Two Year Home Residency Requirement

What is the two year home residency requirement, 212(e)?

It is a regulation that requires some J-1s and J-2s to return to their home country for two years after the J-1's program is completed. The home country is defined as the J-1's country of permanent residence at the time the J-1 became subject to the requirement.

The home residency requirement is also sometimes known as 212(e).

See Department of State for more information.

Why is there a home residency requirement?

The Exchange Visitor Program (J-1) exists to promote the exchange of international scholars and students in the US. This program is designed to have these visitors return to their home country with a better understanding of the US and share skills to benefit their home country.

Who is subject to the home residency requirement?

A J-1 exchange visitor may be subject for any of these reasons:

Funding: The J-1 program is financed in whole or in part directly or indirectly by the US government or the government of the exchange visitor's nationality or last residence.
On the Skills List: The exchange visitor is a national or permanent resident of a country which has deemed the field of specialized knowledge or skill necessary to the development of the country, as shown on the Exchange Visitor Skills List.
Medical training: The exchange visitor received graduate medical training sponsored by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.

If the J-1 is subject to the home residency requirement, any J-2 dependents will also be subject.

Note: The DS-2019 that the J-1 used to apply for a J-1 visa, or enter the US, will be marked indicating if the J-1 is subject to 212(e) or not. This is sometimes incorrect, so if you have questions, please contact the Office of International Students, Scholars & Programs.

What if you are subject to the home residency requirement?

People subject to the home residency requirement are not eligible for the following benefits until the home residency requirement is fulfilled or waived:

They are not eligible for an immigrant visa or for adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident (immigrant/green card) status;
They are not eligible for an H visa (temporary workers and dependents), an L visa (intracompany transferees and dependents), or a K visa (fiance and dependents);
They are not eligible to change their nonimmigrant status within the US to any other nonimmigrant category except to A, G, T and U statuses.

However, they may leave the US and apply for a visa for any status other than H, L, or permanent residency and re-enter in that status. They must still eventually fulfill the requirement or get a waiver.

For example, you could leave the US, apply for an F-1 student visa, and re-enter as an F-1 student even if you had not yet fulfilled the home residency requirement. However, you will eventually have to fulfill it or get a waiver before being able to obtain an H or L visa or permanent residency status.

How can this requirement be fulfilled?

You can fulfill this requirement by returning to your home country for two years. This two year period does not have to be completed all at once (e.g., you could return to your home country for 6 months, come back to the US as an F-1 student, then later complete the remaining 18 months in your home country). But, you cannot start fulfilling this requirement until you have finished the J-1 program that made you subject.

How can this requirement be waived?

The first step is to complete and file a DS-3035. The form must be completed online, printed, and mailed to the Department of State, with the required processing fee. The waiver process typically takes months. There are several categories for applying for a waiver:

No Objection Statement: This begins with an official statement from the your government (usually an embassy located in the US) to the US Department of State Waiver Review Division that they do not object to you remaining in the US. The Waiver Review Division will then make a recommendation and send it to the Department of Homeland Security, who will make the final decision. Generally, the No Objection Statement is used for people subject to 212(e) due to home government funding or the skills list. It does not apply to people here for graduate medical training sponsored by ECFMG and is almost never successful if US government funding is involved.
Interested Government Agency: If you are involved in a program of vital interest to a US government agency (e.g., Department of Energy), the head of that agency may request a waiver on your behalf to the Waiver Review Division. The Waiver Review Division will make a recommendation to the Department of Homeland Security, who will make the final decision. These waivers are difficult to obtain and the process is quite lengthy.
Credible fear of persecution: If you can show that if you return to your home country, you will face persecution due to race, religion, political opinion, nationality, or membership of a certain social group, you may apply for a waiver directly to the Department of Homeland Security. Economic hardships or lack of professional opportunities do not qualify for this. People with a credible fear of returning home may want to consider asylum. This category requires submitting Form I-612 to USCIS.
Exceptional hardship to a US or permanent resident spouse or child: If you have a US citizen or permanent resident spouse or child, and by returning to your home country, they would experience exceptional hardship, you may apply directly to the Department of Homeland Security for a waiver. You must establish this with substantial documentation and this is only granted in cases where exceptional hardship is evident (e.g., your spouse or child would be unable to receive medical attention, or would face persecution). This category requires subsubmitting Form I-612 to USCIS.

At the conclusion of the review process, the Waiver Review Division will forward its recommendation directly to the USCIS in the Department of Homeland Security. You will receive a copy of that recommendation at the address you listed on Form DS-3035. USCIS has the responsibility for making the final determination on the waiver request. USCIS will notify you directly whether or not your waiver application (Form DS-3035) is approved.

Important Note: Once the Department of State recommends a waiver, you and any J-2 dependents are no longer eligible for DS-2019 extensions or transfers of program. Therefore, you should time your application carefully.