J-1: New Skills List Impacts Foreign Residence Requirement

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

ISG has received confirmation by the Department of State Waiver Review Division that citizens of countries that have been removed from the new Skills List are no longer subject to the 2-year foreign residence requirement, if they were subject based on the skills list.

Note that if an individual skill is removed, rather than the entire country, the exchange visitor is not relieved of his or her obligation under INA section 212(e).

See countries removed from the 2009 Skills List and countries which are currently listed on the 2009 Skills List.

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