J-1 Visas Processing Time: If you’re thinking about doing an internship or training internationally, you will need to obtain a J-1 exchange visa as soon as possible, because you’ll likely want to get to the US as soon as possible. Let us tell you, obtaining a visa may require some time. Weeks or even months may pass while your J-1 visa is processed, depending on the details of your application and the backlog of applications in your home country.
Eligibility Requirements for America’s J-1 Visa
Regardless of the program they are applying to, applicants must fulfill a number of prerequisites in order to be eligible for a J-1 visa. These broad standards consist of:
- Purpose of Visit: Under the J-1 visa categories, applicants must show that their main objective is to take part in an authorized cultural exchange program.
- Ties to home country: Strong ties to the applicant’s home country, such as family, job, or property, must be demonstrated. This shows that the applicant plans to return home after completing the program.
- Intent to return: Since the visa is only valid for a short time, applicants must demonstrate that they have no plans to settle in the United States permanently.
- Sponsorship: Candidates must have a sponsor, such as Intrax Global Internships, that has been approved by the US Department of State.
J-1 Visas Processing Time
A few extra steps in the application process lengthen the total processing time for a U.S. J-1 visa. While some parts of the application process are simple, just fill out a form others take longer, involving waiting for administrative staff to review and process your documents. There is a processing time associated with each of the following three steps:
- Getting an Exchange Visitor Status Certificate of Eligibility (DS-2019)
- Scheduling a J-1 visa interview
- Getting approval for your J-1 visa
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Processing Time for DS-2019
Obtaining your Form DS-2019 is a crucial first step in the J-1 visa application process. Before you can set up an interview and receive final approval for your J-1 visa, you will need this document. In and of itself, obtaining the DS-2019 is a process.
1. Your DS-2019 can only be issued by sponsor companies such as Intrax Global Internships after you have finished all of these requirements:
- Finished the DS-2019 online application.
- Completed the Training Placement Plan with your host company and submitted the necessary J-1 visa paperwork.
- Paid all of your program’s fees.
- Verified that your host company has accepted your internship or training placement.
2.After completing that, your DS-2019 can be processed and sent by Intrax Global Internships. It may take up to four weeks to process your Form DS-2019 for a J-1 visa. In order to review your application, process your forms, and send the DS-2019 straight to your home address, the company needs that time.
3.This implies that the initial stage of applying for a J-1 visa could take approximately one month. By completing your application steps as soon as possible, you can expedite this process. You can proceed to the next step of the application process sooner if you complete your forms, collect your documents, and pay your fees quickly.
Processing Time for J-1 Visa Interviews
The next step in the process is to schedule and attend your J-1 visa interview at the closest U.S. embassy or consulate after you have your Form DS-2019, finished your pre-departure orientation, and completed the online non-immigrant visa application form (DS-160). Visit the United States visa appointment wait times website to find out how long it will take at your embassy. For three different visa categories, the website provides estimated appointment wait times based on staffing and workload:
- Visitor visas
- Student and exchange visitor visas
- Other non-immigrant visas
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Processing Time for J-1 Visa Approval
- The only thing left to do is waits for an embassy official to approve your visa application after the J-1 visa interview.
- Since some embassies will issue your visa immediately following the interview, this step could be almost instantaneous. If so, you might be leaving your J-1 visa interview with a foil that has been approved.
- You will have to wait a few days or weeks for your passport with the J-1 visa foil on it to be mailed to you because other locations take a little longer.
- Administrative processing is completely case-specific, so it is impossible to predict with precision how long it will take.
- However, unless you have a serious illness or death in your immediate family, the U.S. State Department recommends that you wait at least 180 days after your interview (or after you submit additional documents) before contacting the embassy regarding your visa.
Grace Times for Entrance and Exit
The 30-day entry and exit grace periods are another deadline you must be mindful of after you have completed the J-1 visa processing time and received your visa foil in your passport. When you can enter and leave the country with your J-1 visa is described by these grace periods. The start and end dates of your J-1 program are described in the series of dates that follow the header “Form Covers Period” in section 3 of your official Form DS-2019. No more than 30 days prior to the specified start date, you must arrive in the United States. You technically do not have J-visa status during these grace periods, and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is in charge of you. You are permitted to complete any remaining tasks in the United States and get ready to leave for your home country, but you are not permitted to do either of the following:
- Have a job or work
- Finish the tasks associated with your exchange program.
Processing Times for other J-1 Visa Procedure
You should already have all the information you require regarding the processing time for a J-1 visa if you’re like the majority of J-1 visa holders. Some J-1 visa holders, however, will have to fill out extra forms for a few unique procedures:
- Receiving an extension for a J-1 visa
- Eliminating the requirement for two years of physical presence in the home country
The time required to apply for a J-1 visa varies for each of these applications. This implies that some J-1 visa applicants may need to inquire not only about the processing time for obtaining a J-1 visa but also about the processing time for obtaining a J-1 visa extension or a waiver.
