US J-1 visa: internships, DS-2019, the two-year rule
Updated: Author: Alina Kanametova
Key answer
In short
The J-1 is the exchange visa: internships, au pairs, researchers, teachers, summer programmes. The sponsor issues the DS-2019, then the SEVIS fee, the DS-160 and the interview, for Russians in a third country. The main trap is the 212(e) two-year rule: some participants cannot change status to H or L or get a green card until they spend two years at home or obtain a waiver. The community reports that O-1 and EB-1A/NIW petitions stay available meanwhile.
How to get the J-1 visa: five steps
| Step | What | How | More |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A programme sponsor and the DS-2019 | a university, an internship host, an au pair or a research programme issues the DS-2019 through a designated sponsor | visa categories |
| 2 | The SEVIS I-901 fee | paid before the interview; the receipt is needed at the interview and at entry | paying the fees |
| 3 | DS-160 and the interview | for Russians at a third-country consulate; questions about the programme, funds and ties to home | consulates |
| 4 | The 212(e) two-year rule | some participants must spend two years at home before H, L or a green card; lifted through a waiver (no objection, interested agency, hardship, persecution) | paths to the green card |
| 5 | After J-1 | without 212(e), a change of status or a new visa; O-1 and EB-1A/NIW stay open, and the petition can be filed even while the rule applies | the O-1 visa |
Community experience: interviews, the two-year rule, what next
From community discussions
«Hello everyone! I just received a message about the end of the administrative processing. 05/10/23 - 22/02/24, Berlin. J1 visa, I was supposed to work as a research analyst on computational biology/drug design. This was my second application for J1 in 2023, the first administrative processing ended faster, in about 1.5 months.»
Ekaterina · from public community chats
«I applied for J1 in Berlin in May, got it in 6 weeks (which is very surprising according to statistics). Now I applied again for another J1 (same organization, same project) and I'm already waiting longer, it seems I'm not so lucky this time.»
Ekaterina · from public community chats
«This is my job. Universities usually offer J1 or H1B to foreigners. Before the petition, I thought I would apply for H1B, but my husband is not allowed to work as a dependent on that visa (he can on J1). This left me no choice but to apply for EB1A.»
Olga K. · from public community chats
«I applied in Moscow in December 2019, the administrative processing was less than a month. An acquaintance applied at the end of January 2022 in Poland and waited about a month. Now we applied again for J1/J2 in the Emirates with my husband. This is now the fourth month of waiting...»
Tania · from public community chats
«#Belgrade #J1 #J2 #administrative_processing #approval On September 19, my wife and I had an interview. On October 24, the consulate requested the passports. On November 5, I submitted them, and now I have picked them up. They issued a visa for 3 years! Good luck to everyone!»
Nikita · from public community chats
«I just have a program (I applied for J1) funded by the State Department, but the State Department, in the role of the embassy, sent it for administrative processing, which is why I couldn't make it to the program — it starts on July 2, and after 4 weeks, it's still under review. The sponsor (State Department) said they won't postpone the program because the visa problems are not their fault. The sponsor (State Department) says they can't do anything. Everything is quite funny in their setup..😆 They chose to participate, then closed the door at the visa stage ahahah.»
community member · from public community chats
«My husband gave up on this and we returned to Turkey… everything got stuck during COVID. And in Turkey, I realized how tough it is. Even if we had stayed here for 2 years, as a dependent, I would have needed to stay in Russia for 2 years… (I was on J2 when we got the 2-year home residence requirement). We described the situation; we have two minors who are American citizens, and were helped. Now, the lawyers also advise going to the senator and not to delay because the kids are involved, and the kids are Americans. And my scant professional activity is not really related to talent; I haven't lived in Russia since 2011 and I did not work there... we will try.»
Tatiana A. · from public community chats
«I have a J1 visa; I am a graduate student at the University of Groningen (Netherlands), the visa is for an internship (master's diploma). I applied in Amsterdam with a Dutch residence permit (ultimately, they didn't ask for it at all although it was written on the website that they would request it). The verification after the interview took three months; they asked to send my CV (the other documents were the standard ones). During the interview, they asked about my specialty (evolutionary biology), where I'm going, and if I had been to Belarus (the interview lasted 2 minutes).»
Aleksandra · from public community chats
Personal opinions of community members from public discussions, not legal advice.
Community answers
- Which visa should I choose: J-1, O-1, or H-1B?
- The choice depends on the goal, timing, and the applicant's profile. H-1B is limited by an annual filing window and quotas, J-1 may have limits on duration and a possible return requirement, and O-1 is often seen as an option for strong professional cases without a lottery.
Real timelines named in the chats
| Stage | Typically | Note |
|---|---|---|
| different types, including F-1/F-2, J-1/J-2, and unspecified: prolonged administrative processing and possible mandamus | lawsuits are usually considered after 6 months of AP; waits of about a year or more occur | Messages describe AP lasting months as a reason to contact attorneys; a guideline was mentioned that such cases are often not taken before 6 months. |
| J-1: administrative processing | about 9 months | There is an observation for J-1 in a scientific field where the first administrative processing took 9 months. |
| J-1: repeat administrative processing | more than 2 months, process not yet completed | For a repeat J-1 application, an approximately 2-month wait was noted, with no final result. |
| F-1/J-1: waiting after administrative processing, considering documents from the educational institution | no fixed timeframe | It was noted that there is no set timeline from the State Department for F-1 and J-1; continuation of the process also depends on the university's readiness to issue updated I-20 or DS-2019 forms. |
Myths and reality
Myth: The J-1 two-year rule depends only on the country where the person currently lives, or it can be resolved simply by changing residence.
In reality: The applicability of the two-year requirement may depend on citizenship, the country of last permanent residence, the funding source, the program, and the current skills list. It must be checked based on the specific exchange program history.
Rules and tips from the chats
- tipTransferring a DS-2019 within the same or a closely related field is usually seen as a less complicated process than changing to a different direction or sponsor with a substantially different program.
- tipFor J-1 and student cases, it is important to keep SEVIS and I-20 up to date, since the program start date can be postponed and the consulate may request current documents.
- tipIf the educational institution updates the I-20 or DS-2019 because the program start date has been deferred, make sure the consulate has the current version of the form. For significant changes, it is better to ask whether the update should be sent instead of relying on old data.
- ruleAdministrative processing occurs across different visa categories - tourist, F-1, J-1, H-1B, EB-1. Successful fast cases for other applicants do not guarantee a similar timeline.
Cases from the community
F-1 or J-1 · science, academic research · outcome not stated
A family or couple faced repeated administrative reviews: first one applicant was reviewed, then after correspondence with the consulate the review was started for the second applicant as well; later, a follow-up visit was requested.
What they did: Corresponded with the consulate and went through additional review stages.
J-1 · science and engineering research · outcome not stated
the applicant had previously received an exchange visa after an administrative review, then reapplied and again ended up in a long administrative review
What they did: completed the interview, waited several months for the administrative review to finish
The consular stage: rules from the chats
For J-1 and other programs with start dates, it is worth discussing date changes and a new program document in advance.
If AP drags on, an updated document may be needed, as well as clarity on whether to attend another appointment or wait for consulate instructions.
Questions and answers on the site
Distilled from the public community chats, anonymised; corpus as of June 2026. These are participants' observations, not legal advice and not USCIS statistics.
Frequently asked questions
- How many criteria do you need to meet for EB-1A?
- At least three of the ten USCIS criteria. But meeting criteria is not enough: the officer additionally evaluates the case as a whole (final merits) and must see sustained acclaim and that you are among the best in your field. In the community's experience, a denial is possible even with 5 or more criteria counted if this second part is not proven.
- If I met 5 criteria, is the visa guaranteed?
- No. Meeting criteria is only the first stage. Next the officer looks at the case as a whole (final merits): you need to show sustained acclaim and a position at the top of the profession. It happens that the criteria are formally met, yet the officer writes that the applicant is not extraordinary enough. The outcome depends largely on the strength of the evidence and on the officer.
- What is final merits, and why are cases denied even with three criteria?
- Final merits is the final evaluation of the case as a whole after the individual criteria are checked: the officer decides whether you demonstrate sustained acclaim and belong to the top of the profession. That is why, even with three or more criteria counted, a NOID may arrive demanding proof that you are really at the top of your field.
- Can I quickly collect all the awards and file right away?
- Better not: the officer wants to see sustained acclaim spread over time, not achievements gathered all at once right before filing. Ideally the recognition should be distributed over recent years. Fresh, hastily created awards and publications can raise questions and an RFE.
Where next
- The F-1 student visaI-20, change of status
- The B1/B2 tourist visainterviews, checks
- Consulates: interview reportsby city
- Administrative processing 221(g)timelines
- The O-1 visa after J-1no lottery
- EB-2 NIW for researchersno employer needed
- US visa typesthe category table
- How to move to the US from Russiaevery route
Community questions on this topic
Consulates Russians travel to
Sources
This page is reference, not legal advice; rules and fees change - verify on uscis.gov.