J-1 program Two-Year Home Residency Requirement update—Skill List

On December 9, 2024, the U.S. Department of State published a new Exchange Visitor Skills List (“Skills List”), removing 35 countries including Brazil, China, India and South Korea from the list of a two-year home residency requirement.

This revised Skills List is retroactive. J Scholars who were subject to the two-year home residence requirement based on previously published Skills List will no longer be subject to that requirement.

The update does not affect the home residency requirements for government funding, and for foreign physicians who received medical training in the Unites States.

The State Department will review the Skills List every three years and update it accordingly.