fee of $140, as of 2010, and provide receipt of this payment during your interview. If you are traveling on a work or study grant, depending on your program, you may not need to pay the application fee.
Obtain a Training/Internship Placement Plan form DS-7002 and the DS-2019 Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status from your program sponsor if you have not been supplied with it already. You will need this for the interview.
Schedule an appointment for an interview at an American embassy or consulate in your country. Bring all filled-out forms and applications, receipt of paid application fee, valid passport, and one photograph. You will have a fingerprint scan performed during the interview.
Receive your American Visitor Visa during the interview, unless you are told that you are not eligible. The visa will be in your passport. When you are issued the visa by the American embassy or consulate, you must enter America within 30 days before the start of the program. The embassy or consulate will issue further instruction pertaining to the visa that is relevant to your particular situation. Spouses and minor children may join the visa holder if they meet basic requirements for an American visa.
Come to America. Your visa will expire when your program expires or when you finish the program. That is, if you are participating in a 12 month program, the visa will be valid for 12 months, unless you leave the program early.
