Spur

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum. I was encouraged to ask for advice by a mate of mine who comes on here regularly.

I'm from a highly developed EU country (not in the UK). I wish to pursue a Master's Degree in the US and have been awarded a Fulbright fellowship, which is both prestigious and a big help in terms of tuition.

There is a problem though: the visa I would have is a J-1 and it comes with a 'Two-Year Home-Country Psychical Presence Requirement'. My intentions of going to grad school in the US are to finish my Master's, marry my American girlfriend and establish a career in America. But this 2-Year HHR could halt this plan. And my field of work isn't exactly thriving in my home country.

I know there's a slight chance I could get a waiver, but from browsing the web it seems like it's a really slim chance.

Does anyone have any advice or experience with this kind of conundrum?

Thanks for your help

Marocco

How about spending the two years of the HRR in Canada, or some other country (e.g. Australia), if you can find work there?

Spur

I have considered Canada, but I think they're being quite literal when they say 'home country'.

ginstwin

Will the new immigration reform bill (if passed) help the OP?

Marocco

You are right, sorry.

Noorah101

Here are some ideas:

1. Try for the waiver.
2. Have your wife move back to your country for 2 years.
3. Go back alone for 2 years and have a long distance relationship.
4. Forget the J-1, and just immigrate based on marriage to your USC girlfiend (either the K-1 fiance visa or the spouse immigrant visa).

Rene

ginstwin

I thought this was the exact scenario that the immigration reform would help.
A student getting his masters after being educated in the US leaves the country and is a successful overseas is what they are trying to avoid isnt it?

Any other ideas for the OP?

scrubbedexpat099

In this case he wants his cake and eat it.

lifehouse51

There are different ways to obtain waivers, in some cases a statement of No objection from your home country will be sufficient. You may want to look into it.

And why J-1? Is it because it'll be supported by Fulbright?

KCK_DR

Part of the reason this type of scholarship was created after the Second World War was to educate men and women from other countries and have them take that knowledge back to their countries.

By the way in most cases half of the money for the scholarship comes from the home country, which is investing in the person for the betterment of its human capital and not in an effort to facilitate the upward mobility and immigration of a particular person to the United States.

Now in the country where I was born, most all scholarships of this type are given to well connected children of the elite. Children with rich parents, who could have afforded to come to the U.S. to study with their own money. But why spend your own money …?

retzie

My impression is that Fulbright scholars are Mission: Impossible regarding HRR waivers. I have friends (one USC, one not - married) who are having to sit out the HRR, despite the non-USC's country having no objections.

To the OP: do you have means to pursue this course of study without Fulbright support? If you are stuck with doing it on the Fulbright, you should NOT expect to be living together in the US until you have served out your HRR.

Spur

I suppose you're right. I'm having an immigration lawyer take a look at it right now to see if I should go through with the Fulbright.

Spur

Yeah, I know about the concept behind the idea of the Fulbright organization. In this case, and in my line of work, I would most likely be working for companies in my home country but from the US.

And no, I don't have wealth, elitist and well-connected parents. I got the Fulbright solely on my merits.

Spur

Fulbright would not only pay a great deal of my tuition, it would also ensure that I pay in-state tuition, so it's a significant amount I could save. I could go to grad school for free, basically.

I realize, though, that it's going to be really, really difficult to not sit out the HRR, but I'm waiting to hear back from the lawyer I've contacted, and then I'll make a decision to stay in or drop out of the Fulbright program.

KCK_DR

Part of the reason for the Fulbright is also cultural. A Fulbright scholar is expected to take industrialized world attitudes to their third world country and thus bring development.

In the opinion of the legislators – with which I totally agree – poverty and third world misery is at least in part a problem of attitude and not lack of investment of funds.

Thus working here for your home country maybe only half the benefit.

I have nothing personal against you or any Fulbright scholar.

I have a younger cousin who came to this country as a Fulbright Scholar, she was definatelly not the best investment of U.S. taxpayer money, so my attitude is shaped to a great extend by personal experience.

This is not fair to you, but in all my academic experience - and it spans two graduate degrees in different universities – I have yet to meet a person awarded a Fulbright from a country other than from Germany and Britain that did not have very high connections to power.
Of course that may also be due to the fact that in many countries lower classes don’t even make it to college…

Anyway, nothing personal, I just think that the spirit of Fulbright should not change.