Locate an agency or organization that is authorized to sponsor exchange visitors in the United States. This may be a college or university, medical facility, educational venue or governmental agency.
Meet the requirements of your potential sponsor for inclusion into their exchange program. Each such institution has its own rules, requirements, prerequisites and costs associated with the process. After you meet all of the qualifications of the agency that may sponsor you for the exchange visitor program, request the documents you need to fill out from this agency. As an alternative, you will be able to download them from the State Department website.
Fill out all the forms you are given and do not leave any fields blank. Omitted information may delay your application processing.
Gather documents that show your intended travel itinerary, prove your ability to support yourself financially while in the United States and also make a clear case that you have every intention of returning to your country of origin. The travel itinerary may be provided by your sponsoring agency, and the means test may be met with bank statements and copies of any stipend provisions your sponsoring agency may offer. Showing that you have ties you are unlikely to break in your country of origin is harder but just as important. Include information about any family members you are leaving behind and also real estate and other big-ticket items you own and that will remain behind until you return.
Take this information to your sponsoring agency together with any paperwork it might have given you to fill out. If accepted by your sponsor, the organization will now prepare a form DS 2019 on your behalf; since there is a filing fee associated with this form, you may need to reimburse your sponsor. The cost at this time is being raised to $180.
Visit the website for the American embassy or consulate that has jurisdiction over your area. The U.S. embassy website has a list of current locations, and this makes it easy to find out where you need to go to file your paperwork and also attend the interview that precedes the issuing of the visa. Follow the instructions given on your local consulate’s website with respect to setting up the appointment.
Have your fingerprints taken at your consulate appointment, undergo the interview process and file your application DS 156 with the forms DS 2019, DS 7002, and DS 158 for a J-1 visa. If you are a male and between the ages of 16 and 45, you also need to file form DS 157; do not forget to bring your current passport and also a 2” x 2” photo of yourself.
Pay the application fees. These fees vary depending on the J-1 visa program you are participating in and also who sponsors you. Find out the most likely fees you may be charged from your sponsoring agency.
Return home and wait to receive a decision on your J-1 visa application.
