pietro

Hi all,

I'm a J1 visa student (where the 2 years rule apply) and
I have two quickly questions:

1) Is there a maximun time (I knew 3 years) till I can extend my visa or I can use it till I finish my work?

2)If this visa expire can I apply for a new J1 before the end of the two years without (or with) a waiver?

Thanks in advance
Pietro

Sylvia Ottemoeller

pietro wrote:

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These are questions that you should ask of your J-1 counselor in the international
office of your school.

There are several categories of J-1, including student, professor or research
scholar, specialist, trainee, short-term visitor, etc. Each category has its own
maximum duration.

The maximum duration for the "professor or research scholar" category is 3 years.
That may be where you heard about the 3 year limit.

The maximum duration for the "student" category is the reasonable amount of time that
it takes to complete the degree program that you are pursuing. This reasonable amount
of time is determined by the school. It may be different for each different
department. Some departments may allow you eight years to finish a Ph.D., and some
may allow you 10 years.

By the way, you will not be extending your "visa." You will be extending your
"status."

The visa is the stamp in your passport which permits you to ask to enter the U.S.
duration a certain period of time. When one visa expires, you may apply for a new
visa the next time you travel abroad. However, if you never leave the U.S. while you
are going to school, you will never need a new visa.

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I don't know where you got the "two year" figure here.

You may continue to extend your J-1 status as long as it takes to get your degree, if
you continue to make satisfactory progress toward the degree and you follow all the
immigration rules about full-time enrollment.

You do not need a waiver, ever, if you simply intend to keep going to school and
finish your degree, and then go home.

pietro

thanks for the promtply answer
The problem is that I'm a PhD student in my country (Italy) and I collaborate to a center in US only in order to complete my research (so I cannot take an F1).
With a J1 as researcher I can extend it only up to three years. but is there a way to extend it longer?
I read that there are some "exceptional circustances" under which State Department can extend my status longer (another 3 years max).
This extension will allow me to finish my studies (and research) so to go back to Italy and obein the 2 years rule.

Now...does someone know something about these "execptional circustances" or can help me solving the problem?
thanks

Pietro

Sylvia Ottemoeller

pietro wrote:

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These exceptional circumstance extensions are granted very very rarely. Your
international office should give you advice about the issue.

If you are going back and forth between the U.S. and Italy, perhaps you can use the
J-1 short-term scholar category. That is limited to 6 months at a time. However, you
may be able to do a series of short-term scholar periods of time, if there is a
reasonable amount of time intervening, in Italy.