Two-Year Requirement

You may also be subject to Section 212(e), the two-year foreign residency requirement, which requires you to return to your home country for a period of two years to apply the knowledge and skills you have gained in the U.S.

Participants subject to 212(e) may not apply for an H, L, or K visa or lawful permanent residency upon completing their J-1 Intern/Trainee program until they have returned to their home country for a period of two years.

You may be subject to this requirement for one or more of the following reasons:

• Your participation in the InterExchange Career Training USA program was funded by the United States government, your own government, or an international organization.
• The training and skills you are pursuing in InterExchange Career Training USA’s program appears on the Exchange Visitor Skills list for your country.
• The requirement is applied at the discretion of U.S. consular officials. Your visa will indicate whether you are subject to the two-year residency requirement. If you are subject, your visa will have the following note: ‘BEARER IS SUBJECT TO SEC 212(E). TWO YEAR RULE DOES APPLY.’ Note: InterExchange has no control over whether you will be subject to this requirement.
• The two-year foreign residency requirement also applies to your dependents in the U.S. on the J-2 Visa.

For more important program information, please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions for current participants.